The Prince (song) The Prince (song) "The Prince" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness. It was written by Lee Thompson, and was the band's first single. On 10 August 1979 the single was released through 2 Tone Records and peaked at number 16 in the UK Singles Chart, spending a total of 11 weeks in the charts. "The Prince" is a tribute to Jamaican ska singer Prince Buster, who influenced Madness (the band took their name from one of his songs, "Madness", which they covered on the b-side of "The Prince"). As this was the band's first single, they were relatively
Only Pain Is Real could have took if they hadn't disbanded shortly after. Musical critics pointed the band's more mature sound and songwriting, mostly done by lead singer David Fonseca. Only two singles were released: "To Give" and "Only Pain Is Real". The album seems somewhat autobiographical or conceptual, even if David Fonseca never clarified if all the lyrics were related or tried to tell a story. Nevertheless, the album shows a new level of maturity and introspection, more consistent then their debut album. The themes of loneliness, sadness, loss, melancholy and hope, are basically the same of their first album, but with an