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.
damned if eye do
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me what's up with the teenage indecision
I'm mad in love but you won't give me permission
You said, "Be here at 9"
Then scream at me for not giving you more time, more time
Damned if I do, damned if I don't
You say you want me to love you
Maybe, maybe we should say goodbye
Damned if I do
Tell me the truth, how many you do it to?
I smell vermouth every time I don't get to kiss you
Enough's enough
If you don't want my lovin', then I'll give up, I'll give up
[Chorus]
Damned if I do, damned if I don't
You say you want me to love you
But when I try, you won't
Baby, maybe we should say goodbye
Goodbye
Damned if I don't try to make you see yourself the way I do
Open minded, worldly, always ready for taboo
Tell me what's up, are we gonna go to heaven?
I'll fill your cup, I won't do it like Kevin
[Chorus]
Damned if I do, damned if I don't
Baby, maybe we should say goodbye
Maybe we should say, "I do"
T¨² siempre est¨¢s hablando de lo qu¨¦ tenemos qu¨¦ hacer
[You're always speaking about what we should do]
Bueno, t¨² sabes
[Well, you know]
Pero lo qu¨¦ tienes qu¨¦ hacer
[But what you should do]
Qu¨¦? [What?]
Es buscarte una menta para la boca porque apestas!
[Is get a breath mint because your mouth stinks!]
Qu¨¦ es lo qu¨¦ t¨² est¨¢s diciendo?
[What are you saying?]
Por favor, cometelas todas!
[Please, eat them all!]
A mi no me apesta la boca!
[My breath doesn't stink!]
Prince's song "Damned If I Do" is a soulful reflection on teenage indecision and the complexities of love. The lyrics explore the frustration and confusion of a young man in love who feels trapped by his partner's lack of commitment and inability to reciprocate his affections. The opening lines set the tone for the song, as Prince asks, "Tell me what's up with the teenage indecision?" He then goes on to express his frustration at being in love but not being given permission to pursue his feelings.
Prince's lyrics are filled with metaphor and imagery. He describes the feeling of being caught in a love triangle by saying, "Tell me the truth, how many you do it to? I smell vermouth every time I don't get to kiss you." The references to vermouth and kissing suggest a sense of longing and unfulfilled desire.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "damned if I do, damned if I don't," which speaks to the singer's sense of confusion and frustration. He wants to love his partner, but when he tries, she won't let him. The ambiguity and complexity of these emotions are quintessentially adolescent, and Prince captures them with honesty and insight.
Overall, "Damned If I Do" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the heart of what it means to be young and in love. Its universal themes and timeless lyrics have made it a classic that continues to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Damned if I do
I'm in a lose-lose situation no matter what I do
Tell me what's up with the teenage indecision
Explain why you're acting so indecisive and immature
I'm mad in love but you won't give me permission
I'm deeply in love with you, but you're not letting me express it
You said, "Be here at 9"
You requested that I be here by 9 o'clock
Then scream at me for not giving you more time, more time
You shout at me for not being with you for longer
Damned if I do, damned if I don't
I can't win no matter what I decide
You say you want me to love you
You claim you want to be loved by me
But when I try, you won't
Whenever I attempt to love you, you push me away
Maybe, maybe we should say goodbye
Perhaps we should go our separate ways
Tell me the truth, how many you do it to?
Be honest, how many other people are you having intimate relations with?
I smell vermouth every time I don't get to kiss you
When I'm not able to kiss you, I can still smell the scent of alcohol on your breath
Enough's enough
I won't tolerate this any longer
If you don't want my lovin', then I'll give up, I'll give up
If you don't want me to love you back, then I'll give up trying
Goodbye
Farewell, it's over between us
Damned if I don't try to make you see yourself the way I do
Even if it's detrimental to me, I still attempt to get you to understand my view of you
Open minded, worldly, always ready for taboo
You're accepting of unorthodox ideas and lifestyles and constantly craving new experiences
Tell me what's up, are we gonna go to heaven?
What's our destiny, will we end up in paradise?
I'll fill your cup, I won't do it like Kevin
I'll take care of you and fulfill your desires, but I'll do it differently than someone else
T¨² siempre est¨¢s hablando de lo qu¨¦ tenemos qu¨¦ hacer
You're always speaking about what we should do
Bueno, t¨² sabes
Well, you know
Pero lo qu¨¦ tienes qu¨¦ hacer
But what you should do
Qu¨¦?
What?
Es buscarte una menta para la boca porque apestas!
It's to get a breath mint because your mouth stinks!
Qu¨¦ es lo qu¨¦ t¨² est¨¢s diciendo?
What are you saying?
Por favor, cometelas todas!
Please, eat them all!
A mi no me apesta la boca!
My breath doesn't stink!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind