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.
Penthouse Floor
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All this shit going down
When will they focus, on this
Streets ride up with the TV crews
Look ma, we on the news
But they didn't notice
Before this
They float above the city lights
Just enjoy the show
They see us reaching for the sky
Just in order to survive
Maybe we should go
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Let's ride the elevator, they can't keep us out no more
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Penthouse floor
All that bubbly all that wine
Oh man look at the times
Didn't they notice, notice
Only future I can see, ain't what it used to be
And I didn't know this, I didn't know this
Once you're above the city lights
Won't want to spend another night, down there on your own
The holding on display for us
The altitude is dangerous, but we ain't going home
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Let's ride the elevator, it's what we've been waiting for
Can't keep us out no more (let's go, let's go, let's go)
I heard this old joke once, it was like, uh
Knock knock, who's there, it's us, us who?
Just us, who dis? Just playin'
Just me, new phone, new hair, new era
I'm in the penthouse, baby
Handpicked from bad apples and bad eggs
Held back, I had to grab crab legs
And then there were only but a few
Conversations held with patience, what a party, what a view
What a dress, what a song
What a beautiful time
My folks downstairs still waiting in line
They never been in these rooms
Never stayed with these folks
Never laughed at the news, never hated these jokes
So as I fly in my suit, in a group, undercover
Forcing a new smile, he tells me another
He said "What happened to the boy that climbed up the trunk?"
Then he pushed me off the top and said "Jump, nigga jump!"
Oh don't bring me down, I need a room up in the clouds
I wanna get there babe, I wanna elevate
Oh my favourite mix
A little ignorance and bliss
In the penthouse babe, go to the penthouse
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go, yeah)
Go to the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Let's ride the elevator, it's what we've been waiting for (let's go, let's go, let's go)
We'll tear down those penthouse doors (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Those penthouse doors
We'll tear down the penthouse doors (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Baby, I'm in the penthouse floor (let's go, let's go, let's go)
Baby, let's ride the elevator
'Til we can rise some more
Go to the penthouse floor, penthouse floor, oh, oh, oh, oh (let's go, let's go, let's go)
The lyrics of John Legend and Chance the Rapper's song "Penthouse Floor" speak to the allure and consequences of pursuing success, and the need to escape to a place above it all. The first verse describes the chaos and turmoil of a city and the lack of focus on solutions to its problems. The media is shown to ignore the real issues in favor of sensationalism, and people are encouraged to forget reality and indulge in the illusion provided. The chorus urges the listener to transcend the struggles of the world below and seek refuge on the "penthouse floor", a metaphor for a place of power and luxury.
The second verse speaks to the disillusionment that can come with success. The new reality is not what was expected, and the truth is hard to see from the heights of the penthouse. While it may seem like the party never ends, the distance from the world below leaves one feeling isolated and unable to return. The bridge features a spoken-word passage that references a joke before lamenting the loss of connection to one's roots. The song closes with the chorus encouraging the listener to strive higher and elevate above the limitations of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
All this trouble in this here town
There's a lot of chaos and problems in this town.
All this shit going down
There's a lot of bad things happening.
When will they focus, on this
When will people pay attention to what's happening?
Streets ride up with the TV crews
The streets are crowded with news crews.
Look ma, we on the news
Hey mom, look - we're on TV!
But they didn't notice
But the people causing the problems aren't paying attention.
Before this
Before all of this chaos started happening.
They float above the city lights
People who live in luxury are above the problems of the city.
Forget the truth inhale the lies
They ignore the reality and believe lies instead.
Just enjoy the show
Just sit back and watch what's happening without taking action.
They see us reaching for the sky
They see us trying to achieve something great.
Just in order to survive
We're doing this in order to survive and improve our lives.
Maybe we should go
Maybe we should leave the problems behind and aim for something better.
All that bubbly all that wine
All that luxury and celebration.
Oh man look at the times
Let's take a look at the current situation.
Didn't they notice, notice
Why aren't people paying attention to what's happening?
Only future I can see, ain't what it used to be
I can only see a future that's very different from what we're used to.
And I didn't know this, I didn't know this
I wasn't aware of how bad things really were.
Once you're above the city lights
When you're in a position of luxury and privilege.
Won't want to spend another night, down there on your own
You won't want to go back to living in poverty or facing problems alone.
The holding on display for us
The extravagance and luxury on display for us to see.
The altitude is dangerous, but we ain't going home
The luxury and privilege comes with its own risks, but we're not giving it up.
I heard this old joke once, it was like, uh
I heard a joke one time that goes like this.
Knock knock, who's there, it's us, us who?
A playful joke with a twist.
Just us, who dis? Just playin'
It's just us - don't take it seriously.
Just me, new phone, new hair, new era
I'm moving on to a new beginning in my life.
I'm in the penthouse, baby
I'm living in luxury now.
Handpicked from bad apples and bad eggs
I came from a bad situation and was chosen to succeed.
Held back, I had to grab crab legs
I had to work hard to get here and enjoy the luxury.
And then there were only but a few
There are only a select few who can enjoy this luxury.
Conversations held with patience, what a party, what a view
We have great conversations and enjoy the luxury and the view.
What a dress, what a song
Everything is amazing - the dress, the song, and the party.
What a beautiful time
This is such a beautiful moment in my life.
My folks downstairs still waiting in line
My family and friends are still struggling and waiting for their turn.
They never been in these rooms
They've never experienced this kind of luxury before.
Never stayed with these folks
They've never mingled with people of such high status before.
Never laughed at the news, never hated these jokes
They've never experienced the strange humor of people in luxury before.
So as I fly in my suit, in a group, undercover
I'm enjoying the luxury and trying to keep a low profile.
Forcing a new smile, he tells me another
I'm trying to keep a happy face and enjoy the moment.
He said "What happened to the boy that climbed up the trunk?"
He's asking what happened to the boy who worked hard to achieve success.
Then he pushed me off the top and said "Jump, nigga jump!"
He's trying to bring me down and make me fail.
Oh don't bring me down, I need a room up in the clouds
Don't ruin my moment of luxury and happiness.
I wanna get there babe, I wanna elevate
I want to keep aiming higher and achieving more.
Oh my favourite mix
This luxury and happiness is my favorite thing.
A little ignorance and bliss
Not worrying about the problems and enjoying the moment is pure bliss.
In the penthouse babe, go to the penthouse
The penthouse is where we can truly enjoy ourselves.
We'll tear down those penthouse doors
We'll break down those barriers of privilege and let everyone enjoy the luxury.
Baby, I'm in the penthouse floor
I'm living in luxury and loving it.
Baby, let's ride the elevator
Let's continue to achieve more and see what else we can accomplish.
'Til we can rise some more
Let's aim for even greater heights.
Go to the penthouse floor, penthouse floor, oh, oh, oh, oh
Let's go to the penthouse and enjoy ourselves even more.
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, I WROTE THIS MYSELF, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: GREGORY KURSTIN, JOHN LEGEND, CHANCELLOR BENNETT, BLAKE MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lento
Man, a beautiful song and a music video that took shots at people in the positions of power but still showed us that we're all just human beings without our riches or influence! I love Chance's part so much <3
Ming Lee
Well yeah, but really if you broke it down itโs simply a message written into a song directed towards one side.
Luis Vazquez-Vega
So...I have been listening to this song countless times. In fact, I have been craving this song again and again- not just because of the minor chords used (tremendous fan of songs that use minor chords at appropriate times) but mainly because of the lyrics. Everyone strives to be on top and those who make it are ultimately separated from the rest of the world. Whether by hate or envy, something always divides the human race. But now watching this video, I yearn more than ever for everyone to be on equal standing-no more parted sea. Legend and Chance have created something so beautiful and bittersweet in a time of anger, and as the video ends with the reminder that what we have witnessed was a dream, there is still a silent note, asking if we will finally make the change.
Samuel Pearson
One of the most slept on songs from both artists! Glad to see it finally get the attention it deserves
Kerrin Simmons
These visuals elevated the song to a place I had not even considered whenever I listened to the album previously. Thanks for taking us on a journey through music and image with this one, John.
JV
There are those who try to divide us and there are those who believe we are ONE nation indivisible. This is the type of music we need during these times. Powerful stuff!
Mariah Gunn
Always have loved this song and this is now one of my favorite music videos
Bruna Carvalho
Amo essa mรบsica!! John Legend รฉ o melhor โค
On The Bright Side TV
This video is AMAZING!!! One of the most smooth, unique, thought provoking of the year so far. I'm hella tight it didn't come out earlier tho...
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HawaiiMC4MJ Have no idea what are you talking about but today whites make up only 8 (2 percent of these are women in child baring age) percent of the whole planet population, comparatively to 28 percent in the 1950, and it is decreasing every decade. If the trends of racial intermixing and mass immigration to Europe and America continue, we just disappear. While Asia will stay Asian, Africa stay African, possibly no place on earth will be white. That's why i don't want your "unity" propaganda. "Unity" means end of white race.