![]() His keyboardist, Lisa Coleman, who composed the string arrangement of the track, had a slightly different idea of what the song meant. Of course, Prince was not the only musician who contributed to the composition of Purple Rain. His later hit, 1999, was also about the apocalypse the song was intended to bring people together and encourage them to love one another during a hypothetical world-ending event. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe-though the singer himself never shared whether he ascribed to the belief-that a literal war will end the world but deserving people will survive and make a new life in paradise.īut the pop star had an interesting view of the end of the world, one that imbued him with hope rather than terror. He also had another reason to take an interest in the apocalypse: he was a Jehovah’s Witness. In some ways, it makes sense the end of the 20th century, the rapid change of the world, and later, the Y2K panic, all led to a social attitude that the end was nigh. The idea of Armageddon was one that fascinated Prince, influencing much of his work at the end of the century. It is an attempt to convey an experience of the hope that keeps human beings determined-even joyful-in the face of steep adversity. These themes of love and faith seeing humanity through dark, consequential times were central to his spiritual and personal life. His famous album, 1999, also includes references to purple skies on Judgment Day. The musician continued to take up this theme of purple and the end of the world in future works. Buddhists see purple as a symbol of mysticism and purity, while Hindus call it the color of peace.Īll of these meanings seem significant when you apply them to the description of a world-ending event. In Christianity, it is a liturgical color associated with Advent and Lent, which are seasons of penance and expectation. In Judaism, for example, the color signifies finding redemption through God. It is a significant spiritual color in many religions. Though Prince used purple as a literal description of blood and sky, the color also has a deeper meaning. Perhaps the most notable and potent lyric is, “I only wanted to see you, Laughing in the purple rain” just before the chorus. Few images so shocking and awe-inspiring have been so powerfully conveyed in such simple lyrics. The purple rain signifies blood in the sky-the red blood and blue sky coming together into purple. In a fascinating twist, the track depicts a feeling of joy and fearlessness during this hypothetical apocalypse because you are facing it with the one that you love. But fascinatingly, it isn’t meant to inspire fear or depression in listeners. The song is a depiction of Armageddon or the end of the world. But things get a little more complicated as the chorus drops. The first part of the track-and many of the following verses-seems to start as an apology to an ex-lover. As the singer himself told it, the overarching theme of the song is being with your beloved at the end of the world, holding on to faith or God through the “purple rain.” The track’s deep and abiding lyrics are built on a deceptive simplicity.
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