In 1984, Prince's "When Doves Cry" shot straight to No. 1 and spent 23 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart (via Billboard). Written for his semi-autobiographical film Purple Rain, he opens the track with lyrics that hint at a once passionate relationship that has now turned toxic. When he implores his lover to "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?" in the first verse, he cleverly sets the stage for the song's core message, per Genius. It's rumored that he drew inspiration from his on-again, off-again relationship with Vanity 6's Susan Moonsie, according to Ultimate Prince.
But the introspective song doesn't solely focus on his romantic relationships — Prince also opens up about his fear of becoming a self-fulling prophecy. There's clear tension layered in the chorus when he questions how his ex-lover can abandon him "in a world that's so cold," before comparing their relationship to that of his parents. In the cutting lines "Maybe I'm just too demanding / Maybe I'm just like my father: too bold," Prince seemingly mourns a childhood that was plagued by a strained relationship with his father — though it's never been confirmed just how much of the song (and film) were pulled from his own life — as reported by Songfacts.
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