I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you, bathing in the purple rain

I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain

Honey, I know, I know
I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out for something new, that means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon, raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you
Only want to see you
In the purple rain


Lyrics submitted by Nelly, edited by digitalmanMKII, The Ponderer

Purple Rain song meanings
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91 Comments

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  • +20
    General Comment

    SOME THINGS I FOUND ONLINE:

    Purple is the color of good judgment. It is the color of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind.

    I read some description years ago (can't remember where) that said Heaven has 7 levels, and each level has a corresponding color. When each level blends into the other, the color is so bright, it looks like it's raining that color onto the level below. Purple is supposedly the corresponding color of the seventh and highest level, where God sits. So if your soul reaches the 6th level (the highest a human can go) then you will be "laughing/bathing" in purple rain.

    'Purple Rain' is a continuation to the judgement day theme from '1999':

    "when I woke up this mornin', could've sworn it was Judgment Day. The sky was all purple, there were people runnin' everywhere. Tryin' 2 run from the destruction..."

    The sky in '1999' is purple becuz of the bombs, and the bombing is what makes the rain purple afterwards, the rain is 'cleaning' all the pain and suffering the bombing caused...

    'I only want 2 see U in the purple rain' means something like 'I wanna see U in a world after the war/ judgement day'...

    BASICALLY, PRINCE WANTS TO BE WITH THIS GIRL FOREVER.

    kristaseleneon November 14, 2007   Link
  • +9
    General Comment

    What I believe is that.

    He is in love with someone that doesn't feel the same as him.

    "Baby I could never steal you from another"

    It means that the woman he loves with already with someone else, and he that would not interfare.

    All he could do is just shower her with his love, and don't let his love for her stop her from doing anything else.

    But that's only my opinion.

    Calamityon December 14, 2004   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    I think it is about if you love someone you should let them be free and if they come back to you it is true love. It is a cliche but I believe in it and the "Purple Rain" could mean a blessing, joy, peace of mind, freedom, or anything positive. If we can't be together, please have a wonderful and blessed life and I hope you live to be a over a century old like the lady in "Titanic". Rest in Peace-Prince. Thank you for your uplifting music. Your fellow Minnesotan.

    jon1043377on June 12, 2016   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    certainly in the top3 songs of all time

    cervanteon July 12, 2002   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I hink he toyed with someone's heart and he's apologizing.. all he wanted was to play in the purple rain! The rain is symbolic though, of sweat beads perhaps... his faorite color is purple! But, this little love affair ended up wrong. (badly) So, he's trying to tell his "significant other" that he never meant to hurt them.. and that he wishes they are still "friends". At least, thats my interpetation.

    queensgirl417on July 27, 2002   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    it's not about sex, this song is about being sorry and wanting to be a friend to someone, purple is a very spiritual color and very mystical, it could be about trying to fix a relationship or just letting someone go but you want them to not walk away in the rain, you want them to leave in the purple rain, into a new path, letting go. very sad, very beautiful, touching.

    dark_eyez_666on November 11, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    In Purple Rain Prince is involved in an intense relationship (clearly shown by the way he sings it). The relationship has problems (“I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to cause you any pain”) but is intense. When he first met her he knew that he would fall in love with her but he persuaded himself that he just wanted to enjoy spending a bit of time with her (“I only wanted to one time to see you laughing”) and Purple Rain is the place where he sees them enjoying their time together (“Bathing in the purple rain”). It’s a beautiful place but it isn’t real. He doesn’t just want sex with her (“I never wanted to be your weekend lover”). He wants more. He tries to convince himself that he just “wanted to be some kind of friend” but deep down he always knew that he wanted more. She’s clearly in a relationship with someone else (“Baby, I could never steal you from another”) and he’s already tried to finish it for that reason (“It's such a shame our friendship had to end”). In the end he lets his heart rule his head (“Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing and it's time we all reach out for something new, that means you too. You say you want a leader but you can't seem to make up your mind. I think you better close it and let me guide you to the purple rain” (the place which is in his mind, a beautiful place, where they can be together but which he knows deep down isn’t real). Great song.

    andyhoustounon April 22, 2013   Link
  • +3
    Memory

    The crux of Purple Rain goes like This. Prince is a brilliant guitar player and a musical genius! When he writes "I Know times are changing/It's Time we all Reach for something new!," he damn well means it! Which means Purple Rain is a Metal/Rock Hymn of Spiritual Transcendence! Amen Prince!

    rabbitbunnyon April 28, 2014   Link
  • +3
    Song Meaning

    If you know Prince and have listened to lyrics in his other songs, you would know he is very sexual, and also spiritual. The color purple ,in Christianity is signified as a color of royalty. In the song "Purple Rain", the purple rain is the "Grace of God, and/or Salvation". He is sorry that things had to end with this woman, but he only wanted to see her (laughing, bathing, underneath) in the purple rain(Grace of God).

    "You say you want a leader But you can't seem to make up your mind I think you better close it And let me guide you to the purple rain" "Grace of God."

    In the song "1999", "when I woke up this mornin', could've sworn it was Judgment Day. The sky was all purple, there were people runnin' everywhere. Trying to run from the destruction..." This symbolizes God's Wrath, and Purple Rain is God's Grace.

    Diana831on April 22, 2016   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    This song is about wanting to share his life with someone that he loves. Purple is the color of royalty. Prince is his name obviously. Rain is a homophone he is actually saying reign. He is using this combination of purple and reign to signify his time on earth, his existence. "Purple Reign" and he is the Prince. Listen to this song again just change the meaning of rain to reign, mind blown!

    devildave44on May 21, 2016   Link

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