Prince

Released: August 24, 1999

Songwriter: Prince

Producer: Prince

[Verse 1]
The sun set in my heart this evening
Because an old friend of mine got lost in the jive
Little did she know, when you're stuck in the snow
Nobody gets out alive

[Verse 2]
Tears fall gently in my garden
As I wait in vain for my sweet baby to call
I guess what my own brother told me was true
He had been with my sweet baby and she never really loved me at all

[Verse 3]
Night fell so dark this evening
The moon wasn't shining nowhere
Sometimes that old light in the alley would light up this old heart of mine
But now I'm wondering if there's someone up there who really cares

[Verse 4]
The night fell darkest in Persia
What used to flow blue is now flowing black
Many a doctor can try, but only heaven knows why
When it comes to love
Why do some men, why do some men turn their backs?

Can't somebody please tell me?

[Verse 5]
Maybe the morning air will make me feel better
Oh, I hope better than I feel right now
Last night a stranger took my picture and then he, uh
He asked if I'd buy it, huh
I said I guess I don't know how

[Chorus]
Old, old friends for sale
Get 'em while the gettin' is hot
But you better watch out, they'll kiss you
Until they get what you got
And they'll show you the friends that they're not
Old friends for sale

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.

more tracks from the album

The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale

From the album

The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)

Prince popular songs

Old Friends 4 SalePrince

Prince

The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale