"Uptown" is the lead single from

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

's third album, ''

Dirty Mind ''Dirty Mind'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was released on October 8, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records and produced entirely by Prince at his home studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota ...

''. Beginning with a lone drum intro, the track explodes into the

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

of the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

. The verses feature a more prominent

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

. The song breaks down to a more instrumental section toward the end that mainly consists of guitar, bass and drums with an occasional keyboard riff. The

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...

style of the song is representative of most of the ''Dirty Mind'' album. The song addresses the Uptown neighborhood of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

that was the city's hang-out spot for artists.

Background

The song addresses prejudices and racism, referring to "Uptown" as a metaphor for an ideal place that is free of such things. Prince sings in the first person, and the song opens describing a chance meeting with an attractive woman who then asks in an offensive way if he is gay. The lyrics then rail against prejudice and racism as narrow minded, and exalt in an attitude and spirit that is free of such negativity. It is one of Prince's earliest efforts to blend political statements into his art. Uptown is described as an area where one can be free to express oneself, and Prince was very fond of the concept. The song opened the

Controversy Tour The Controversy Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Prince in support of his fourth studio album '' Controversy''. The tour included Zapp and Roger and The Time as an opening act. History The Controversy Tour marked the debut ...

and made a few live appearances after that, notably in Prince's 2001

Hit + Run Tour Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958April 21, 2016), more commonly known Mononym, mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Prince, num ...

. The B-side is "Crazy You," from his debut album, '' For You''.

Charts

References

{{Authority control Prince (musician) songs Songs written by Prince (musician) 1980 singles Warner Records singles Song recordings produced by Prince (musician) 1980 songs Songs against racism and xenophobia Crystal Waters songs Funk rock songs