Released: February 18, 1987
Songwriter: Prince
Producer: Prince
[Intro]
Oh yeah
[Verse 1]
In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same
At home there are seventeen-year-old boys and their idea of fun
Is being in a gang called The Disciples, high on crack, totin' a machine gun
Time, time
[Verse 2]
Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling of a church and killed everyone inside
You turn on the telly and every other story is tellin' you somebody died
My sister killed her baby 'cause she couldn't afford to feed it and we're sending people to the moon
In September my cousin tried reefer for the very first time
Now he's doing horse, it's June
Times, times
[Chorus]
It's silly, no?
When a rocket ship explodes
And everybody still wants to fly
Some say a man ain't happy
Unless a man truly dies
Oh, why?
Time, time
[Verse 3]
Baby make a speech, star wars fly
Neighbors just shine it on
But if a night falls and a bomb falls
Will anybody see the dawn
Time, times
[Chorus]
Is it silly, no?
When a rocket blows up
And everybody still wants to fly
Some say a man ain't happy, truly
Until a man truly dies
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
Sign of the times
Time, time
[Outro]
Sign o' the time mess with your mind
Hurry before it's too late
Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby
We'll call him Nate, if it's a boy
Time, time
Oh yeah
[Verse 1]
In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name
By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same
At home there are seventeen-year-old boys and their idea of fun
Is being in a gang called The Disciples, high on crack, totin' a machine gun
Time, time
[Verse 2]
Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling of a church and killed everyone inside
You turn on the telly and every other story is tellin' you somebody died
My sister killed her baby 'cause she couldn't afford to feed it and we're sending people to the moon
In September my cousin tried reefer for the very first time
Now he's doing horse, it's June
Times, times
[Chorus]
It's silly, no?
When a rocket ship explodes
And everybody still wants to fly
Some say a man ain't happy
Unless a man truly dies
Oh, why?
Time, time
[Verse 3]
Baby make a speech, star wars fly
Neighbors just shine it on
But if a night falls and a bomb falls
Will anybody see the dawn
Time, times
[Chorus]
Is it silly, no?
When a rocket blows up
And everybody still wants to fly
Some say a man ain't happy, truly
Until a man truly dies
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
Sign of the times
Time, time
[Outro]
Sign o' the time mess with your mind
Hurry before it's too late
Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby
We'll call him Nate, if it's a boy
Time, time
The Hits/The B-Sides
- 1999 (7" Stereo Edit)
- Feel U Up
- Pope
- 200 Balloons
- I Love U In Me
- Irresistible Bitch
- Girl
- God
- 17 Days
- Gotta Stop (Messin’ About)
- La, La, La, He, He, Hee
- Scarlet Pussy
- Peach
- Hello
- Power Fantastic
- I Would Die 4 U (7" Single Version)
- When Doves Cry (7" Single Edit)
- I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man (Fade 7” Edit)
- If I Was Your Girlfriend (7" Single Edit)
- Sign O’ the Times (7" Single Edit)
- 4 The Tears In Your Eyes [Live]
- Nothing Compares 2 U
- Escape
- Horny Toad
- Shockadelica
- Pink Cashmere
- Another Lonely Christmas
- How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?
- She’s Always in My Hair
- Diamonds and Pearls
- U Got the Look
- Controversy
- When You Were Mine
- Head
- Let’s Go Crazy
- I Wanna Be Your Lover
- 7
- Purple Rain
- Kiss
- Little Red Corvette
- Erotic City
- Sexy M.F.
- Soft and Wet
- Gett Off
- Cream
- Thieves In The Temple
- I Feel for You
- Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
- Alphabet St.
- Delirious
- Pop Life
- Uptown
- Dirty Mind
- Do Me, Baby
- Raspberry Beret
- The Hits/The B-Sides (1993)
- The Very Best of Prince (2001)
- Ultimate (2006)
- Prince 4Ever (2016)
- Sign O’ the Times (Super Deluxe) (2020)
- 1999
- Little Red Corvette
- Adore
- Sign O’ the Times
- If I Was Your Girlfriend
- P. Control
- I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Nothing Compares 2 U
- The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
- Head
- Controversy
- When You Were Mine
- Do Me, Baby
- Sister
- Starfish and Coffee
- Soft and Wet
- 1000 X’s & O’S
- The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
- U Got the Look
- Call My Name
- I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
- How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?
- Dirty Mind
- Gold