Prince’s classic ballad “Purple Rain” is a song about love, loss, and redemption. It’s the title track from both the album and the film, where Prince plays “The Kid,” a musician trying to become his own man while dealing with a complicated relationship.
Below you’ll find a section-by-section interpretation of the lyrics in “Purple Rain.”
- Song: Purple Rain
- Artist: Prince
- Songwriter: Prince
- Released: 1984
- Album: Purple Rain
- Genre: Rock, R&B, Gospel
What is “Purple Rain” About?
Verse 1: Apology and Acceptance
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
Whatever happened between them wasn’t intentional, but he knows the damage is done.
In the film, Prince’s character, The Kid, is learning to become a responsible partner and musician. He’s realizing that his father had similar dreams and failed, becoming bitter and violent instead.
Despite all that pain, The Kid still loves his father and understands the importance of believing in yourself rather than demanding others believe in you.
I only wanted, one time, to see you laughing
I only want to see you laughing
In the purple rain
All he wanted was to make her happy. He keeps coming back to this simple goal, showing how far things have gotten from what he originally hoped for.
“Purple rain” is symbolic of good judgment and spiritual fulfillment. Prince explained it as “when there’s blood in the sky, red and blue equal purple.” He said it relates to the end of the world and being with the one you love, letting faith guide you.
He wants to bring her into the light, into something pure and redemptive.
Chorus: Seeking Deliverance
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain is both an apocalyptic image and a cleansing one. It’s the central symbol of the song.
I only want to see you bathing
In the purple rain
“Bathing” means cleansing and renewal, like washing away everything that’s gone wrong between them.
He’s hoping for a fresh start where they can both be free from the mistakes they’ve made.
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Verse 2: The Complications of Their Relationship
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
He didn’t want something casual or secretive. The “weekend lover” setup wasn’t enough for him because he saw this relationship as something more.
Another interpretation is that they were friends with benefits, but he’s realizing that was a mistake. He’d only wanted to be friends, but things got physical and complicated.
Either way, that type of relationship wouldn’t satisfy what he actually felt for her.
Baby, I could never steal you from another
He won’t be the person who destroys her current relationship, even though he has feelings for her.
He interfered with her relationship, and now she’s shutting him out to save what she has with the other person.
It’s such a shame our friendship had to end
He’s calling it a friendship, but he probably means their romantic relationship. Sometimes the two can’t exist separately. Once they crossed that line, they couldn’t go back to being just friends.
It’s also possible they were friends first, became lovers, and the romance destroyed any remaining friendship they had.
Verse 3: The Ultimatum
Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing
It’s time we all reach out for something new
That means you, too
Things can’t stay the way they are. She needs to make a choice and move forward into something different.
On another level, The Kid is commenting on outgrowing his father’s shadow and becoming his own man.
In the film, he’s in the new hot band, so there’s also a layer where he’s telling the audience he’s ready to be their new leader.
You say you want a leader
But you can’t seem to make up your mind
She talks about what kind of man she wants, and he knows he’s that man.
He believes she knows it too, but she’s hesitating.
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
He’s giving her an ultimatum: Stop overthinking it and choose him.
He’s asking her to either take him as her man or end their relationship right now.
Despite saying he’d never steal her from another man, he’s trying to do exactly that, just in a more open way. He thinks she’ll choose him if she lets herself.
“Purple Rain” Song Meaning: Love, Faith, and Redemption
“Purple Rain” is about wanting redemption for someone you love while also seeking it for yourself. The narrator is dealing with a complicated relationship where he’s caused pain but wants to make things right. He’s offering himself as a guide to something better.
The purple rain represents spiritual cleansing and a new beginning. It’s both apocalyptic (the end of the world) and hopeful (the dawn of something new). He wants to be with this woman through whatever comes next.
It’s also a song about becoming your own person. The Kid is breaking free from his father’s failed dreams and violence, learning that believing in yourself matters more than forcing others to believe in you.
“Purple Rain” works as both a love ballad and a declaration of independence.
Songs Like “Purple Rain”
Here are a few songs with similar themes to “Purple Rain”:
1. “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses
This classic power ballad is about love slipping away despite your best efforts to hold on.
Related: “November Rain” Song Meaning
2. “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor
This 1990 hit (written by Prince) is about the emptiness left behind when someone you love is gone and nothing can fill that space.
Related: Best One-Hit Wonders
3. “When Doves Cry” by Prince
“When Doves Cry” is about a relationship falling apart despite intense attraction, with Prince questioning how two people can hurt each other so badly.
Related: Songs with Animals in the Title
Conclusion: More Than Just a Love Song
I’ve always loved how “Purple Rain” takes a fairly standard theme and makes it mysterious through that title line. What does purple rain actually mean? Prince gave us his explanation, but it still feels open to interpretation, which is a great thing for people like me.
“Purple Rain” works whether you’ve seen the film or not. You can understand The Kid’s story in the movie, or you can just hear it as a guy trying to fix a relationship. Add in that distinct Prince sound, and you’ve got something that’s held up as a classic for good reason.
You can find “Purple Rain” and other great tunes on the Best Songs About Rain!
