Most people don't realize that the world's most famous breakup song was basically a throwaway.
Honestly, when you think of "Nothing Compares 2 U," you probably see Sinéad O’Connor’s face. You see that stark, close-up music video and those famous tears. But the story didn't start with a shaved head and a bleak park in Paris. It started in 1984, in a dusty warehouse in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Prince was there. He was always there.
He wrote it in about an hour. His engineer at the time, Susan Rogers, said it came out "like a sneeze." Just a sudden, violent burst of creativity that ended up becoming a global anthem for the broken-hearted. But Prince didn't keep it for himself. Not at first. He gave it to a side project called The Family, and then he basically forgot about it.
The Mystery of the Housekeeper and the Flowers
For years, fans argued about who the song was actually for. Was it Susannah Melvoin, the sister of Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin? Susannah was Prince's girlfriend at the time, and she sang on the 1985 version by The Family. It makes sense. But Rogers has a different theory that's way more interesting.
She thinks it was about Sandy Scipioni. Sandy was Prince's housekeeper. She kept his life together—made sure he had his favorite drink (Five Alive), washed his socks, and kept fresh flowers on the piano. Then, her father died of a heart attack, and she had to leave.
Suddenly, Prince’s world was a mess.
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If you look at the lyrics—"All the flowers that you planted, Mama, in the backyard / All died when you went away"—it starts to click. Prince wasn't just missing a lover; he was missing the person who made his house a home. It’s a bit weird to think one of the most romantic songs ever written might be about a very efficient domestic assistant, but that’s Prince for you. He found inspiration in the gaps people left behind.
Why Prince Actually Hated the Cover
You’d think a songwriter would be thrilled when their song goes number one in a dozen countries. Not Prince.
When Sinéad O’Connor’s version blew up in 1990, it reportedly stung him. He didn't like losing control. He also didn't like Sinéad much. They eventually met at his mansion, and by all accounts, it was a total train wreck.
Sinéad later claimed Prince was "menacing." She said he scolded her for swearing in interviews. Then, in a move that sounds like a fever dream, he allegedly suggested a pillow fight, only to hit her with a pillowcase stuffed with something heavy. She ended up running out of the house in the middle of the night.
He was a genius, sure, but he could be incredibly difficult.
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Despite the drama, he knew a hit when he heard one. After her version took over the charts, he reclaimed the song. He started playing it live on his Nude Tour in 1990 and eventually released a live duet version with Rosie Gaines in 1993. It was like he was saying, "Yeah, she made it famous, but it's still mine."
The 1984 Vault Recording: A Different Beast
In 2018, two years after Prince passed away, his estate finally pulled the original 1984 studio recording out of the vault.
It’s different.
Sinéad’s version is a lonely, cold, orchestral masterpiece. Prince’s original is more of a soul-funk hybrid. You can hear the 1980s in the synths, but there's a raw, lonely quality to his vocal that you don't get in the polished version by The Family. He played almost every instrument himself.
When Michael Howe, the estate’s archivist, found the tape, he said his "jaw hit the floor." It wasn't just a demo; it was a fully realized vision of a man in a warehouse, missing his housekeeper (or his girlfriend), and pouring that specific Minnesota brand of loneliness into a microphone.
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How to Listen Like an Expert
If you want to really understand the DNA of this track, you have to do a side-by-side comparison. Don't just look at the charts. Look at the textures.
- The Sinéad Version (1990): Focus on the silence. The song works because of what isn't there. It's built on a drum loop and a lot of emotional space.
- The Prince Studio Version (1984/2018): Listen for the saxophone by Eric Leeds. It gives the song a late-night, jazzy vibe that makes the heartbreak feel a bit more "lived-in" and less theatrical.
- The Family Version (1985): This is the one that's hardest to find but has the most "Prince-adjacent" funk production. It’s more of a group effort, featuring St. Paul Peterson and Susannah Melvoin on vocals.
Actionable Insights for the Music Obsessed
If you're looking to dive deeper into the Purple One's songwriting process or just want to appreciate the track more, here is what you should do next:
1. Track down the "Originals" album. The 1984 version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" is the centerpiece of this 2019 compilation. It features the versions Prince recorded before giving the songs away to others (like "Manic Monday" for The Bangles). It's the best way to hear his "guide vocals" which often outperformed the final versions.
2. Watch the 2018 music video. The estate released a video using 1984 rehearsal footage of Prince and The Revolution. Seeing him dance in that warehouse while the song plays adds a layer of physicality to the music that Sinéad’s version intentionally stripped away.
3. Read "Rememberings" by Sinéad O'Connor. If you want the unvarnished (and honestly, kind of scary) version of what happened when the songwriter and the superstar finally met, her memoir is essential. It provides a necessary counter-narrative to the "mystical genius" image Prince cultivated.
The song has been covered by everyone from Chris Cornell to Aretha Franklin, but it always comes back to that warehouse in 1984. It’s a reminder that sometimes the things we throw away—or give away—are the things that define us. Prince might have written it for someone else's career, but in the end, it was too big for anyone to truly own.