Sign o' the Times (song)

The song was constructed by Prince almost entirely on the Fairlight sampling synthesizer, which provides the primary keyboard riff and sampled electronic bass sounds heard on the track. Unlike some artists, Prince did not program new sounds for this song. He simply used the stock sounds the Fairlight offered, including the famed "orchestra hit" towards the end of the composition. The single marked a shift from those pulled from the albums Parade and Around the World in a Day, with a spare, electronic-based arrangement, simple drum machine hits and minimal stacked synth patterns, as well as a bluesy, funk-rock guitar part (cut from the single edit of the song). The record was noticeably bluesier and more downcast (both melodically and lyrically) than any of Prince's previous singles, addressing various socio-political problems including AIDS, gang violence, natural disasters, poverty, drug abuse, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and impending nuclear holocaust. This record showcased Prince's ability to merge classic and modern rhythm and blues characteristics into one song.

The single's cover features new band member Cat Glover posing with a large heart covering her face, and on the back of the cover, posing with Prince's guitar; there was a popular rumor that incorrectly insisted that the front cover showed Prince in drag.

It was directed by Bill Konersman and is considered one of the earliest instances of a lyric video.

7" single

• A. "Sign o' the Times" (edit) – 3:42
• B. "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" – 3:21

12" single

• A. "Sign o' the Times" (LP version) – 4:57
• B. "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" (Highly Explosive) – 10:32

• Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree covered the song on the fifth release of his Cover Version series in 2008. In 2016, shortly after the death of Prince, Wilson started performing his cover version of the song live at the majority of the concerts on the Hand. Cannot. Erase. tour.
• The jazz-fusion drummer Billy Cobham recorded a cover of the song on his album "Picture This" in 1987, featuring saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.
• The Scottish band Simple Minds recorded a version of this song on their EP The Amsterdam in 1989.
• The singer and pianist Nina Simone recorded a version of the song for her final studio album, A Single Woman, in 1993. Her version was cut from the original release but included on the later 2008 CD reissue.[6]
• Chaka Khan included a cover of the song on her 2007 album Funk This.
• Heaven 17 covered the song in 2007.
• Muse covered the song in an hour-long special of BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on September 28, 2012 and in a gig at Staples Center on January 24, 2013.
• Dubstep producer Kode 9 along with vocalist The Spaceape produced a dark, slow, dub-influenced pseudo cover version of the lyrics, called "Sine", on the album Memories of the Future.

• Derek B included a sample of the opening lyric "Oh, yeah" on his 1988 song "Bad Young Brother".
• Young Disciples included a sample of the lyrics "gang called the Disciples" on their 1991 song "Get Yourself Together".

La, La, La, He, He, Hee depicts a chase between a cat and a dog and contains a snare drum which sounds like a dog's bark, which is a sample from the Fairlight CMI sample-synthesizer. The song is fast-paced and reminiscent of P-Funk. It features Sheila E. on vocals and percussion and Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss on saxophone and trumpet respectively. The song's edit is featured on The Hits/The B-Sides. Per the liner notes of The Hits/The B-Sides, Sheena Easton dared Prince to write a song with the lyrics "la, la, la, he, he, hee', which resulted in a shared writing credit.