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.
My Imagination
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now the rain clouds are lonely inside
They don't know how it feels to know how I feel
I try to escape from everything that is real
Hide in my imagination, safe inside my contemplation
Never out of time, somewhere in my mind
There's a place where I'll be landing
Day by day creating in my imagination
The well has run dry of all my ideas
Silence so loud, have to cover my ears
I'm closing the door, it's hurting too much
I'm running away from everything I can touch
To hide in my imagination, there is always magic waiting
Never counting time, always on my mind
There's a place that only I see, far away from all owns me
Inch by inch creating, in my imagination
Oh, I can stop it all from hurting
With this mind, I can stop the world from turning
Don't know how it feels to know how I feel
I try to escape from everything that is real
Oh, I can hide in my imagination
Safe inside my contemplation
Never out of time, somewhere in my mind
There's a place where I'll be landing
Far away from where I'm standing
Day by day creating in my imagination
The lyrics of John Legend's song "My Imagination" reveal the singer's desire to escape from reality, which has become too difficult to face. The first two lines, "I've made them love, I've made them cry / But now the rain clouds are lonely inside," suggest that the singer has faced the highs and lows of life but is now feeling isolated and unable to connect. The yearning for escape from this reality is evident as the singer admits to trying to escape "from everything that is real."
The chorus, "Hide in my imagination, safe inside my contemplation / Never out of time, somewhere in my mind / There’s a place where I'll be landing / Far away from where I'm standing / Day by day creating in my imagination," expresses the desire to retreat to a safe and creative sanctuary where they can explore their thoughts without fear of judgement or disturbance. The repetition of "creating in my imagination" indicates that the singer finds solace in their creativity and the freedom it provides.
The second verse, "The well has run dry of all my ideas / Silence so loud, have to cover my ears / I'm closing the door, it's hurting too much / I'm running away from everything I can touch," highlights the singer's struggle to create when feeling overwhelmed by real-life problems. This can be seen as a writer's block or artistic drought, which makes it even more critical for the singer to escape to the safety of their imagination.
In conclusion, "My Imagination" is a powerful song that celebrates the power of the imagination as a tool for creativity and escape from the harsh realities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I've made them love, I've made them cry
I have the power to evoke intense emotions in people
But now the rain clouds are lonely inside
I feel isolated and alone despite my ability to affect others
They don't know how it feels to know how I feel
Others cannot empathize with my internal struggles
I try to escape from everything that is real
I seek refuge from the challenges and difficulties of life
Hide in my imagination, safe inside my contemplation
I find solace in the world I create in my mind
Never out of time, somewhere in my mind
My imagination is limitless and unfettered by reality
There's a place where I'll be landing
I have a destination within my imagination where I can find peace
Far away from where I'm standing
This sanctuary is removed from the chaos of my life
Day by day creating in my imagination
I continually build and shape the world within my mind
The well has run dry of all my ideas
My creative inspiration has run out
Silence so loud, have to cover my ears
The absence of ideas is deafeningly overwhelming
I'm closing the door, it's hurting too much
I'm shutting out reality because it is too painful to face
I'm running away from everything I can touch
I am avoiding anything that reminds me of my struggles
To hide in my imagination, there is always magic waiting
My imagination has endless possibilities and potential
Never counting time, always on my mind
My imagination is a constant presence in my thoughts
There's a place that only I see, far away from all owns me
My imagination is a private escape from my problems
Inch by inch creating, in my imagination
I am slowly and steadily building a world within my mind
Oh, I can stop it all from hurting
I have the power to ease my pain through my imagination
With this mind, I can stop the world from turning
My imagination is so vivid that it can change my perception of reality
Don't know how it feels to know how I feel
Others cannot truly understand my inner turmoil
I try to escape from everything that is real
I seek refuge in my imagination to avoid the difficulties of life
Oh, I can hide in my imagination
My imagination is a safe haven from the harsh reality of life
Safe inside my contemplation
My imaginative world is peaceful and secure
There's a place where I'll be landing
My imagination is a destination where I can feel at ease
Far away from where I'm standing
This imaginative world is far removed from reality
Day by day creating in my imagination
I am continually adding to and improving my imaginative world
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ELIOT KENNEDY, GARY BARLOW
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.