Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 19, soon releasing the albums For You (1978) and Prince (1979). He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982). His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), was recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, and was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he starred. Purple Rain garnered continued success for Prince and was a major commercial achievement, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200 chart. The soundtrack also won Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The Artist.
After signing with Arista Records in 1998, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000. Over the next decade, six of his albums entered the U.S. top 10 charts. In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. He also released songs under multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made popular after being covered by other musicians, most notably "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor and "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. Released posthumously, his demo albums Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018) and Originals (2019) both received critical acclaim.
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. His awards included the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016, and was inducted twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)
Studio albums
For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Around the World in a Day (1985)
Parade (1986)
Sign o' the Times (1987)
Lovesexy (1988)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
Love Symbol (1992)
Come (1994)
The Black Album (1994)
The Gold Experience (1995)
Chaos and Disorder (1996)
Emancipation (1996)
Crystal Ball (1998)
The Truth (1998)
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999)
The Rainbow Children (2001)
One Nite Alone... (2002)
Xpectation (2003)
N·E·W·S (2003)
The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
The Slaughterhouse (2004)
Musicology (2004)
3121 (2006)
Planet Earth (2007)
Lotusflow3r (2009)
MPLSound (2009)
20Ten (2010)
Plectrumelectrum (2014)
Art Official Age (2014)
HITnRUN Phase One (2015)
HITnRUN Phase Two (2015)
Posthumous releases:
Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018)
Originals (2019)
Welcome 2 America (2021)
Prince also released two albums credited to Madhouse, three albums credited to the New Power Generation, and one credited to the N.P.G. Orchestra:
Madhouse:
8 (1987)
16 (1987)
The New Power Generation:
Goldnigga (1993)
Exodus (1995)
Newpower Soul (1998)
The N.P.G. Orchestra:
Kamasutra (1997)
For Serbian singer Princ, please use Princ.
Wow
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you made the heavens
They said whoa
When you blew into man
They said how
When you split the seas
They said wow wow
Wow wow
When you touched the mountains
They said whoa
When your presence hugged us
We said oh
When your loving tugged us
We said wow, wow
Wow, wow
Wow, wow
When you made the earth
They said wow, wow, wow
When you came to earth
They said wow, wow, wow
When you came to us
We said wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
I'll praise you God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll lift you up and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll honor God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
(Hey God wow)
Wow, wow, wow
(Hey God wow)
Wow, wow, wow
God, wow
(Hey God wow)
Wow, wow, wow
(Hey God wow)
Wow, wow
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There ain't nothing)
There ain't nothing like Jehovah
God
(There ain't nothing)
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There ain't nothing like you God so wonderful to me, lord.)
When you made the earth
They said wow, wow, wow
When you came to earth
They said wow, wow, wow
When you came to us
We said wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
I'll praise you God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll lift you up and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll honor God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There ain't nothing)
Wow, wow, wow
There ain't nothing like Jehovah
God
(There ain't nothing)
Wow, wow, God, wow
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(Jehovah God is so amazing, yes.)
God, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There's nothing like you.)
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(God you're so amazing)
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There's nothing like you Lord you are so amazing)
When you made the earth
They said wow, wow, wow
When you came to earth
They said wow, wow, wow
When you came to us
We said wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
I'll praise you God and I'll say
Wow wow wow
I'll lift you up and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll honor God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
Hey wow
I can't help but say wow
You creation is so wow
We say wow lord
I say you are so amazing Lord wow
We say wow
Hey
Wow Lord wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
I can't help but say wow, wow, wow
Prince's song Wow is an expression of awe and wonder towards God's creation and presence. The lyrics acknowledge the magnitude of God's power and his incredible work in the world. The chorus consists of a repetition of the word "Wow" which serves to emphasize the magnitude of every act of God's creation- from the heavens to the earth, the mountains to the seas, the existence of man and ultimately, God himself. Each act of God's creation is so immense that our only response is to be in awe, and say "Wow." The song builds up to the idea that there is nothing else like Jehovah God and ends with a refrain of "Wow, wow, wow."
The song has both a personal and collective approach- it acknowledges the individual's relationship with God and encourages everyone to praise and honour him. The use of the word "we" in verse two highlights the communal aspect, while the use of "I" in the following verses speaks to a more intimate and personal relationship. Prince's use of "we" and "I" serves to establish the duality between the individual and the community in their experiences of God's creation and presence.
Wow was released on Prince's album,777-9311, a reference to the song of the same title by The Time. Despite its upbeat sound and simple lyrics, Wow is a beautiful reminder of the magnitude of God's power and the wonder of his creation.
Line by Line Meaning
Wow, Wow, Wow
This song is about expressing the sense of awe and wonder that people can experience when thinking about the power and majesty of God.
When you made the heavens
They said whoa
From the very beginning of creation, people have been struck by the beauty and grandeur of the heavens that God made.
When you blew into man
They said how
The power of God is so great that people are amazed by the way He breathed life into humanity.
When you split the seas
They said wow wow
God's power is on full display when He parted the Red Sea, an act that left people stunned and amazed.
When you touched the mountains
They said whoa
God's power is also evident in the majesty of the mountains He created, which inspire awe and wonder in us.
When your presence hugged us
We said oh
Feeling the presence of God can be so powerful that it leaves people with a sense of wonder and amazement.
When your loving tugged us
We said wow, wow
God's love is so powerful that it can move people to a sense of awe and amazement.
When you made the earth
They said wow, wow, wow
The creation of the earth is an incredible feat that inspires a sense of wonder and amazement.
When you came to earth
They said wow, wow, wow
The incarnation of God is an incredible act that fills people with wonder and amazement.
When you came to us
We said wow, wow, wow
The experience of encountering God in a personal way can leave us with a sense of awe and wonder.
I'll praise you God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll lift you up and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
I'll honor God and I'll say
Wow, wow, wow
Wow, wow, wow
The songwriter's response to God's power and love is one of awe and gratitude, expressed through saying 'Wow' repeatedly.
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There ain't nothing)
There ain't nothing like Jehovah
God
(There ain't nothing)
There ain't nothing like Jehovah God
(There ain't nothing like you God so wonderful to me, lord.)
The songwriter emphasizes that there is no one like God, whose power and love are truly unique and unmatched.
Hey wow
I can't help but say wow
You creation is so wow
We say wow lord
I say you are so amazing Lord wow
We say wow
Hey
Wow Lord wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
I can't help but say wow, wow, wow
The sense of awe and wonder the songwriter feels toward God extends to all of His creation, which inspires feelings of amazement and gratitude.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Clifton Hurd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind