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.
X's Face
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was a heart break and so many tears
I should gonna make it out here on my own
A body like that should never be alone
A kiss on the stairways, another man's embrace
How was she know what was just taking place?
Too busy with the jugular and how it taste
To remember what she saw in the X's face
Long time ago, or maybe yesterday
You and I, in chariots on our way
Proper celebration for what we've learned
But for every battle won, there are scars and burns
For every broken heart, there's another will mend
Who needs enemies when you got friends?
For every open door there's something in the way
Last time we checked it was the X's face
The X's face
Everybody know about the X's face
Black don't crack
Bass don't bate
Go and take that banana
and get back in your cage
Ooh ooh ohh
The X's face, the X's face! The X's face
In Prince's song "The X's Face," the lyrics depict a story of heartbreak and betrayal. The singer reflects on past events where they were left to make it on their own after experiencing a great deal of pain and tears. The singer expresses how they believe a body, especially one like the person they are speaking of, should never be alone. However, they recount witnessing the moment when the person they had feelings for was embracing someone else, all the while being preoccupied with the taste of jugular. They continue on to describe how for every battle won, there are still scars and burns left over, and for every broken heart, someone else's heart is mending. The singer even expresses how sometimes friends can act like enemies, and for every open door there is something that can block your way. The last time they saw an obstacle, it was the X's face.
Line by Line Meaning
A few months ago, or maybe it was years
Prince muses about the passage of time since a painful experience
It was a heart break and so many tears
He reflects on the deep sadness and hurt he experienced
I should gonna make it out here on my own
Prince expresses his determination to succeed without relying on anyone
A body like that should never be alone
He believes a beautiful person like his former lover should not be alone
A kiss on the stairways, another man's embrace
He recalls the painful memory of seeing his former lover with another man
How was she know what was just taking place?
Prince questions his former lover's awareness of what was happening
Too busy with the jugular and how it taste
He criticizes his former lover's fixation on shallow desires
To remember what she saw in the X's face
Prince ponders if his former lover ever really knew or valued him
The X's face, the X's face
The image of his face haunts him
Long time ago, or maybe yesterday
Prince reflects on the past or a recent event
You and I, in chariots on our way
He recalls a time when he was in a happy relationship
Proper celebration for what we've learned
He believes he and his previous partner grew and changed from the relationship
But for every battle won, there are scars and burns
Prince reminds us that even in victory, there is emotional pain
For every broken heart, there's another will mend
He believes there is hope for healing and a future opportunity for love
Who needs enemies when you got friends?
Prince expresses disappointment in the actions of his so-called friends
For every open door there's something in the way
He reflects on how life's opportunities often come with obstacles
Last time we checked it was the X's face
He remembers that his own face was his obstacle to success or happiness
The X's face
Prince's face is the image of his own obstacles or past pain
Everybody know about the X's face
Prince ponders if his face is well-known for causing him trouble
Black don't crack
Prince draws on the common phrase that refers to the unchanging color of black skin
Bass don't bate
He uses a play on words, noting that the bass guitar doesn't beat or waver
Go and take that banana and get back in your cage
Prince sings an ambiguous and bizarre phrase about confinement and ownership
Ooh ooh ohh
A musical interlude with no distinct meaning
The X's face, the X's face! The X's face
The chorus repeats the repeated motif of his own negative self-image
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind