Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known m… Read Full Bio ↴Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop.

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.

Yah U Know
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's a matter with you?
Ain't you got nothin' better to do
Than to dance your life away at the local disco?
Polyester punk to the bone
No wonder you came alone, huh
All grossed out 'cause you spit when you talk, say "Yah, you know"

Keep singin', "Yah, you know, yah, you know"

There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, say "Yah, you know"

What's a matter with you?
Smell like diesel fume
Whoever told you it was cool to drink Perrier?
Even a blind man knows
Black looks better in snow
We're all grossed out 'cause you spit when you talk, say "Yah, you know"

Keep singin', "Yah, you know, yah, you know"
There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, saying "Yah, you know"
Yah, you know
Yah, you know

What's the matter with you?
Ain't you got nothin' better to do
Than sit unemployed watchin' television like a fool?
Livin' in a bag of fast food
I guess it wouldn't seem so crude
But everybody's grossed 'cause you spit when you talk, say "Yah, you know"

Keep singing
"Yah, you know, yah, you know"
There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
"Yah, you know, yah, you know"
There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, say "Yah, you know"

Yah, you know

Like I would get a job but the world's gonna end soon
You got any 'ludes?

Overall Meaning

In "Yah U Know," Prince is criticizing a character who seems to lack direction and purpose in life. The song starts off by questioning what is wrong with this person and why they don't have anything better to do than spend their time at a local disco, constantly dancing their life away. The lyrics portray this individual as a "polyester punk" who is alone because of their off-putting habit of spitting while they talk.

Prince goes on to comment on their appearance and lifestyle choices. He mentions that they smell like diesel fumes and mockingly asks who told them it was cool to drink Perrier, a brand associated with sophistication. The line "even a blind man knows black looks better in snow" suggests that this person's fashion sense is questionable or inappropriate. Again, the lyrics emphasize their spitting habit, which grosses out everyone around them.

The final verse reveals that this character is unemployed and spends their days watching television, which Prince describes as foolish. Their living conditions are portrayed as being dependent on fast food, further highlighting their lack of ambition or care for themselves. The recurring line "yah, you know" reiterates their irritating habit and reminds them that there is more to life than just spitting while they talk.

As for the last line, "Like I would get a job but the world's gonna end soon, You got any 'ludes?," it can be interpreted as a sarcastic response to the character's lack of motivation. Prince humorously suggests that he would get a job, but since the world is ending soon, it seems pointless. The mention of 'ludes refers to Quaaludes, a sedative drug that was popular in the past, implying a humorous disregard for the situation.

Line by Line Meaning

What's a matter with you?
Why are you behaving this way?

Ain't you got nothin' better to do
Don't you have anything more productive to occupy your time?

Than to dance your life away at the local disco?
Instead of wasting your life partying at the disco?

Polyester punk to the bone
You have a strong affinity for the punk culture and fashion made of polyester

No wonder you came alone, huh
It's not surprising that you're alone with your behavior

All grossed out 'cause you spit when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
Everyone is disgusted because you excessively spit while talking and say 'Yah, you know'

Keep singin', "Yah, you know, yah, you know"
You continue chanting 'Yah, you know, yah, you know'

There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
Life has greater depth and meaning than constantly spitting and saying 'Yah, you know'

What's a matter with you?
Why are you behaving like this again?

Smell like diesel fume
You have a strong odor resembling diesel fumes

Whoever told you it was cool to drink Perrier?
Who influenced you to think that drinking Perrier was cool?

Even a blind man knows
Even someone without sight can understand

Black looks better in snow
The color black stands out more against a backdrop of snow

We're all grossed out 'cause you spit when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
Everyone is repulsed by your habit of spitting while speaking and saying 'Yah, you know'

Keep singin', "Yah, you know, yah, you know"
Continue with your repetitive chant of 'Yah, you know, yah, you know'

There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, saying "Yah, you know"
Life offers more opportunities and experiences than just spitting and saying 'Yah, you know'

Yah, you know
Yes, you understand

What's the matter with you?
Why are you behaving like this once more?

Ain't you got nothin' better to do
Don't you have anything more worthwhile to occupy your time?

Than sit unemployed watchin' television like a fool?
Instead of staying unemployed and wasting time watching TV like a fool?

Livin' in a bag of fast food
Your life revolves around fast food

I guess it wouldn't seem so crude
Perhaps it wouldn't appear as distasteful

But everybody's grossed 'cause you spit when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
However, everyone is disgusted by your habit of spitting while talking and saying 'Yah, you know'

Keep singing
Continue with your repetitive singing

"Yah, you know, yah, you know"
'Yah, you know, yah, you know'

There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
Life holds more significance than just spitting and saying 'Yah, you know'

"Yah, you know, yah, you know"
'Yah, you know, yah, you know'

There's more to life than spittin' when you talk, say "Yah, you know"
Life encompasses more than just spitting and saying 'Yah, you know'

Yah, you know
Yes, you understand

Like I would get a job but the world's gonna end soon
I would consider finding employment, but I believe the world will end soon

You got any 'ludes?
Do you possess any Quaaludes?

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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