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.
Maxine
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where are you now?
Oh, get back soon
Maxine
Oh where are you now?
Maxine
Oh get back soon
Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Sometimes I wonder why she wouldn't stay
What I should have changed
Sometimes I wonder why it's been so long
What did I do wrong
Maxine, Maxine
Oh, where are you now?
Oh, where are you now?
Maxine
The song "Maxine" by John Legend is a tribute to a former lover. The lyrics depict a longing for her return, with the repeated refrain of "Oh, get back soon" and "Where are you now?" The singer is clearly in despair and reflects on the reasons why the relationship did not work out. He wonders why she left and what he could have done differently to keep her. He addresses her directly in the chorus, begging her to come back, saying her name over and over again.
There are hints in the lyrics that the singer may have been unfaithful or not appreciated his partner enough. He reflects, "Sometimes I wonder what I should have changed" and "What did I do wrong?" The sorrowful tone of the song reflects the deep emotional pain that comes from unrequited love or the end of a relationship. It is clear that the singer still harbors strong feelings for Maxine and longs for her to return. Overall, "Maxine" is a poignant song that explores the complex emotions of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh, get back soon
I miss you and want you to come back soon
Where are you now?
I am confused and worried about your whereabouts
Maxine
A name of someone he deeply cares for
Oh where are you now?
He is desperately trying to find her
Oh get back soon
He wants her to come back as soon as possible
Sometimes I wonder why she wouldn't stay
He is reflecting on why she left him
What I should have changed
He is questioning what he could have done differently to keep her around
Sometimes I wonder why it's been so long
He's wondering why they've been apart for so long
What did I do wrong
He's trying to understand what he did to cause their separation
Maxine, Maxine
He is calling her out, possibly hoping she'll hear him
Oh, where are you now?
He's still searching for her
Oh, where are you now?
He can't stop asking himself where she might be
Maxine
A name of someone he deeply cares for
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVE TOZER, JOHN STEPHENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
shim hishe
his best album....shit is pure, absolute ART!!!!!
oskamadison
Word, that whole album is a vibe...
Taja Jordan
let me just say this song is so beautiful to me I am a 41yr old woman who lost my mother at the age of 10....my mothers name was Maxine..the first time I heard this song was two weeks ago I instantly fell in love with song and I played it for my father who also was taken aback thanks John Legend
D V
😔🙏
Veronica V
I miss this music of John. I wish someday I will meet someone who knows this whole album to sing along😊😊
Vivia Bohanon
My sentiment as well
Liz persad
I do.!
Daloy
Definitely me!
nondabula moyeni
yes. the whole album is a bomb! All the tracts are a good sing along.
wobblebomb
Veronica V ya you’ve found another know this one inside and out ha. My fave album of his