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.
Humanity
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
More and more each day, yeah
Still I am determined that I am never gonna change my way
Thinking 'bout love the way it should be
You gotta open your eyes and you will see
About love the way it should be
You gotta make up your minds and you'll advance humanity
What happened to the love
That they are all talking about?
It's nothing but useless words
Coming from out of their mouths
Talking 'bout love the way it should be
We gotta open our eyes and we will see
About love the way it should be
We gotta make up our minds and we'll advance humanity
Humanity, humanity, humanity,
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
Yeah
What happened to the love
That they are all talking about?
It's nothing but useless words
That are coming from out of their mouth
Talking 'bout love the way it should be
Open our eyes and we will see
About love the way it should be
We gotta make up our minds and we'll advance humanity
Humanity, humanity, humanity, yeah
Listen, people listen
You got the notion (I hope so)
Listen while I'm saying to you
You got the notion (I hope so)
A little bit of justice and peace
You got the notion (I hope so)
But bring a little love for everyone, yeah
You got the notion (our hope's on)
You got the notion
You got the notion (our hope's on)
So get in the motion
So get in the motion
You got the notion (I hope so)
You got the notion oh
You got the notion (I hope so)
So get in the motion
You got the notion (I hope so)
You got the notion (I hope so)
You got the notion (I hope so)
You got the notion (I hope so)
Yeah yeah yeah
In the song "Humanity" by John Legend and The Roots, the lyrics speak to the current state of the world and how difficult it is becoming. The first few lines acknowledge the struggle that many people are facing every day, but then the song focuses on the idea that one's determination and mindset can make all the difference. The lines "about love the way it should be, you gotta make up your minds and you'll advance humanity" convey the message that if we all focus on love and positivity, we can better the world and move forward as a society.
The chorus repeats the word "humanity" several times, emphasizing the importance of maintaining our humanity and not losing sight of love and empathy. The second verse addresses the hypocrisy of people who talk about love without actually putting it into action. The song then calls on listeners to actively pursue justice, peace, and love for everyone in order to better humanity as a whole. The repeated line "you got the notion (I hope so)" serves as a reminder to take action in the face of adversity and uphold our humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Time is gettin' harder and harder
As time progresses, life is becoming more difficult and challenging.
More and more each day, yeah
Every day, the difficulties and challenges of life are increasing.
Still I am determined that I am never gonna change my way
Despite the challenges of life, the singer remains resolute and steadfast in his beliefs and actions.
What happened to the love
The singer questions the existence of love and its significance in the world.
That they are all talking about?
The singer refers to the people who talk about love, but do not seem to demonstrate it in their actions.
It's nothing but useless words
The singer believes that what people say about love is not reflected in their actions in the real world.
Coming from out of their mouths
The words about love are not backed by actions, making them meaningless.
Talking 'bout love the way it should be
The singer proposes a vision of what love should look like and how it should be expressed.
We gotta open our eyes and we will see
If people are more aware of the reality of love and how it should be shown, the world will become a better place.
About love the way it should be
The singer is advocating a change in the way love is demonstrated in the world.
We gotta make up our minds and we'll advance humanity
If people take action to demonstrate love in the world, they will help to advance humanity.
Humanity, humanity, humanity
The singer emphasizes the importance of humanity and everyone working together to make the world a better place.
Listen, people listen
The singer is asking people to listen to what he has to say.
You got the notion (I hope so)
The singer is challenging people to think and consider what he is saying.
Listen while I'm saying to you
The singer is asking people to listen to what he has to say and consider his message.
A little bit of justice and peace
The singer is advocating for justice and peace in the world.
But bring a little love for everyone, yeah
The singer believes that love is an essential component to achieving justice and peace in the world.
So get in the motion
The singer is urging people to take action and do something to make the world a better place.
You got the notion
The singer is reminding people that they have the capacity to make a difference in the world.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer emphasizes the importance of this message and the urgency to act on it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY HENRY, CLAYTON MORANDER BROWN, ROBIN GIORNO, DAMON WILDING, MICHAEL RICHARD HURLEY, IAN MARK HARPER, MATT GRAHAM, LLOYD FITZGERALD BROWN, LINCOLN THOMPSON
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.