Principe Real

Album: Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is named after a district in Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox's adopted home of Lisbon, Portugal. Principe Real is near the Bairro Alto, Lisbon's cultural and bohemian heart, and is centred on a 19th-century park. He told The Fader: "It means 'royal prince,' which I always thought was a badass name for a song."
  • Lennox said: "The idea for the song was to make something that had an insistent house-y rhythm, a zone I've never felt fully comfortable going to. With these songs, I found my way of working with elements that I never really felt comfortable with before. As soon as you feel you can latch onto the rhythm, it starts breaking apart. It's constantly expanding and contracting."
  • Lisbon is the capital and the largest city of Portugal. It is the westernmost large metropolis located in continental Europe. For another song inspired by the Portuguese city check out "Lisbon" by The Walkmen.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

How The Beatles Crafted Killer Choruses

How The Beatles Crafted Killer ChorusesSong Writing

The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.