Photo via Flickr, via World’s Direction, public domain.
Even though Prince wasn’t widely viewed as an explicitly political artist, he was socially conscious and engaged in under-the-radar activism. For example, he demonstrated his support for the “Black Lives Matter” movement by donating to the families of victims such as Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner. Additionally, he helped fund initiatives such as “Yes We Code” and Green For All. These efforts aimed to empower low-income black youth in technology and create green job opportunities to alleviate poverty. At times, his social awareness came across in his music. We will now consider a sampling of 15 of his protest songs, presented in chronological order.
Partyup (1980)
This “revolutionary rock n’ roll” anthem is off his third album Dirty Mind. The lyrics contain a potent anti-war and anti-draft message. It includes powerful lines such as “How you gonna make me kill somebody I don’t even know?” and “Is it fair to kill the youth?”. The song ends with Prince defiantly repeating, “You’re gonna have to fight your own damn war cause we don’t wanna fight no more.”
Sexuality (1981)
On this track from his 4th album Controversy, Prince challenges societal stigmas about sexuality and gender. The lyrics reject segregation and racial divides with the statement “We don’t need no segregation. We don’t need no race,” and then proclaiming “sexuality is all we ever need.”
Ronnie, Talk to Russia (1981)
Another tune from Controversy, the lyrics express Cold War anxiety over the threat of nuclear proliferation. It also admonishes then US president Ronald Regan to communicate with Russia “before it’s too late.”
Annie Christian (1981)
Also, from Controversy, this song effectively employs “Annie Christian” as a play on the anti-Christ and the embodiment of the world’s evil. The song mentions how this personification of evil assassinated John Lennon and murdered black children. It speaks out in favor of gun control, and it also references the FBI’s Abscam sting targeting corrupt politicians.
1999 (1982)
Regarded as one of Prince’s most iconic tracks, the title track of the album of the same name is another song released during Ronald Reagan’s presidency that reflected Prince’s concerns about the potential nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
In the song, Prince describes a scene where people are defiantly partying in the face of a possible nuclear apocalypse, as indicated by the lyric “War is all around us, my mind says prepare 2 fight. So if I gotta die I’m gonna listen 2 my body tonight.” There is also an alternate 12-inch full-length version of the tune which concludes with the twice repeated question “Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb?”
America (1985)
From the album Around the World In a Day, the lyrics vividly capture the disparities between the rich and the poor. The chorus also draws inspiration from “America, the Beautiful,” it is another one of his tunes that touches on the pervasive fear of nuclear weapons during the Cold War era.
Sign O’ The Times (1987)
The title track from the album of the same name relates the story of characters who experienced the adverse impact of the War on Drugs and drug addiction. It includes poignant lyrics like “Sister killed her baby cause she couldn’t afford 2 feed it, and we’re sending people 2 the moon.” Once again Prince also expresses concerns over the threat of nuclear war, asking, “If a night falls and a bomb falls, will anybody see the dawn?”
Dance On (1988)
This tune from his album Lovesexy includes the powerful lyrics, “Grenade launcher roars in a television sky. Tell me how many young brothers must die.” The song portrays impoverished characters making a living through violence and living under the shadow of nuclear proliferation. Despite the grimness, Prince encourages everyone to continue dancing despite adversity.
We March (1995)
This tune from the album The Gold Experience is one of his most politically explicit. It explores themes of liberation and breaking free from societal constraints. It contains provocative lyrics such as “If this is the same avenue my ancestors fought 2 liberate, how come I can’t buy a piece of it even if my credit’s straight?” The song also addresses other important issues such as the contamination of drinking water, and the degradation of women.
The Avalanche (2002)
From the album One Nite Alone, this may be Prince’s most politically controversial song. The provocative lyrics refer to Abraham Lincoln as a “racist” and suggest that the Thirteenth Amendment was the only thing preventing blacks from being born into slavery, arguing that Lincoln wasn’t in favor of setting people free. Additionally, Prince references the Wounded Knee massacre, highlighting the lack of government accountability for the atrocity against Native Americans. He vividly portrays the “avalanche” as a metaphor for the weight of responsibility coming down the mountain and landing upon those in power.
Colonized Mind (2009)
On this track off the album Lotusflow3r, Prince skillfully incorporates the concepts of uploading and downloading to deliver powerful political messages. Take the following lyrics for example. “Upload: the master race idea, genetically disposed 2 rule the world. Download a future full of isolated, full of isolated boys and girls.” “Upload: a 2-party system, the lesser of 2 dangers, illusion of choice. Download: a veiled form of fascism. Nothing really ever changes. U never had a voice.” The chorus depicts the prevalence of “colonized minds” throughout human history. The ruling class creates laws that the colonized population is expected to abide by.
Act of God (2010)
This tune featured on his album 20Ten, is a powerful protest track addressing banks and financial institutions. He vividly critiques a “dirty fat banker” who evicts a family from their home due to unpaid taxes, labeling it as an “act of God.” He also questions the allocation of tax dollars for military purposes, suggesting that they are used under false pretenses of ensuring safety.
Marz (2014)
This song from PLECTRUMELECTRUM addresses issues of race and class. The lyrics discuss losing a job at McDonalds for giving away “too much food for free,” because they “couldn’t watch another black child go to school with nothing to eat.”
Baltimore (2015)
This is a single from his last album before his sad passing, HITnRUN Phase Two, which addressed the murder of Freddie Gray by Baltimore cops. He sings, “Peace is more than the absence of war,” and addresses rampant gun violence. The tune features the chant, “If there ain’t no justice then there ain’t no peace.”
Welcome 2 America (2021)
The title track from his posthumous album addresses issues of technology, politics, and social justice, urging listeners to question the world around them. It includes the provocative lyric “Land of the free, home of the brave. Oops, I mean, Land of the free, home of the slave.”