About The Song
“1999” is a song by American musician Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. Originally peaking at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, a mid-1983 re-release later reached number 12 in the US, while a January 1985 rerelease, a double A-side with “Little Red Corvette”, later peaked at number 2 in the UK.
Rolling Stone ranked “1999” number 339 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Following Prince’s death, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 41, later moving up to number 27, making it the fourth separate time the song had entered the Hot 100 and the third different decade in which the song re-charted (as after its two 1980s entries, it made the chart again on January 16, 1999 at number 40). As of April 30, 2016, it has sold 727,363 copies in the United States.
The inspiration for the song came from a TV documentary Prince watched about Nostradamus. In the film, he predicted that a terror would fall upon the world in 1999. The next day at rehearsals, Prince discussed the documentary with his bandmates, where they imagined a huge party would be thrown knowing this terror was about to happen. As Lisa Coleman said, Prince came to the studio the next day, passing out song lyrics to the band, the song already fully written.
The album version of the song starts with a slowed-down voice stating “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I only want you to have some fun.” Prince shares lead vocals on the track with members of his band the Revolution, namely Dez Dickerson, Lisa Coleman and Jill Jones. Originally conceived to be a three-part harmony, it was later decided to separate out the voices that started each verse. Distinct scratching and explosion noises heard in the track were to cover mistakes during recording of a good take.
Billboard said that “the Apocalypse never sounded this danceable before.”
Some music critics have suggested Phil Collins’ 1985 song “Sussudio” sounds very similar to “1999”. Collins confirmed this claim, and remembers listening to “1999” frequently while he was on tour with Genesis.
Video
Lyrics
Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you
I only want you to have some fun
I was dreamin’ when I wrote this
Forgive me if it goes astray
But when I woke up this mornin’
Could’ve sworn it was judgment day
The sky was all purple
There were people runnin’ everywhere
Tryin’ to run from the destruction
You know I didn’t even care
Say, say, 2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999
I was dreaming’ when I wrote this
So sue me if I go too fast
Life is just a party
And parties weren’t meant to last
War is all around us
My mind says prepare to fight
So if I gotta die
I’m gonna listen to my body tonight, yeah
They say, 2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999
Yeah, yeah
Let me tell ya something
If you didn’t come to party
Don’t bother knockin’ on my door
I got a lion in my pocket
And, baby, he’s ready to roar
Yeah, yeah
Everybody’s got a bomb
We could all die any day, aw
But before I’ll let that happen
I’ll dance my life away, oh-oh-oh
They say, 2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
We’re runnin’ outta time
So tonight we gonna party like it’s 1999
Say it one more time
2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time, no, no
So, tonight we gonna, we gonna, whoa!
Alright, it’s 1999
You say it, 1999
1999
Oh, 1999
Don’t stop, don’t stop, say it one more time
2000-00, party over
Oops, out of time
Yeah-yeah
So tonight, I’m gonna party like it’s 1999 (we gonna, whoa)
1999
Don’tcha wanna go (1999)
Don’tcha wanna go, oh (1999)
We could all die any day (1999)
I don’t wanna die
I’d rather dance my life away (1999)
Listen to what I’m tryin’ to say
Everybody, everybody said party
C’mon now, you said party
That’s right, everybody say (party)
You can’t run from the revelation, no (party)
Sing it for your nation, y’all (party)
Dreamin’ when youu’re singin’, baby say (party)
Telephone’s a-ringin’, mama now (party)
C’mon, c’mon, you say (party)
Everybody, do tell me (party)
Work it down to the ground
I say (party)
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh (party)
Come on, take my body, baby (party)
That’s right, c’mon, sing me the song (party)
Yeah-yeah, oh, no no (party)
That’s right (party)
Got a lion in my pocket mama, say (party)
Oh, and he’s ready to roar (party)
Mommy
Why does everybody have a bomb?
Mommy
Why does everybody have a bomb?