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.
Fate
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warm as the day, sunlight through the window
Until it's gone, gone, ohh
But you in the picture
All up in my eardrum, drunk on your whisper
What have you done to me?
Let me learn all the truth that you hide skin deep
And where's that high even come from?
Pulling me closer into your culture, it's destiny
Yeah
Ain't no shortcuts where we come from
We make diamonds from a breadcrumb
We know every single turn we take in this bed we've made
It wasn't our fate
In this watercolor ocean (watercolor ocean)
We surrender to the motion (surrender to the motion)
We know every single turn we take in this bed we've made
It wasn't our fate
Ohh-ahh
(Our fate, our fate, our fate, our fate, ooh)
Depends how you feelin' on the future
Now your hands all on me, hallelujah
It's supernatural, ain't this that shit you been asking for?
We syncopated, yeah
As the world keeps changing
You and me don't miss a beat
Let me learn all the truth that you hide skin deep
(Oh, I know the truth that you hide skin deep)
Touch me once now you want alone time with me (ohh)
And where's that high even come from?
Pulling me closer into your culture, it's history (history, history)
Ain't no shortcuts where we come from
We make diamonds from a breadcrumb
We know every single turn we take in this bed we've made
It wasn't our fate
In this watercolor ocean (in this watercolor ocean)
We surrender to the motion (surrender to the motion)
We know every single turn we take in this bed we've made
It wasn't our fate
Whoa (our fate, our fate, our fate)
Our fate (yeah)
Ain't no shortcuts where we come from
We make diamonds from a breadcrumb
We know every single turn we take in this bed we've made
It wasn't our fate, yeah
The lyrics of John Legend's song "Fate" explore the themes of love, destiny, and the deep connection between two individuals. The opening lines, "Fall to your winter, warm as the day, sunlight through the window, until it's gone, gone, ohh," depict a beautiful and fleeting love, comparing it to the changing seasons. The singer is captivated by the person in the picture, their presence consuming their thoughts and emotions.
The verse further delves into the intoxicating effect this person has, with the line "drunk on your whisper." The singer is fascinated by the mysteries hidden beneath the surface of this individual, wanting to learn all the truths they hide skin deep. The chorus highlights the unique bond between the two, emphasizing that there are no shortcuts in their relationship. They have built something enduring and valuable from the smallest beginnings, comparing it to making diamonds from breadcrumbs. The watercolor ocean represents the unpredictable journey of their love, surrendering to its natural motion. Despite the ups and downs, the singer realizes that their path wasn't fate but a result of their choices.
The second verse continues to explore the connection between the two individuals and acknowledges that they syncopate perfectly together amidst the changing world. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the absence of shortcuts and the understanding of every turn they have taken in their relationship. They recognize that their love story wasn't predetermined by fate but was shaped by their own decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
Fall to your winter
Embrace the coldness and darkness that comes after the warmth and brightness
Warm as the day, sunlight through the window
You gave me a sense of comfort and happiness, like the warmth and light that enters through a window
Until it's gone, gone, ohh
But eventually, that warmth and happiness disappeared and left me longing for it
But you in the picture
You are constantly on my mind, as if you are captured in a picture
All up in my eardrum, drunk on your whisper
Your words and whispers intoxicate me, consuming my thoughts
What have you done to me?
You have completely transformed and affected me in ways I can't comprehend
Let me learn all the truth that you hide skin deep
Allow me to discover the deeper secrets and vulnerabilities that you conceal
Touch you once now you want alone time with me
After a single touch, you desire intimate moments with me
And where's that high even come from?
I wonder where this intense feeling of excitement and happiness originates
Pulling me closer into your culture, it's destiny
Your influence and connection with your background draws me closer, as if it is meant to be
Ain't no shortcuts where we come from
We come from a place where hard work and perseverance is required, there are no easy paths
We make diamonds from a breadcrumb
We are capable of turning something small and seemingly insignificant into something precious and valuable
We know every single turn we take in this bed we've made
We are aware of every decision and action we take in our relationship, for better or worse
It wasn't our fate
Our destiny was not predetermined or predestined
In this watercolor ocean
In this colorful and fluid world
We surrender to the motion
We let ourselves go with the flow and embrace the constant changes
Whoa (our fate, our fate, our fate) Our fate (yeah)
Our destiny, whatever it may be, is significant to us
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jaramye Daniels, John Stephens, Jonas Karlsson, Lawrence Greenidge, Trey Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jaxon
on All of Me
really really good I love it
Rickie
on All of Me
Good
Christine Bañega
on All of Me
like
Promise Sokyes
on All of Me
A perfect love song.