Prince

Released: August 13, 2020

Songwriter: Prince

Producer: Prince

[Intro]
This is the story of two childhood sweethearts, inseparable 'til one broke the other one's heart
She wants to leave him but I would die first
Baby, don't leave me, I didn't mean to hurt you
By heaven I swear

[Chorus]
I am a witness for the prosecution of a hate in this love affair
I who am guilty of nothing but always wantin' you to be there

[Verse 1]
Mama, I swear I love you, I always have
In school I once traded chairs
I couldn't feel you, if I couldn't be near you
I wanted what was yours
Now I just want you to care

[Chorus]
I am a witness
Witness for the prosecution
Witness for the prosecution
I am a witness
Witness for the prosecution
I am a witness for the prosecution of a hate in this love affair
Yes I am
I didn't mean to hurt you, baby
Oh Lord, I wouldn't even dare
I am a witness
Witness
Witness for the prosecution
Witness for the prosecution
Witness for the prosecution
Oh
Witness for the prosecution

[Verse 2]
Give me twenty years, gimme the electric chair
But nothing's gonna stop me, nothing's gonna stop me
From killin' the hate in this love affair
Witness for the prosecution
I love you, I love you, and I do care
I am
Witness for the prosecution
For the prosecution of a hate in this love affair
I swear
Whoo
I swear

[Verse 3]
Gimme death row, gimme solitaire
But don't you leave me, baby, leave me, baby
I swear that I love you, huh, I always have
In school I once traded chairs
If I couldn't be near you, if I couldn't feel you, huh
I wanted what was yours
Now I just want you to care
Witness for the prosecution
Tell me, baby, tell me do you care?
Witness for the prosecution
Ooh
Witness for the prosecution
I swear
I will go to the electric chair

[Outro]
Nothing's gonna stop me from burnin' the hate in this love affair
Love affair
They can give me twenty-one years, no, make that twenty-two
As soon as I'm free, I will run to you
I am a witness for the prosecution of a hate in this love affair
I...
No, your witness
Witness for the prosecution
Everybody witness, yeah
Witness for the prosecution
C'mon now
Witness for the prosecution
Oh Lord, witness
Witness for the prosecution
Oh, I love you, baby, I love you, baby
Witness for the prosecution
I swear
Witness for the prosecution
Don't leave me, baby
Witness for the prosecution
Don't you leave me

An American singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and actor that produced 22 RIAA-platinum albums during his 40-year career, Prince may be known for one of many different things – his turn as “The Kid” in the iconic film/album/8 ½ minute ballad “Purple Rain”, being the writer behind the acclaimed anthem “Kiss,” rivaling Michael Jackson at the pinnacle of his career, being the inspiration behind censorship laws, or being the artist addressed as an unpronounceable symbol throughout the 1990s—but while many know of Prince, most don’t fully understand the impact his legacy left on this world.

Going by many aliases throughout his life, Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958 with his father’s (John L. Nelson) stage name as his own given one. Growing up, Prince suffered from serious epileptic seizures at a very young age, but he had wrote his first composition of many by age seven, and outside of his love for basketball, he wanted music to be his purpose in life. His tumultuous childhood, witnessing alcoholism and abuse, caused him to find refuge in neighbor André Cymone’s home in his teens, where the two competed in local band competitions, leading to Prince’s introduction to Morris Day alongside music with his cousin’s band 94 East, leading him to be courted by record labels and ultimately signed to Warner Bros. Records with complete creative control; at 19, his debut album, For You (1978) was released – Prince played all 19 instruments on the record.

Influenced by the likes of Miles Davis, Rick James, and James Brown, Prince desired to form a music dynasty and after the success of his next albums – the platinum-selling Prince (1979), the sexually-charged Dirty Mind (1980), and politically-motivated Controversy (1981) – he negotiated for the ability to form his own label and manage artists of his own. Prince’s trademark sexual/religious rhetoric within pop-and-dance, funk-rock sound gained him a following, but his opening slates for Rick James and The Rolling Stones were both negatively received and facing bankruptcy, the young artist began to reach for mainstream popularity. Cashing on the drug-influenced doomsday mania of the times, 1982’s 1999 easily achieved that mainstream appeal, landing him on MTV, music charts, and radio stations across the world.

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