I Would Die 4 U

Cash Box called the song "a practice in restrained ecstasy" in which "Prince delivers one of his finest and most passionate...vocal performances."^[3] Billboard called it "electrifying", saying that "the nervous excitement zaps like a high-tension wire."^[4]

"I Would Die 4 U" is often played in sequence with "Baby I'm a Star", the track following it, on Purple Rain. As of April 30, 2016, it had sold 561,772 copies in the United States.^[5]

The B-side, "Another Lonely Christmas", is a melancholy account of a man mourning his lover, who had died from pneumonia on a previous Christmas Day. Prince recorded "Another Lonely Christmas" in February 1984.^[6] Despite the fact that, during that period of his life, Prince was very solitary, he insisted that "Another Lonely Christmas" was a fictional story.^[6][7] The song has been compared to "Sometimes It Snows in April", from the 1986 album Parade.^[6] He performed "Another Lonely Christmas" live only one time, on the day after Christmas, December 26, 1984, at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota.^[7][6]

The extended version of "I Would Die 4 U" is actually a rehearsal jam on the song with the Revolution and musicians from Sheila E.'s band, Eddie M (on sax) and Miko Weaver (guitar), along with Sheila E. herself recorded some time before the Purple Rain Tour.^[8] The jam features some overdubbing and fades at the end; a longer version, nearly 31 minutes long, was never released officially, but has been bootlegged. The extended mix was also used as the B-side of the 1989 "Erotic City" single (the artwork of which features the same image of Prince that was used for this single's cover).

The B-side of the UK 12" single release includes "Another Lonely Christmas" as well as the 1999 track "Free".

7": Paisley Park / 7-29121 (US)

1. "I Would Die 4 U" (single version) – 2:57
2. "Another Lonely Christmas" – 4:51

12": Paisley Park / 9 20291-0 (US)

1. "I Would Die 4 U" (extended version) – 10:15
2. "Another Lonely Christmas" (extended version) – 6:47

12": Warner Bros. / W9121T (UK)

1. "I Would Die 4 U" (single version) – 2:57
2. "Another Lonely Christmas" – 4:51
3. "Free" – 5:00

Credits adapted from Duane Tudahl, Benoît Clerc, and Guitarcloud.^[9][10][11]

• Prince – lead and backing vocals, electric guitar, piano, synthesizers
• Wendy Melvoin – electric guitar, backing vocals
• Lisa Coleman – synthesizers, backing vocals
• Matt Fink – synthesizers, Memorymoog,^[12] Linn LM-1
• Brown Mark – bass guitar
• Bobby Z. – Linn LM-1, Pearl SY-1 Syncussion, cymbals

• French-British musician Space Cowboy released his version in 2002; it peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart. It was his first official single released under the name Space Cowboy.^[24]
• English singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone covered the song in 2022.^[25]