Legend also played the piano on Lauryn Hill's 1998 song "Everything is Everything" and sang background vocals on Jay-Z's "Encore" and Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name". Legend frequently cites gospel, R&B, and hip hop music as his main musical influences.
Legend released his critically acclaimed and Billboard Top Ten second album, Once Again, in October 2006. Produced by Raphael Saadiq, Kanye West and will.i.am, it is again a mixture of gospel and classic soul showcasing his extraordinary voice, particularly on "Show Me".
Grammy Award Wins:
*2005 Best New Artist
*2005 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Ordinary People"
*2005 Best R&B Album- Get Lifted
*2007 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Heaven
*2007 Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Family Affair
Neo-soul singer and pianist John Legend combined the raw fervor of contemporaries Cody ChesnuTT and the burning precision of D'Angelo. Born John Stephens, Legend was a child prodigy who grew up in Ohio, where he began singing gospel and playing piano at the tender age of five. Legend left Ohio at 16 to attend college in Philadelphia, and it was there that he first found a larger audience. Not yet out of his teens, Legend was tapped to play piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything" in 1998. After completing college, he moved to New York, where he began to build a loyal following playing in nightclubs and releasing CDs that he would sell at shows. He also became an in-demand session musician, playing and occasionally writing for a wide array of artists, including Alicia Keys, Twista, Janet Jackson, and Kanye West. It wasn't until West signed the young talent to his new label that he adopted the Legend name with 2004's Solo Sessions Vol. 1: Live at the Knitting Factory. Get Lifted, his first studio album, was released later in the year. On the strength of enduring single "Ordinary People," the album reached the Top Five of the Billboard 200. This led to three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist. Once Again, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, followed in October 2006. Live from Philadelphia, sold exclusively at Target stores, was a successful stopgap release that predated October 2008's Evolver.
Actions
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La-da-da-da
La-la-la
La-da-da-da, here I go again
With another love song that I wasted
Just another love run out of patience, she don't want it, she don't need it
Every other word coming from my pen
I sound so poetic but it feels like I let it slip away, slip away
I wanna show my love is strong
Make her feel it when I'm home
No faking, no mistaking
She can feel me when I'm gone
And actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
And melodies they carry on
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
La-da-da-da, here we go again
Just a couple of friends with some benefits
She gave me all of her love then I waste it
I wrote a new song, then erased it
Oh, every other thing that I've said before
Said you don't wanna hear about it anymore
I feel so creative but it feels like there's nothing left to say to make you stay
Wanna show my love is strong
Make her feel it when I'm home
No faking, no mistaking
She can feel me when I'm gone
And actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
And melodies they carry on
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
So, la-da-da-da-la-la-la away (la-da-da-da)
La-da-da-da-la-la-la all day
She don't wanna hear, don't wanna hear a word I say, word I say
La-da-da-da-la-la-la away (la-da-da-da)
La-da-da-da-la-la-la all day
She don't wanna hear, don't wanna hear a word I say, word I say
Actions speak louder than love songs, speak louder than love songs
The melodies they carry on
Actions speak louder than love, whoa, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
The song "Actions" by John Legend is a love song about a man who feels he has been doing everything wrong in his relationship with his significant other. The first verse starts with the man talking about how every time he writes a love song, it seems to go to waste as his partner doesn't appreciate it. He admits to coming up with poetic and beautiful lyrics, but it feels like he has let her slip away. He wants to make her feel his love when he is around and also when he is away, but he has been going about it in the wrong way. The chorus emphasizes that actions, not just words or love songs, are what really matter in a relationship.
The second verse talks about how the two were just friends with benefits, and the man couldn't understand why she would waste all her love on him since he always seemed to mess things up. He admits to writing a new song and then erasing it, indicating his frustration and lack of confidence in his ability to express his love in the right way. Again, he emphasizes that he wants to make her feel his love more strongly than he has been doing so far. The chorus repeats, emphasizing that love songs are not enough on their own and that actions are what really matter.
Line by Line Meaning
La-da-da-da, here I go again
Starting a new love song with high expectations
With another love song that I wasted
Realizing past efforts didn't work in the new relationship
She don't want it, she don't need it
Recognizing the partner is not interested in the same things
Every other word coming from my pen
Struggling to express his feelings through his writing
She throw back in my face, saying where you been
Getting rejected by his partner and losing hope
I sound so poetic but it feels like I let it slip away, slip away
Feeling like he failed to convey his true emotions
And actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
Emphasizing the importance of actions rather than words in a relationship
And melodies they carry on
Acknowledging the enduring power of music in expressing emotions
I wanna show my love is strong
Desiring to prove his love through actions and not just words
Make her feel it when I'm home
Wanting his partner to feel loved and appreciated when he is around
No faking, no mistaking
Avoiding any pretense or confusion in his actions
She can feel me when I'm gone
Wishing to leave a lasting impression on his partner even when he is not present
Just a couple of friends with some benefits
Describing a casual relationship with no true commitment
I wrote a new song, then erased it
Battling creative struggles and a lack of inspiration
Said you don't wanna hear about it anymore
Having his partner express disinterest in his creative pursuits
I feel so creative but it feels like there's nothing left to say to make you stay
Feeling trapped in his attempts to bring meaning to the relationship
Actions speak louder than love songs, speak louder than love songs
Reiterating the importance of actions over words in love
I've been doing it all wrong
Admitting to mistakes and shortcomings in expressing love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Alex Vincent Niceforo, Coleridge Tillman, David McCallum, David Allen Axelrod, John Stephens, Joshua Karpeh, Keith Roger Sorrells, Warren Felder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MsMuniz-xi6hf
Hey yeah
La-da-da, da-da
La-la-da, da-da, da-da
La-da-da-da-da, here I go again
With another love song that I wasted
Just another love run out of patience
She don't want it, she don't need it
Every other word coming from my pen
She throw back in my face, saying: Where you've been?
I sound so poetic but it feels like I let it slip away, slip away
I wanna show my love is strong
Make her feel it when I'm home
No faking, no mistaking
She can feel me when I'm gone
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
The melodies they carry on
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
La-da-da-da-da, here we go again
Just a couple of friends with some benefits
She gave me all of her love than I waste it
I wrote a new song, then erased it
Oh every other thing that I've said before
Said you don't wanna hear about it anymore
I feel so creative but it feels like there's nothing left to say, to make you stay
I wanna show my love is strong
Make her feel it when I'm home
No faking, no mistaking
She can feel me when I'm gone
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
The melodies they carry on
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da-da-da away (la-da-da-da-da)
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, all day
She don't wanna hear, don't wanna hear a word I say, a word I say
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da-da-da away (la-da-da-da-da)
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, all day
She don't wanna hear, don't wanna hear a word I say, a word I say
Actions speak louder than love songs, speak louder than love songs
The melodies they carry on
Actions speak louder than love, woah, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
@qwerasd9182
Hey, yeah
La-da-da, da-da
La-da-da, da-da, la-da
La-da-da-da-da, here I go again
With another love song that I wasted
Just another love run out of patience
She don't want it, she don't need it
Every other word coming from my pen
She throw back in my face, saying, "Where you been?"
I sound so poetic, but it feels like I let it slip away, slip away
I wanna show my love is strong
Make her feel it when I'm home
No fakin', no mistakin'
She can feel me when I'm gone
That actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
The melodies, they carry on
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
La-da-da-da-da, here we go again
Just a couple of friends with some benefits
She gave me all of her love, then I waste it
I wrote a new song, then erased it
Oh, every other thing that I've said before
Said she don't wanna hear about it anymore
I feel so creative, but it feels like there's nothing left to say to make you stay
I wanna show my love is strong
Make her feel it when I'm home
No fakin', no mistakin'
She can feel it when I'm gone
That actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
The melodies, they carry on
Actions speak louder than, speak louder than, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da-da away
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, all day
She don't wanna hear, don't wanna hear a word I say, word I say
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da-da away
La-da-da-da-da, la-da-da, all day
She don't wanna hear, don't wanna hear a word I say, word I say
Actions speak louder than love songs, speak louder than love songs
The melodies, they carry on
Actions speak louder than love, woah, speak louder than love songs
I've been doing it all wrong
@alexiadeyaniraramirezpulid5360
John merece más reconocimiento a nivel mundial, su música es fantástica ♥️
@GabrielPereira-nj8yr
Musica Perfeita!!!🇧🇷
@segasenior4746
Super Piosenka!🇵🇱
Gut Music! 🇧🇪
Fucking Awesome Music!🇦🇺
@butterfly-pax2604
Love, love this. John can make any song his own. Amazing vocals and Incredible music .
@lucaskepson
Como sempre, mais uma música FODA!
@ajtech20
I really don't know how people can dislike this song.
@emanuellelima1957
Perfeita demais ♥️♥️🇧🇷
@lovedbytheKing
Sounds like the old John Legend... that’s the John Legend I remember!!! That old school neosoul vibe!!! ♥️♥️♥️ You did that!!! #thatsampletho #thejohnifellinlovewith
@reggm3174
K Exactly
@Sefa_On_Deck
Hell yeah