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.
sister
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My sister was thirty-two, lovely, and loose
She don't wear no underwear
She says it only gets in her hair
And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice
My sister never made love to anyone else but me
She's the reason for my, uh, sexuality
A blowjob doesn't mean blow
Incest is everything it's said to be
Oh, sister
Don't put me on the street again
Oh, sister
I just want to be your friend
I was only sixteen and only half a man
My sister didn't give a goddamn
She only wanted to turn me out
She took a whip to me until I shout
"Oh, motherfuckers just a motherfucker, can't you understand?"
Oh, sister
Don't put me on the street again
Oh, sister
I just want to be your friend
I know what you want me to do
Put me on the street and make me blue
Oh, sister
Oh, sister, oh
Prince's song "Sister" is a controversial and disturbing song that explores incest and the impact it has on a young person's sexuality. The opening verse of the song talks about the singer being only sixteen years old and his sister being twice his age but still seducing him. The lyrics also reveal that the sister doesn't wear underwear and believes it only gets in the way. The second verse of the song talks about the singer's sexual relationship with his sister, and how she was the reason for his sexuality. She's also shown to have taught him how sex works and how a blowjob is not just about blowing.
The song also mentions that incest is everything that it's said to be. With the chorus of the song, the singer begs his sister not to put him on the street again and asks to be just her friend. The final verse of the song reveals that the singer feels powerless against his sister and she had taken a whip to him until he shouted in pain. The disturbing nature of the song leaves open-ended questions about what had happened to the singer and his sister, which can be disturbing for many.
Line by Line Meaning
I was only sixteen but I guess that's no excuse
Despite being a teenager, I don't think it justifies my actions or excuses what I did.
My sister was thirty-two, lovely, and loose
My sister was a beautiful and promiscuous woman in her thirties.
She don't wear no underwear
My sister chooses not to wear any undergarments.
She says it only gets in her hair
She claims that wearing underwear causes discomfort and leaves marks on her skin.
And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice
Wearing underwear prevents natural bodily fluids from flowing freely and may affect sexual pleasure.
My sister never made love to anyone else but me
My sister and I engaged in incestual sexual activities exclusively.
She's the reason for my, uh, sexuality
My sister is responsible for my sexual preferences and desires.
She showed me where it's supposed to go
My sister taught me how to engage in sexual activities and where to place my body parts.
A blowjob doesn't mean blow
The term 'blowjob' is misleading and does not involve actual blowing; rather, it refers to oral sex.
Incest is everything it's said to be
Engaging in incest has all the consequences and implications that society attributes to it.
Oh, sister
Addressing my sister.
Don't put me on the street again
Please don't expose me and abandon me to the outside world.
I just want to be your friend
I don't want us to be estranged or hostile towards each other. I want to maintain a close relationship.
I was only sixteen and only half a man
I was not fully mature or developed yet, physically or emotionally.
My sister didn't give a goddamn
My sister didn't care about my age or my well-being when engaging in sexual activities with me.
She only wanted to turn me out
My sister wanted to make me sexually experienced and skilled.
She took a whip to me until I shout
My sister punished me physically, probably because I didn't perform well or resisted her advances.
"Oh, motherfuckers just a motherfucker, can't you understand?"
My frustration and bitterness towards society and its judgment of our incestuous relationship.
I know what you want me to do
I understand that some people expect me to end our relationship or seek help.
Put me on the street and make me blue
Abandoning me and leaving me alone in a hostile environment would make me sad and depressed.
Oh, sister, oh
Closing the song by addressing my sister one more time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind