I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted, one time, to see you laughing
I only want to see you laughing
In the purple rain
[Chorus]
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you bathing
In the purple rain
[Verse 2]
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend, hey
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
[Chorus]
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you underneath the purple rain
Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out for something new
That means you, too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
[Chorus]
Purple rain, purple rain, yeah
Purple rain, purple rain, wooo!
If you know what I'm singing about up here
Come on, raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain, yeah
I only want to see you
Only want to see you in the purple rain
[Instrumental Outro]
[Guitar Solo]
About
Prince’s definitive power ballad “Purple Rain” peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 on November 17, 1984 behind Wham’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”. It was the title track of the album and namesake of a film in which Prince plays “The Kid” who has nostalgic yearning for a pure love.
Prince explained that the concept of purple rain “pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through”. Bandmate Lisa Coleman shared it means “a new beginning. Purple, the sky at dawn; rain, the cleansing factor.”
Upon finishing the track, Prince was concerned this song was too close to “Faithfully” so he played it for Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who told him not to worry about being sued.
He performed it during the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show as the last song on the set, appropriately during a driving rainstorm. The performance was rated the best halftime show by Billboard and NBC.
In 2011, Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 best songs of all time. In 2015, Pitchfork named it the best song of the 1980s.
Perhaps appropriately, it was the last song Prince ever played live, closing out his concert in Atlanta on April 14, 2016.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Lisa Coleman told Spin magazine:
You know how [Prince] is. It wasn’t about coming out with the next record. The next record had to be a whole environment.
Dr. Fink said the idea came about while the band was on tour:
We kept running into Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. After one of the shows, Prince asked me what made Seger so popular. I said, ‘Well, he’s playing mainstream pop-rock.’ Michael Jackson and Prince were breaking ground, but there was still a lot of segregation on mainstream radio. I said, ‘Prince, if you were to write something along these lines, it would cross things over for you even further.’
Prince said,
When there’s blood in the sky … red and blue [equals] purple … purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.
There are several contending interpretations of Prince’s infamous lyrics, but the overarching message is clear; our protagonist is wistful for the deliverance of his lover.
Yes, Rolling Stone ranked it number 144 on their ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’ list. Q magazine also included it on their ‘100 Greatest Guitar Tracks’ list. Pitchfork named it the best song of the 1980s.
Additionally, it was included in the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll’.
- 2.Pop Life
- 3.Soft and Wet
- 13.Pink Cashmere
- 14.Alphabet St.
- 18.7
- 20.Dirty Mind
- 22.Head
- 27.Raspberry Beret
- 29.Kiss
- 30.Peach
- 31.U Got the Look
- 32.Sexy M.F.
- 33.Gett Off
- 34.Cream
- 35.Pope
- 36.Purple Rain
- 37.Hello
- 38.200 Balloons
- 39.Escape
- 41.Horny Toad
- 42.Feel U Up
- 43.Girl
- 44.I Love U in Me
- 45.Erotic City
- 46.Shockadelica
- 48.Scarlet Pussy
- 51.17 Days
- 54.God
- 56.Power Fantastic
