englishFunk/R&B

Sign o' the Times Lyrics

by Prince

23 views • Published on Oct 2, 2026

Sign o' the Times Lyrics

Oh yeah! In France, a skinny man died of a BIG disease with a little name By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same At home there are 17-year-old boys and their idea of fun Is being in a gang called The Disciples High on crack and totin' a machine gun Time Times Hurricane Annie ripped the ceiling of a church and killed everyone inside U turn on the telly and every other story is tellin' U somebody died A sister killed her baby cuz she couldn't afford 2 feed it And yet we're sending people 2 the moon In September, my cousin tried reefer 4 the very first time Now he's doing horse - it's June Times Times It's silly, no? When a rocket ship explodes and everybody still wants 2 fly But some say a man ain't happy unless a man truly dies Oh why? Time Time Baby make a speech, Star Wars fly Neighbors just shine it on But if a night falls and a bomb falls Will anybody see The Dawn? Time Times Is it silly, no? When a rocket blows and.. and everybody still wants 2 fly Some say a man ain't happy truly until a man truly dies Oh why, oh why? Sign "O" the times Time Time Sign "O" the times mess with your mind Hurry before it's 2 late Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby We'll call him Nate If it's a boy Time Times Times Time

Meaning of Sign o' the Times

Oh yeah! “Sign o’ the Times” is a frantic, unsettling reflection on America's moral decay and its obsession with spectacle amidst widespread suffering. Prince paints a bleak picture of drug abuse, violence, and societal apathy – a skinny man dying from AIDS, teenagers in gangs armed with guns, a church destroyed by Hurricane Annie, and senseless acts of desperation like a sister murdering her child. It’s a commentary on our collective denial, symbolized by the persistent desire to “fly” despite impending disaster, mirroring humanity's pursuit of dreams while ignoring the darkness surrounding us. The recurring motif of "time" emphasizes urgency – a warning that we’re hurtling towards destruction. Ultimately, Prince isn't offering solutions but demanding attention, questioning why we chase fantasies when reality crumbles around us, and leaving us with a haunting question: “Will anybody see The Dawn?”

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