"I Would Die 4 U" is a song by Prince and the Revolution, the fourth single in the US from their 1984 album, Purple Rain. The up-tempo dance song was a top 10 hit—the final one from the album—in the US, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
| "I Would Die 4 U" | ||||
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US 7" single
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| SinglebyPrince and The Revolution | ||||
| from the album Purple Rain | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | November 28, 1984 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:51 (album version) 2:57 (single version) 10:15 (12-inch version) | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Prince | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince | |||
| Prince singles chronology | ||||
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| Purple Rain singles chronology | ||||
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The song's lyrics evoke Jesus Christ's message to his followers: "U—I would die 4 U, darling if U want me 2"; as well as, "if you're evil I'll forgive you", "all I really need is 2 know that U believe," and, "I'm your messiah and you're the reason why."[1]
Cash Box called the song "a practice in restrained ecstasy" in which "Prince delivers one of his finest and most passionate...vocal performances."[2] Billboard called it "electrifying", saying that "the nervous excitement zaps like a high-tension wire."[3]
"I Would Die 4 U" is often played in sequence with "Baby I'm a Star", the track following it, on Purple Rain. As of April 30, 2016, it has sold 561,772 copies in the United States.[4]
The B-side, "Another Lonely Christmas", is a melancholy account of a man mourning his lover, who had died from pneumonia on a previous Christmas Day. Prince recorded "Another Lonely Christmas" in February 1984.[5] Although during that period of his life Prince was socially very solitary, he insisted that "Another Lonely Christmas" was a fictional story.[5][6] The song has been compared to the song "Sometimes It Snows in April", from the 1986 album Parade.[5] He performed "Another Lonely Christmas" live only one time, on the day after Christmas, December 26, 1984, at the St. Paul Civic CenterinMinnesota.[6][5]
The extended version of "I Would Die 4 U" is actually a rehearsal jam on the song with The Revolution and musicians from Sheila E.'s band, Eddie M (on sax) and Miko Weaver (guitar), along with Sheila E. herself recorded some time before the Purple Rain Tour. The jam features some overdubbing and fades at the end; a longer version, nearly 31 minutes long, was never released officially, but has been bootlegged. The extended mix was also used as the B-side of the 1989 "Erotic City" single (the artwork of which features the same image of Prince that was used for this single's cover).
The B-side of the UK 12" single release includes "Another Lonely Christmas" as well as the 1999 track "Free".
Credits sourced from Duane Tudahl, Benoît Clerc, and Guitarcloud[7][8][9]
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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| "I Would Die 4 U" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SinglebySpace Cowboy | ||||
| from the album Across the Sky | ||||
| Released | 1 January 2002 (2002-01-01) | |||
| Label | Southern Fried | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Prince | |||
| Space Cowboy singles chronology | ||||
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The single peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart.