“Purple Rain” is one of rock’s most recognizable tunes. The power ballad is synonymous with Prince and his indelible legacy. But, when he penned the song, he was worried that it sounded too similar to another legendary rock hit: “Faithfully.” Read more about how Prince reached out to Journey to ensure he wouldn’t get sued for his composition, below.
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The Song Prince Thought Ripped Off a Journey Hit
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted, one time, to see you laughing
Prince released “Purple Rain” in 1984. A year prior, Journey shared their own power ballad, “Faithfully.” Unconsciously, the Journey hit must have seeped into Prince’s pen–at least from his point of view. The rocker felt compelled to reach out to the band to ensure they wouldn’t take legal action.
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you bathing
In the purple rain
Prince hopped on a phone call with “Faithfully” writer Jonathan Cain to ask him about the similarities between the two anthems.
“I want to play something for you, and I want you to check it out,” Prince once said to Cain. “The chord changes are close to ‘Faithfully,’ and I don’t want you to sue me.”
“I thought it was an amazing tune, and I told him, ‘Man, I’m just super-flattered that you even called,’” Cain added. “‘It shows you’re that classy of a guy. Good luck with the song. I know it’s gonna be a hit.’”
And a hit it was. “Purple Rain” more than measured up to the success of “Faithfully.” To thank Cain for his kindness in the matter, Prince invited him to a show on the Purple Rain Tour.
“He got me these amazing seats at the Purple Rain [Tour] show when he played the Cow Palace in San Francisco, and I thought it was ridiculous how cool it was,” Cain continued.
Compare the two songs below. Do you think it deserved a phone call?
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend, hey
Baby, I could never steal you from another
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you underneath the purple rain
Credit: Photo by Crollalanza/Shutterstock
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