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.

Young and Beautiful
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So young and beautiful
So young and beautiful

You're so young and beautiful
You're so full of life - everybody knows
That's why they try to take advantage of you
But you don't have to do what the other ones do
You're so cool - the world at your feet

They only want your virginity
Keep your clothes on and your chastity
Until you find the one that's worth it baby

So young and beautiful
So young and beautiful

You're so fine my heart's just pounding
If I had the chance to lay you down
I'd probably take a rain check 'til next summer
'Cause I don't wanna be like all your other lovers

Young and beautiful
Young and beautiful

So young and beautiful
I'm hippin' you to the game darlin'
So that you'll always remain
Young and beautiful

Young and beautiful
Oh yeah

Overall Meaning

Prince's song "Young and Beautiful" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of being a young and beautiful woman in a world that wants to take advantage of you. The song opens with the refrain "So young and beautiful," a line that repeats throughout the song as if to emphasize the singer's awe at the young woman's appearance. However, this beauty proves to be a double-edged sword as the singer warns the woman that "they" (presumably men and society as a whole) will try to take advantage of her.

The singer urges the woman to resist this pressure and remain true to herself. He advises her to keep her clothes on and her chastity intact until she finds someone who truly values her for who she is, rather than just her looks. In the second verse, the singer admits to being attracted to the woman but asserts that he is different from her other would-be suitors, as he is willing to wait for her and not treat her as just another conquest.

Overall, "Young and Beautiful" is a song about the power dynamics at play between men and women, and the dangers that women face in a world that objectifies and devalues them. The singer urges the young woman to stay true to herself and hold out for someone who is worthy of her, rather than giving in to the pressure to conform to society's expectations.

Line by Line Meaning

So young and beautiful
Addressing the young and beautiful person

So young and beautiful
Reiterating the admiration for the person's youth and beauty

You're so young and beautiful
Complimenting the person as full of life and admired by many

You're so full of life - everybody knows
Acknowledging the person's popularity and the attempts made by others to exploit them

That's why they try to take advantage of you
Explaining the reasons behind the exploitation attempts

But you don't have to do what the other ones do
Encouraging the person to stay true to themselves and not follow others

You're so cool - the world at your feet
Further complimenting the person for their coolness and all the opportunities available to them

They only want your virginity
Highlighting the ulterior motives of those who are trying to take advantage of the person

Keep your clothes on and your chastity
Advising the person to maintain their sexual boundaries and not give in to pressure

Until you find the one that's worth it baby
Encouraging the person to wait for the right person who will respect them and their decisions

You're so fine my heart's just pounding
Expressing the singer's strong physical attraction to the person

If I had the chance to lay you down
Speculating what the artist would do if given the opportunity to be intimate with the person

I'd probably take a rain check 'til next summer
Deciding to postpone any possibility of being with the person until later

'Cause I don't wanna be like all your other lovers
Explaining the singer's desire to be different from the other people who have been with the person

Young and beautiful
Repeating the phrase as a tribute to the person's youth and beauty

Young and beautiful
Emphasizing the person's beauty and youth once again

So young and beautiful
Concluding the song with a heartfelt reminder of the person's admirable qualities

I'm hippin' you to the game darlin'
An arresting variation of the phrasal verb 'hipping up to'; explaining that the song was written to enlighten the person about life's hidden tricks

So that you'll always remain
The objective of the song, which is to ensure the person remains the embodiment of youth and beauty

Young and beautiful
Reinforcing the previous statement by repeating the phrase

Young and beautiful
Closing the song with a descriptive tribute to the person's elegance and youth

Oh yeah
An exclamation marking the end of the song

Contributed by Oliver T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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