The Beautiful Ones (5:14)

“The Beautiful Ones” is the third track on Prince and the Revolution’s soundtrack album Purple Rain. Produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince, the song was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles by Peggy Mac and David Leonard in early September 1983.

“The Beautiful Ones” is a haunting musical tale of emotional longing and unrequited love. Starting out as a slow falsetto ballad, with Dr. Fink’s piano and organ-sounding synthesizers providing a lush backdrop, it gradually builds in volume and intensity, and by the end of the song, Prince is screaming out “Do you want him, or do you want me? ‘Cause I want you. ” The song comes to a quiet close, with Fink’s and Bobby Z’s drums serving as the closing instrumentation.

The song replaced “Electric Intercourse” on the Purple Rain album. It was originally written for Susannah Melvoin (Revolution band member Wendy’s twin sister) to woo her away from her current boyfriend.

In the film, Prince sings the song directly from the stage to Apollonia, who is sitting with his rival Morris Day. The song is a direct and urgent appeal to Apollonia to choose Prince as her lover — and it is a direct challenge to Day. Ultimately, as the song ends and Prince lies, apparently spent, on the floor of the stage, Apollonia leaves in tears.