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.
She Doesn't Have to Know
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though its wrong its hard to tell the truth, oh no
She don't have to know she don't have to know
When I meet 'cha, I got my shades on to cover up my eyes
I'm hoping that nobody sees me passing by
Through my disguise I still know you recognize
Sneaking out with me while your mans at home
You know your wrong but its so strong still carrying on
I go to the other side of town and so I
Never risk the chance will catch her eye
Oh no, she don't have to know, she don't have to know
Oh girl, I know your doing the same thing too
But I won't tell your man the things we do
Oh no, he don't have to know, he don't have to know
Someone's watching we got to be careful next time or we're through
But damn it's so stressful doing that dirt we do
So sad but true, and I know one day I'm gonna pay
Then he ask me to sneak out of town for just a day or three
Go to D.C. and hold hands publicly all through the streets
'Cause they don't know you and they don't know me
And oh, I'll feel sorry for mistake we've made
There's no reason that we should tell her today
She don't have to know, she don't have to know
Girl oh, though you give a lot of love to me
Girl, I know I'm not the only one you see
But he don't have to know, he don't have to know
Oh, it's getting crazy and I don't want to hurt my baby
And I'll know its supposed to be the last time for you and I
But let's not end this way just wait another day
Oh, I don't want to let you go and I
So I just can't let her go
She don't have to know, yeah, yeah
Oh, I told you're doin' the same thing to her
Oh, and he told her, they don't have to know
Yeah, oh
The song "She Don't Have to Know" by John Legend is a tale of a man who is cheating on his girlfriend with another woman. The opening lines state that he is stealing moments just to be with the other woman, and although he knows it's wrong, he can't stop himself. He says that his girlfriend doesn't have to know about the affair. He meets the other woman while wearing sunglasses to cover up his eyes, but she recognizes him despite his disguise.
The chorus repeats the theme that she doesn't have to know about the affair. He knows that the other woman is also cheating on her man with him, but he promises not to tell her man about the things they do. The verse then goes on to show how they are both doing things to cover up their affair, including sneaking out of town and holding hands in public where nobody knows them. They know that what they are doing is wrong, but they can't resist the passion they have for each other.
The final verse is where the man realizes that he can't let the other woman go. He says that he doesn't want to let her go, and he just can't let his girlfriend go either. The song ends with the two of them agreeing that they don't have to tell anyone about what they are doing.
Overall, the song highlights the difficulty of cheating and the desire to hide it from others. It shows the struggle between the passion of love and the guilt of betraying another's trust.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh stealing moments just to be with you
I am making sacrifices to spend time with you
Though its wrong its hard to tell the truth, oh no
I am aware that what we are doing is immoral and I am struggling to come clean
She don't have to know she don't have to know
We should keep this secret from my girlfriend
When I meet 'cha, I got my shades on to cover up my eyes
I wear sunglasses to avoid being recognized when I am with you
I'm hoping that nobody sees me passing by
I am afraid of being caught cheating
Through my disguise I still know you recognize
You see through my disguise and know it's me
But you I know you got a little secret of your own
You are also cheating on your partner
Sneaking out with me while your mans at home
You are lying to your partner to be with me
You know your wrong but its so strong still carrying on
We both acknowledge that what we are doing is wrong, but our attraction is too strong
I go to the other side of town and so I
I travel far away to avoid getting caught
Never risk the chance will catch her eye
I am careful not to let my girlfriend see me with you
Oh no, she don't have to know, she don't have to know
We should keep our relationship a secret from my girlfriend
Oh girl I know your doing the same thing too
I know that you are cheating on your partner as well
But I won't tell your man the things we do
I will keep our affair a secret from your partner
Oh no, he don't have to know, he don't have to know
We should keep our relationship a secret from your partner
Someone's watching we got to be careful next time or we're through
We need to be more cautious or else we will get caught
But damn it's so stressful doing that dirt we do
Being unfaithful is causing me stress and anxiety
So sad but true, and I know one day I'm gonna pay
I am fully aware that our actions will have consequences
Then he ask me to sneak out of town for just a day or three
You want us to run away together for a few days
Go to DC and hold hands publicly all through the streets
You want to publicly display our relationship in a different city
'Cause they don't know you and they don't know me
We can get away with being open about our relationship in a new city because we are not known there
And oh I'll feel sorry for mistake we've made
I will eventually regret our affair
There's no reason that we should tell her today
We should not tell my girlfriend about our affair at this moment in time
She don't have to know, she don't have to know
We should keep our relationship a secret from my girlfriend
Girl oh, though you give a lot of love to me
You are affectionate and loving towards me
Girl I know I'm not the only one you see
I know that you are seeing other people besides me
But he don't have to know, he don't have to know
We should keep our relationship a secret from your partner
Oh its getting crazy and I don't want to hurt my baby
Our affair is becoming too complicated and I do not want to hurt my girlfriend
And I'll know its supposed to be the last time for you and I
We both know that we should end our affair soon
But let's not end this way just wait another day
We should not end our relationship right now, we should wait a little bit longer
Oh, I don't want to let you go and I
I am not ready to end our relationship
So I just can't let her go
I cannot bring myself to end things with my girlfriend
She don't have to know, yeah, yeah
We should keep our relationship a secret from my girlfriend
Oh I told you're doin' the same thing to her
I know that you are cheating on your partner as well
Oh he told, they don't have to know
We should keep our relationship a secret from our partners
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Stephens, Sylvester Stewart, Will Adams
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.