The Arms of Orion

1989 single by Prince

"The Arms of Orion"

US 7" single

Single by Prince with Sheena Easton

from the album Batman

B-side

"I Love U in Me"

Released

October 16, 1989

Recorded

January 25, 1989

Studio

Paisley Park, Chanhassen

Genre

Pop, orchestral

Length

3:52 (7-inch edit)
5:03 (album/12-inch version)

Label

Warner Bros.

Composer(s)

Prince

Lyricist(s)

Sheena Easton

Producer(s)

Prince

Prince with Sheena Easton singles chronology

"Partyman"
(1989)

"The Arms of Orion"
(1989)

"Scandalous!"
(1989)

"The Arms of Orion" is a 1989 song by American musician Prince and Scottish singer and actress Sheena Easton. It was the third single to be taken from Prince's 1989 Batman soundtrack album. It was a #36 pop hit for them on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1989.

Background

The song is a slow, romantic ballad that is accompanied mainly by the piano. Synthesizers also play a strong role throughout the song, programmed to emulate a string section. The track also uses a subdued LinnDrum loop, and samples of rain and thunder. The lyrics, written by Sheena Easton at Prince's suggestion, allude to the constellation of Orion.^[1] Prince had to surrender all publishing rights to the songs on the Batman album including "The Arms of Orion" to Warner Bros. as part of the deal to compose, perform, and produce the soundtrack.

Critical reception

David Giles from Music Week wrote, "Decidedly MOR ballad from the Batman LP which finds Prince duetting with Sheena Easton, the pair of them not sounding unlike Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston. Commercially viable, but once again "his highness" will get away with producing sub-standard floss."^[2]

Track listings

7-inch single

"The Arms of Orion" (edit) – 3:52
"I Love U in Me" – 4:12

12-inch single

"The Arms of Orion" – 5:03
"I Love U in Me" – 4:12
"The Arms of Orion" (edit) – 3:52

Personnel

Credits from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud^[3]^[4]

Prince – lead and backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Roland D-50, synthesizers, bass guitar, LinnDrum, Dynacord ADD-One, finger cymbals, triangle
Sheena Easton – lead vocals

Charts

Chart performance for "The Arms of Orion"
Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[5]	108
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[6]	33
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[7]	13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[8]	44
UK Singles (OCC)^[9]	27
US Billboard Hot 100^[10]	36

References

^ "Sheena Easton: Looking back at her musical history". windycitytimes.com. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
^ Giles, David (November 4, 1989). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 27. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
^ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
^ "Batman". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
^ "ARIA Singles Chart w/c 4-12-1989". ARIA, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
^ "Prince & Sheena Easton – The Arms of Orion" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
^ "Prince & Sheena Easton – The Arms of Orion" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
^ "Prince & Sheena Easton – The Arms of Orion". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
^ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
^ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.

Batman

Films

Batman (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman & Robin (1997)

DC Extended Universe	The Flash (2023) Batgirl (unreleased)

Other media

Batman OnStar commercials (2000–02)
Batman '89 (2021–22)
Batman: Resurrection (2024)

Characters

Bruce Wayne / Batman
Jack Napier / Joker
Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin
Selina Kyle / Catwoman
Barry Allen / Flash

Music

Batman	Batman: Original Motion Picture Score (1989) Prince's Batman (1989) "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!" "The Future"
Batman Returns	Batman Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992) "Face to Face"
Batman Forever	Batman Forever: Original Motion Picture Score Album (1995) Batman Forever: Music from the Motion Picture (1995) "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" "Kiss from a Rose" "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" "Nobody Lives Without Love" "Smash It Up" (The Offspring) "The Riddler" "The Passenger"
Batman & Robin	Batman & Robin: Music from and Inspired by the "Batman & Robin" Motion Picture (1997) "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" "Look into My Eyes" "Gotham City" "Foolish Games" "Lazy Eye" "Poison Ivy" "Moaner"

Video games

Batman: The Movie
Batman: The Video Game (1989–90)
- Game Boy
- Sega Genesis
- PC Engine
- arcade
Batman Returns (1992)
- Lynx
- NES
- SNES
Batman Forever (1995)
- arcade
- pinball
Batman & Robin (1998)

See also

Batman & Robin: The Chiller
Batmania

Category

Batman music

Soundtracks

Films	Batman score soundtrack Batman Returns Batman Forever soundtrack score Batman & Robin Batman Begins The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice The Lego Batman Movie The Batman
Video games	Batman: Arkham City Batman: Arkham Origins Batman: Arkham Knight

Songs

Batman (1960s TV series)	"Batman Theme" "Batusi"
Batman (1989 film)	"Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!" "The Future"
Batman Returns	"Face to Face"
Batman Forever	"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" "Kiss from a Rose" "The Riddler"
Batman & Robin	"The End Is the Beginning Is the End" "Look into My Eyes" "Gotham City" "Foolish Games" "Moaner" "Lazy Eye"

v t e Prince singles
1970s	"Soft and Wet" "Just as Long as We're Together" "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
1980s	"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" "Still Waiting" "Sexy Dancer" "Uptown" "Dirty Mind" "Do It All Night" "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" "Controversy" "Let's Work" "Do Me, Baby" "1999" "Little Red Corvette" "Delirious" "Let's Pretend We're Married" "When Doves Cry" "Let's Go Crazy" "Purple Rain" "I Would Die 4 U" "Take Me with U" "Paisley Park" "Raspberry Beret" "Pop Life" "America" "Kiss" "Mountains" "Anotherloverholenyohead" "Girls & Boys" "Sign "O" the Times" "If I Was Your Girlfriend" "U Got the Look" "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" "Alphabet St." "Glam Slam" "I Wish U Heaven" "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!"
1990s	"The Future" "Thieves in the Temple" "New Power Generation" "Gett Off" "Cream" "Diamonds and Pearls" "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" "Insatiable" "Thunder" "Sexy MF" "My Name Is Prince" "7" "Damn U" "The Morning Papers" "Pink Cashmere" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Peach" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "Letitgo" "Space" "Purple Medley" "I Hate U" "Gold" "Dinner with Delores" "Betcha by Golly Wow!" "The Holy River" "The Truth" "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold"
2000s	"U Make My Sun Shine" (with Angie Stone) "When Will We B Paid?" (with Audio Stepchild) "Supercute" "The Work, pt. 1" "Days of Wild" "Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" "Musicology" "Cinnamon Girl" "S.S.T." "Te Amo Corazón" "Black Sweat" "Fury" "Guitar" "F.U.N.K." "Dance 4 Me"
2010s	"Rocknroll Loveaffair" "Breakfast Can Wait" "Fallinlove2nite" "Breakdown" "This Could B Us" "Free Urself"
Promotional singles	"When You Were Mine" "Erotic City" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Love Sign" (with Nona Gaye) "Somebody's Somebody" "It's About That Walk" "Call My Name" "The Song of the Heart"
Internet downloads	"Guitar (original "demo" version)"
New Power Generation	"Get Wild" "The War" "Come On"
EPs	The Beautiful Experience NYC 1999: The New Master
Other songs	"I Feel for You" "Partyup" "Private Joy" "International Lover" "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue" "Darling Nikki" "Baby I'm a Star" "17 Days" "Around the World in a Day" "Sometimes It Snows in April" "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" "Starfish and Coffee" "Adore" "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" "I Can't Make U Love Me" "La, La, La Means I Love U" "One of Us" "Everyday Is a Winding Road" "A Case of U" "Crimson and Clover" "Moonbeam Levels"

v t e Sheena Easton
Studio albums	Take My Time You Could Have Been with Me Madness, Money & Music Best Kept Secret Todo Me Recuerda a Ti A Private Heaven Do You No Sound But a Heart The Lover in Me What Comes Naturally No Strings My Cherie Freedom Home Fabulous
Singles	"Modern Girl" "9 to 5" "One Man Woman" "For Your Eyes Only" "You Could Have Been with Me" "We've Got Tonite" "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)" "Almost Over You" "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" "Strut" "Sugar Walls" "Swear" "Jimmy Mack" "U Got the Look" "The Lover in Me" "101" "The Arms of Orion" "What Comes Naturally"
Related articles	Discography