{"id":5747,"date":"2026-09-17T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?p=5747"},"modified":"2026-09-17T11:03:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T15:03:59","slug":"the-little-known-history-behind-princes-signature-song-purple-rain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/the-little-known-history-behind-princes-signature-song-purple-rain\/","title":{"rendered":"The Little-Known History Behind Prince\u2019s Signature Song \u201cPurple Rain\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a parallel universe where Prince\u2019s signature ballad, \u201cPurple Rain\u201d, doesn\u2019t exist. Or at least, it doesn\u2019t exist in the cathartic iteration we now know. Which means that <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HKkO3TjzJYc?si=dCDY4RbW96kdmtJn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">iconic rain-soaked Super Bowl performance<\/a> may have ended quite differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So how did Prince will \u201cPurple Rain\u201d into existence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Purple Rain\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/347vCib_lMs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Enter Stevie Nicks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Prince cut a synth track on Stevie Nicks\u2019s 1983 synth-rock hit, \u201cStand Back\u201d, the Fleetwood Mac singer wanted to keep the collaboration going. So Prince responded by sending her a 10-minute instrumental that needed lyrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Nicks felt slightly paralyzed by the country-tinged epic. \u201cIt was so overwhelming, that 10-minute track\u2026 I listened to it, and I just got scared. I called him back and said, \u2018I can\u2019t do it. I wish I could. It\u2019s too much for me,\u2019\u201d she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/stevie-nicks-15-1279343\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Enter The Revolution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, during a rehearsal, Prince played the ballad for his band, The Revolution. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/8F_IX4b85y8?si=rjDuTrZnIFoKAw3e&amp;t=530\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Guitarist Wendy Melvoin then transformed Prince\u2019s chord sequence<\/a> into one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in pop history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the next several hours, the song changed from country ballad to emotionally wrought gospel. It became the title track to both Prince\u2019s 1984 LP and film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>I never meant to cause you any sorrow,<br>I never meant to cause you any pain<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the song, Prince describes an apocalyptic scene where he stands with a lover. They face the end times with fraught devotion as the sky changes from blue to purple beneath a nourishing rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mostly recorded live at First Avenue in Minneapolis, the masterpiece track captures both Prince and his band at the height of their powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Only want to see you bathing,<br>In the purple rain<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Any Regrets?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nicks said she doesn\u2019t regret rejecting the song. Whatever she might have written wouldn\u2019t have been \u201cPurple Rain\u201d. And who knows how pop history would have been affected without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Baby, I could never steal you from another,<br>It\u2019s such a shame our friendship had to end<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, Prince\u2019s colossal album would have had a different name. And what song would have followed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/prince\/baby-im-a-star\">\u201cBaby I\u2019m A Star\u201d<\/a> as the LP\u2019s closing track? Thankfully, we\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photo by Ross Marino\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a parallel universe where Prince\u2019s signature ballad, \u201cPurple Rain\u201d, doesn\u2019t exist. Or at least, it doesn\u2019t exist in the cathartic iteration we now know. Which means that iconic rain-soaked Super Bowl performance may have ended quite differently. So how did Prince will \u201cPurple Rain\u201d into existence? Enter Stevie Nicks After Prince cut a synth [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":973477,"featured_media":5749,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"byline":{"profiles":[{"type":"byline_id","atts":{"term_id":316,"post_id":2139}}]},"savage_platform_role_ideator":[],"savage_platform_role_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_senior_editor":[],"savage_platform_role_photographer":[],"savage_platform_role_illustrator":[],"savage_platform_role_translator":[],"savage_platform_role_as-told-to":[],"savage_platform_role_reviewed-by":[],"savage_platform_disable_recirculation":false,"savage_platform_article_type":"news","savage_platform_vice_article_type":"article","savage_platform_article_intent":"","savage_platform_show_affiliate_disclaimer":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"wp_curate_deduplication":false,"wp_curate_unique_pinned_posts":false,"savage_platform_featured_image_caption":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"savage_platform_subheadline":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[36,534],"byline":[316],"class_list":["post-5747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-pop-music","tag-prince"],"savage_platform_primary_term":{"category":{"term_name":"Features","term_id":12,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/category\/features\/"},"post_tag":{"term_name":"pop music","term_id":36,"term_link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/tag\/pop-music\/"}},"hide_from_homepage":false,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Little-Known History Behind Prince\u2019s Signature Song \u201cPurple Rain\u201d - Songfacts Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There\u2019s a parallel universe where Prince\u2019s signature ballad, \u201cPurple Rain\u201d, doesn\u2019t exist. 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