John Stephens (born December 28, 1978 in Springfield, Ohio), better known a… Read Full Bio ↴John Stephens (born December 28, 1978 in Springfield, Ohio), better known as John Legend, is a Grammy award winning R&B singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and actor signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label. Prior to the release of his debut album Get Lifted in 2004, Legend's career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists such as Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. He released his second album, Once Again in 2006, and his latest release, 2008's Evolver showcased a more experimental and upbeat side of Legend. He is the recipient of six Grammy Awards, and in 2007 he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. You can get Cheap John Legend Tickets for his next performances.

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.

So Gone
John Legend Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a do my thing
I'm a do, I'm a do, I'm a do my thing

I was born at the end of december
Not afraid that the cold of the winter
Would keep me inside, hey
Ever since mama left me at home
I had to search for a class of my own

And go there in my mind

I had a dream like dr. king
I had a song I had to sing
And I knew it wasn't make believe
When the teacher said to me
Baby, who do you wanna be
Said I don't know but I know that I'm a gonna leave

I'm so gone (just you)
All I do is walk alone (just me)
I'm so gone (just you)
I can make it on my own (just me)
Alright

Everybody wanna follow the crowd
But I belong in the front singing loud
And I'll go solo, hey
But the fame is a hell of a temptress
Not my wife but I guess she's a mistress, oh
Can I let her go

She can play tricks on your mind
Have you leave your soul behind
She's turned some niggas out
But she can't keep her spell on me
She can't keep back mailing me
I'm free to leave, to be just me

I'm so gone (just you)
All I do is walk alone (just me)
I'm so gone (just you)
I can make it on my own (just me)

So many (so many people tryna be somebody else)
Tryna be somebody else (or whatever sells)
I've got my own lane (I've got my own lane, I'm driving by myself)
Hope you wish my well

I'm so gone (just you)
All I do is walk alone (just me)
I'm so gone (just you)
I can make it on my own (just me)

I'm so gone (just you)
All I do is walk alone (just me)
I'm so gone (just you)
I can make it on my own (just me)

If I fall then let me fall, yea yea yea
Oh cause I only got myself to blame

Oh it's just me
All I do is walk alone

Overall Meaning

In John Legend's "So Gone," he expresses his determination to go solo and make a name for himself as an artist. He begins by reflecting on his childhood and the sense of self-discovery that comes with being left alone at home. Although he didn't yet know who he wanted to be, he had a dream similar to Dr. King's and a song to sing. He knew that he was destined for something bigger than what he saw around him.

As he grew older, he became more confident in his abilities and more eager to go his own way. He sees through the superficiality of following the crowd and instead puts himself out front, singing loud and proud. He is mindful of the temptations that come with fame, but he is willing to endure them as long as he stays true to himself. He challenges the conventional wisdom that you need to be like someone else in order to succeed and is confident that he has his own lane to drive.

One of the underlying themes of "So Gone" is staying true to oneself and being confident in one's abilities. John Legend uses his own story to inspire listeners to stay on their own course, even if it's not the most popular or glamorous one.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a do my thing
I'm going to do what makes me happy and follow my own path in life.

I was born at the end of december
I was born towards the end of the year, but that won't keep me from my dreams.

Not afraid that the cold of the winter
I'm not afraid of tough times, I'm willing to face it head-on.

Would keep me inside, hey
I won't let the harsh realities of life hold me back.

Ever since mama left me at home
I've had to find my own way in life since my mother is not around to guide me.

I had to search for a class of my own
I had to find my purpose in life and what makes me happy outside of my family.

And go there in my mind
I used my imagination to think about how I would achieve my goals.

I had a dream like dr. king
I had a big dream like Martin Luther King Jr. which I was determined to pursue.

I had a song I had to sing
I had a message that I had to share with the world.

And I knew it wasn't make believe
I knew my dream and message were real and important.

When the teacher said to me
My teacher asked me about my dreams and aspirations.

Baby, who do you wanna be
The teacher was asking me about what I wanted to achieve.

Said I don't know but I know that I'm a gonna leave
I wasn't sure what I would achieve or become, but I knew I would pursue my dreams no matter what.

Everybody wanna follow the crowd
Most people follow the herd and do what is popular or what others expect of them.

But I belong in the front singing loud
I want to be a leader and stand for something important, even if it means standing alone.

And I'll go solo, hey
I am willing to be alone and take my own path in life.

But the fame is a hell of a temptress
Fame might be tempting, but it's not what I'm after.

Not my wife but I guess she's a mistress, oh
Fame might be alluring, but it's deceptive.

Can I let her go
Am I able to resist the lure of fame and the attention it brings?

She can play tricks on your mind
Fame can be deceiving and cause you to lose touch with who you are.

Have you leave your soul behind
It's easy to lose yourself in the pursuit of fame and fortune.

She's turned some niggas out
Some people lose themselves in the pursuit of fame and become different people than they once were.

But she can't keep her spell on me
I won't let fame take control of my life or change who I am at my core.

I'm free to leave, to be just me
I am free to be my true self and leave behind the lure of fame.

So many (so many people tryna be somebody else)
Many people try to be someone else to fit in or be accepted.

Tryna be somebody else (or whatever sells)
People will do whatever it takes to be famous or get ahead in life, even if that means being someone they're not.

I've got my own lane (I've got my own lane, I'm driving by myself)
I have my own path in life and I'm driving alone on it, doing what feels right to me.

Hope you wish my well
I hope that other people support me and my dreams.

If I fall then let me fall, yea yea yea
If I fail, I will accept it and move on, without giving up on my dreams.

Oh cause I only got myself to blame
I am responsible for my own life and the choices I make.

Oh it's just me
It's just me, and I'm okay with that.

All I do is walk alone
I am willing to go alone on my own path, even if that means walking alone.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN LEGEND, ROBERT E MILLER, ROOSEVELT III HARRELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS