| "I Would Die 4 U" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 7" single | ||||
| Single by Prince and The Revolution | ||||
| from the album Purple Rain | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | November 28, 1984 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:51 (album version) 2:57 (single version) 10:15 (12-inch version) | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Prince | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince | |||
| Prince singles chronology | ||||
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| Purple Rain singles chronology | ||||
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"I Would Die 4 U" is a song by Prince and the Revolution, the fourth single in the US from their 1984 album, Purple Rain. The up-tempo dance song was a top 10 hit—the final one from the album—in the US, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song's lyrics evoke Jesus Christ's message to his followers: "U—I would die 4 U, darling if U want me 2"; as well as, "if you're evil I'll forgive you", "all I really need is 2 know that U believe," and, "I'm your messiah and you're the reason why."[1]
Cash Box called the song "a practice in restrained ecstasy" in which "Prince delivers one of his finest and most passionate...vocal performances."[2] Billboard called it "electrifying", saying that "the nervous excitement zaps like a high-tension wire."[3]
"I Would Die 4 U" is often played in sequence with "Baby I'm a Star", the track following it, on Purple Rain. As of April 30, 2016, it has sold 561,772 copies in the United States.[4]
- ^ Saunders, Martin. "I Would Die 4 U: The Christian themes in Prince's lyrics," Christian Today (22 Apr 2016).
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 15, 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
- ^ "Reviews". Billboard. December 15, 1984. p. 72. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- ^ "Hip Hop Single Sales: Prince, Desiigner & Drake". HipHopDX. April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.