About The Song
“When Doves Cry” is a song by American musician Prince, and the lead single from his sixth studio album Purple Rain. According to the DVD commentary of the film Purple Rain (1984), Prince was asked by director Albert Magnoli to write a song to match the theme of a particular segment of the film that involved intermingled parental difficulties and a love affair. The next morning, Prince had composed two songs, one of which was “When Doves Cry”. According to Prince’s biographer Per Nilsen, the song was inspired by his relationship with Vanity 6 member Susan Moonsie.
“When Doves Cry” was Prince’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, staying there for five weeks, and was also a worldwide hit. According to Billboard, it was the top-selling single of 1984. It is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was the last single released by a solo artist to receive a Platinum certification before the certification requirements were lowered in 1989. “When Doves Cry” was ranked number one on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1984. Following Prince’s death, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number eight, its first appearance in the top 10 since the week ending September 1, 1984.
The music video, directed by Prince, premiered on MTV in June 1984. It opens with white doves emerging from double doors to reveal Prince in a bathtub, then shows him performing the song in various scenes. The video sparked controversy among network executives, who thought that its sexual nature was too explicit for television. “When Doves Cry” is ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Prince wrote and composed “When Doves Cry” after all the other tracks were complete on Purple Rain. In addition to providing vocals, he played all instruments on the track. The song’s texture is remarkably stark. There is no bass line, which is very unusual for an ’80s dance song; Prince said that there originally was a bass line but, after a conversation with singer Jill Jones, he decided that the song was too conventional with it included. The song features an intro of a guitar solo and a Linn LM-1 drum machine, followed by a looped guttural vocal. After the lyrics, there is another, much longer, guitar and synthesizer solo. The song ends on a classical music-inspired keyboard piece backed by another synthesizer solo. Keyboardist Matt Fink revealed in 2014 that the baroque synthesizer solo was recorded by Prince at half speed and an octave lower against a half-speed backing track, then sped up to create the final version. Fink was then tasked to learn and perform the solo at the album’s speed.
On versions edited for radio, either the song fades out as the long guitar and synthesizer solo begins, or the solo is eliminated altogether and the song skips to the ending with Prince’s harmonizing and classical finish.
During live performances of the song on the Purple Rain Tour, Prince’s bass player Brown Mark added bass lines to the song as well as to other songs without bass lines.
The song is in the key of A minor
Video
Lyrics
Dig if you will the picture
Of you and I engaged in a kiss
The sweat of your body covers me
Can you my darling
Can you picture this?
Dream, if you can, a courtyard
An ocean of violets in bloom
Animals strike curious poses
They feel the heat
The heat between me and you
How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding
Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold
Maybe you’re just like my mother
She’s never satisfied (she’s never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
Touch if you will my stomach
Feel how it trembles inside
You’ve got the butterflies all tied up
Don’t make me chase you
Even doves have pride
How could you just leave me standing
Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding
Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold
Maybe you’re just like my mother
She’s never satisfied (she’s never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (A world that’s so cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding (maybe, maybe I’m like my father)
Maybe I’m just like my father too bold (you know he’s too bold)
Maybe you’re just like my mother (maybe you’re just like my mother)
She’s never satisfied (she’s never, never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other? (Why do we scream, why)
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
When doves cry (doves cry, doves cry)
Don’t cry (don’t cry)