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.
Show Me Love
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Further than I've been before
Making me stronger
Shaking me right to the core, oh
I don't know what's in the stars
Never heard it from above, the world isn't ours
But I know what's in my heart
If you ain't mine I'll be torn apart
I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone
So I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
I know it'll kill me when it's over
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now
I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone
So I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
I know it'll kill me when it's over
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now
Love me now (love me now)
Love me now (love me now)
Oh, oh, love me now, oh, oh, oh, yeah
Love me now (love me now)
Love me now (love me now)
I want you to love me now
Something inside us
Knows there's nothing guaranteed, yeah
Girl, I don't need you
To tell me that you'll never leave, no
When we've done all that we could
To turn darkness into light, turn evil to good
Even when we try so hard
For that perfect kind of love, it could all fall apart
And who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone?
Oh I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
And I know it'll kill me when it's over
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now
Love me now (love me now)
Love me now (love me now)
Oh, oh, love me now, oh, oh, oh, yeah
Love me now (love me now)
Love me now (love me now)
Love me now
Oh!
I don't know how the years will go down, it's alright
Let's make the most of every moment tonight
I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone
So I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
I know it'll kill me when it's over
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now
I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone
So I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
And I know it'll kill me when it's over
I don't wanna think about it, I just wanna love you now
Love me now (love me now)
Love me now (love me now)
Oh, oh, love you now, oh, oh, oh, yeah
Love me now (love you now)
Love me now
Oh love you now
Oh oh oh
The song is about cherishing the moment and the person you love while you still have them. The opening lines, “Pulling me further, further than I’ve been before, making me stronger, shaking me right to the core, oh” speaks of the transformative power of being in love. The chorus which is repeated several times, “I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone, so I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have” is a message of urgency to love the person while they still can, as they are not sure what the future holds.
The lines “Something inside us, Knows there's nothing guaranteed, yeah, Girl, I don't need you, To tell me that you'll never leave, no” speak of admitting the reality of the situation, that nothing is guaranteed and how important it is to love fiercely. The song also acknowledges that even when two people love each other very much, there is no guarantee that things will work out, hence the lines, “Even when we try so hard, for that perfect kind of love, it could all fall apart”.
The song seeks to remind people about the importance of living in the moment and not taking their loved ones for granted. It is a reminder that time waits for no one, and that people should not wait for a perfect moment to express love. The song is an emotive and passionate message of love that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Pulling me further
You're taking me to new emotional heights
Further than I've been before
I have never felt this way before
Making me stronger
You're making me a better person
Shaking me right to the core, oh
You're making me feel emotions I've never felt before
I don't know what's in the stars
I don't know what the future holds
Never heard it from above, the world isn't ours
I don't believe that fate controls our lives
But I know what's in my heart
I know what I feel inside
If you ain't mine I'll be torn apart
If we're not together, it will break my heart
I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone
I don't know who will love you when I'm no longer here
So I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
I'm going to love you with everything I have right now
I know it'll kill me when it's over
I know it will hurt when we're no longer together
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now
I don't want to focus on the ending, I want to enjoy our love in the present
Something inside us
There's a feeling deep within us
Knows there's nothing guaranteed, yeah
We know that the future is uncertain
Girl, I don't need you
I don't need you to tell me something I already know
To tell me that you'll never leave, no
To promise that you'll always be here with me
When we've done all that we could
When we've tried our best
To turn darkness into light, turn evil to good
To make something positive out of difficult situations
Even when we try so hard
Even though we've put in so much effort
For that perfect kind of love, it could all fall apart
Even if we strive for a perfect love, it can still end in heartbreak
Oh I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have
I'm going to cherish our love like it's the only thing that matters
And I know it'll kill me when it's over
I know that the end of our love will be devastating
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now
I don't want to focus on the ending, I want to enjoy our love in the present
I don't know how the years will go down, it's alright
I don't know what the future holds, but that's okay
Let's make the most of every moment tonight
Let's enjoy each other's company and make great memories tonight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: John Roger Stephens, Blake Mills, John Henry Ryan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JenJen-hc7fd
I realized as I lay down to sleep
We haven't spoke in weeks
So many things that I'd like to know
Come have a talk with me
I need a sign, something I can see
Why all the mystery?
I try not to fall for make believe
But what is reality?
Where do we go? What do we know?
Life has to have a meaning
Show me the light, show me the way
Show that you're listening
Show me that you love me
Show me that you walk with me
Hopefully just above me
Heaven's watching over me
Guess it's funny how I say thanks to you
For all you've given me
Sometimes the price of what you gave to me
I cant stop questioning
Oh, God of love, peace and mercy
Why so much suffering?
I pray for the world, it gets worse to me
I wonder if you're listening
When people go, why do they go?
Why don't you choose me?
Someday I know I'm gonna go
I hope you're waiting for me
Show me that you love me
Show me that you walk with me
Hopefully just above me
Heaven's watching over me
Show me
Show me
Maybe well talk some other night
Right now I'll take it easy
Won't spend my time waiting to die
Enjoy the life I'm living
Show me that you love me
Show me that you walk with me
Hopefully just above me
Heaven's watching over me
Show me that you love me
Show me that you walk with me
Hopefully just above me
Heaven's watching over me
Read more: John Legend - Show Me Lyrics | MetroLyrics
@caspervanhelvoirt9460
Little unfortunate that John Legend is known by most people for his 'All of meeeeee', which isn't a bad song on it's own, but just doesn't show what John's capable of. This song, Show Me, makes me question my own perspective I have on the world, and if I should change it a bit. Be more humble, be more grateful, work harder for what I want to reach... It just lets me think...
@Shawna79
I concur casper van helvoirt many only know the commercial side to artist when you get the album many times it touches a part that the more popular song could ever!
@caspervanhelvoirt9460
Shawna Sherice Exactly:)
@StumbleBoy
casper van helvoirt Agreed.. I actually dislike "all of me" though :S It's just.... Too simple..
@caspervanhelvoirt9460
JakobMiller Weird enough, I first liked it when it came out (1/2 weeks out) but then after 3/4 months it became overpopular, and then I just got too much of it. Guess you could have the same
@StumbleBoy
I guess. I remember back when Akon released his first album and I was the only one listening too it. People were like "HA HA, AKON!? SO BAD!". Then he started to make shit music. Guess who stopped listening and who started?
I don't know, but if I were John Legend in this position, I wouldn't enjoy the situation.. I mean, he got great songs, but barely no one knows about them.. I guess all he hears is "sing All of Me, sing All of Me!!!"... Sad :/
@yolandarikhotso5143
Love this song..conversations with God..
@Serailobelo
literally chatting to Him, like a friend
@kontakt77
Best John Legend song imo. Vulnerable, touching vocal.. and that guitar track is righteous!
@sarahgodin6212
📀💝😻