Despite having doves in his purple-filled oasis, Prince's "When Doves Cry" carries a deeper personal meaning that was depicted in his film Purple Rain.
According to Songfacts, the song plays during the film after Prince loses his lover, Apollonia, to his rival. The artist rides a motorcycle while memories of his love with Apollonia appear. The music video for "When Doves Cry" coincides with the song's meaning being about a rocky relationship. Lyrics to the song read, "How can you just leave me standing / Alone in a world that's so cold?" as the chorus continues to reveal intimate details about Prince's parents. "Maybe I'm just too demanding / Maybe I'm just like my father, too bold / Maybe you're just like my mother / She's never satisfied / Why do we scream at each other? / This is what it sounds like/When doves cry," sings the artist.
Songfacts reveals Prince's father was abusive towards his mother, hence the artist's fear of his relationship turning out like his parents. The doves crying seemingly refers to "what happens when two people who were once in love start to fight," per Bustle.
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