As well as music, Common has worked as an actor, on films such as 'Smokin' Aces' (as Sir Ivy) 'American Gangster' (as Turner Lucas), 'Wanted', and 'John Wick: Chapter 2'. He may also be seen in cameo roles in films such as 'Brown Sugar'.
His debut was the 1992 album Can I Borrow A Dollar, but he achieved little critical or commercial success until 1994's Resurrection, an instant classic. He produced several more albums, notably Like Water For Chocolate and the highly experimental Electric Circus, before releasing the Kanye West and J Dilla-produced Be in 2005, which was his first album to receive widespread mainstream appeal and radio playtime.
Common is considered a "cred" artist, which has lead him to collaborations with the likes of De La Soul, Jadakiss, T.I, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Kanye West, Lily Allen, Erykah Badu, and Fort Minor.
The 2007 album Finding Forever was produced mainly by long-time collaborator, Kanye West. Common released his eighth album Universal Mind Control in 2008, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album but lost to the Eminem album Relapse. He released his ninth album The Dreamer/The Believer in 2011. Nobody's Smiling, his tenth album, was released in 2014. The concept of the album was inspired by his troubled hometown of Chicago.
The Light (Brookes Brothers R
Common Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doo-doo-doo, mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm..
Doo-doo-d-doo, diggy-doo YO..
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
Gotta be somethin for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't gon' assault em cause I probably did it too
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Some niggaz recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matchin shirts
If relationship is effort I will match your work
I wanna be the one to make you happiest, it hurts you the most
They say the end is near, it's important that we close..
.. to the most, high
Regardless of what happen on him let's rely
There are times.. when you'll need someone..
I will be by your side..
There is a light, that shines,
special for you, and me..
Yo, yo, check it
It's important, we communicate
and tune the fate of this union, to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
And sex and a tingle is where they assume that it land
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
If heaven had a height, you would be that tall
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Let's stick to understandin' and we won't fall
For better or worst times, I hope to me you call
So I pray everyday more than anything
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
This foundation for a family - love ain't simple
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually
Granted we known each other for some time
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
There are times.. when you'll need someone..
I will be by your side, oh darling
There is a light, that shines,
special for you, and me..
Yeah.. yo, yo, check it
It's kinda fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
and I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
Plus you ship hop when it's time to, thinkin you fresh
Suggestin beats I should rhyme to
At times when I'm lost I try to find you
You know to give me space when it's time to
My heart's dictionary defines you, it's love and happiness
Truthfully it's hard tryin to practice abstinence
The time we committed love it was real good
Had to be for me to arrive and it still feel good
I know the sex ain't gon' keep you, but as my equal
it's how I must treat you
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
And whatever's right, I'ma feed you
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo I tell you the rest when I see you, peace
There are times.. when you'll need someone..
I will be by your side..
There is a light, that shines,
special for you, and me..
(I'll) take my chances.. before they pass..
.. pass me by, oh darling..
You need to look at the other side..
You'll agree..
The song "The Light" by Common is a romantic ode to a significant other, expressing deep feelings of love and commitment. The lyrics describe the singer's desire to build a strong and lasting relationship with his partner, despite the challenges that they may face. He acknowledges the past hurts that his partner has experienced but reassures her that he will handle her feelings with care. The lyrics also delve into the importance of communication and understanding in a relationship, acknowledging that it takes effort to maintain a strong foundation. Overall, "The Light" is a beautiful and soulful love song that captures the essence of true commitment and devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
I never knew a love like this before.
Gotta be somethin for me to write this
This love is so special that it inspired me to write this song.
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
I haven't seen you in a while.
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
I wrote this letter a while ago and finally decided to send it now.
Signed sealed delivered for us to grow together
I'm sending this letter so we can grow together as a couple.
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
Our love has no limit, and we should take our time enjoying each other's company.
I know your heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I know you've been hurt in the past by other men.
I ain't gon' assault em cause I probably did it too
I won't judge other men for hurting you because I've probably hurt women in the past.
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Because of you, I'm more careful with people's feelings.
Some niggaz recognize the light but they can't handle the glare
Some people recognize true love, but they're not ready for it.
You know I ain't the type to walk around with matchin shirts
I'm not the type of person who wants to wear matching clothes with you to show off our relationship.
If relationship is effort I will match your work
If being in a relationship takes effort, I'll put in as much effort as you do.
I wanna be the one to make you happiest, it hurts you the most
I want to make you happy, but sometimes it hurts me to see you sad.
They say the end is near, it's important that we close
People say our relationship won't last, so it's important that we stay close to each other.
There are times.. when you'll need someone..
There will be times when you need someone to be there for you.
I will be by your side..
I will be there for you when you need me.
There is a light, that shines, special for you, and me..
Our love is special and unique.
It's important, we communicate and tune the fate of this union, to the right pitch
It's important that we communicate and work together to make our relationship successful.
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
I don't call you derogatory names like 'bitch' or even 'boo'.
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Your name doesn't define you, and there's so much to you as a person.
Few understand the union of woman and man
Not many people understand what it means to be in a loving relationship between a man and a woman.
And sex and a tingle is where they assume that it land
Some people assume that a relationship is just about sex and physical attraction.
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
Physical attraction is not enough for us, our love is deeper and more meaningful.
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light
You light up my life even in the darkest of nights in Chicago.
If heaven had a height, you would be that tall
If there was a way to measure how amazing you are, you'd be taller than the highest point in heaven.
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Through our relationship, I see the beauty in everything from the ghetto to a coffee shop.
Let's stick to understandin' and we won't fall
If we understand each other, our relationship won't fail.
For better or worst times, I hope to me you call
No matter what happens, I hope you always turn to me for support.
So I pray everyday more than anything
I pray everyday that our love stays strong and lasts forever.
Friends will stay as we begin to lay
We will always be friends, even as we begin to start a family together.
This foundation for a family - love ain't simple
Starting a family together is not easy, but our love will help us build a strong foundation.
Why can't it be anything worth having you work at annually
Good things take hard work, and our relationship is worth putting in the effort to maintain and strengthen it.
Granted we known each other for some time
We've known each other for a while now.
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
I knew I loved you from the moment I met you, and it didn't take long to realize that.
(I'll) take my chances.. before they pass.. pass me by, oh darling..
I'll take a chance on love before it's too late.
You need to look at the other side.. You'll agree..
You need to see things from a different perspective, and you'll agree with me.
Contributed by Joshua J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.