Prince once recorded ‘Purple and Gold’ fight song for the Vikings

The death of music legend Prince at the age of 57 on Thursday threw the entire world for a loop. His tragic passing left a void in the lives of his millions of fans.

Prince was the latest in a long line of legendary musicians to have passed away over the past 18 months. This list includes the likes of David Bowie, B.B. King, Scott Weiland, Cory Wells, Percy Sledge, Merle Haggard, Paul Kentner and Glenn Fry.

It’s a sad time for those of us who spent our formative years praising these artists. As with some of the other deaths in recent memory, Prince’s passing also left the sports world in shock.

A native of Minnesota, professional sports teams in that state paid their tributes to the local legend:

Unknown to most, Prince actually recorded a fight song for the Minnesota Vikings in the years leading up to his death.

The anthem, titled “Purple and Gold,” was released just in time for the team’s NFC Championship game bout with the New Orleans Saints back in 2010.

While there are bad renditions of the song readily available on the Internet, we will not drag Prince’s name through the mud by linking them here.

His version simply isn’t available. That’s what makes it so awesome, especially in passing. Original to Prince, and no one else.

Here are some lyrics from the song, originally reported by MTV back in 2010:

“We come in the name of the purple and gold/ All of the odds are in our favor/ No prediction too bold/ We are the truth/ If the truth can be told/ Long reign the purple and gold.”

Inspired by Minnesota’s win over the Dallas Cowboys the week prior, Prince actually went home and immediately recorded this lyric in time for the team’s game against New Orleans the following week.

This wasn’t necessarily Prince’s first venture into the football world. His performance of “Purple Rain” during halftime of Super Bowl XLI back in February of 2007 is among the best in the history of the big game:

As the United States and the world mourns the loss of a legend, it’s important to note that Minnesota lost a native son.

Maybe knowing just how much the state meant to Prince can help those closely impacted feel a bit more comfort, the Minnesota sports scene included.