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.
Without You
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rain is falling harder now
The clock is moving slower while, I'm waiting for you
Was hoping you would call today
Hoping you could dull the pain
Wishing this could be the same
Same as they used to
You say that I let you down when I know its you
But I pay the price in the tears that I shed for you
Hope you come home again
Wish you come home again
I've tried to live without you that life doesn't make any sense
You've been gone so long
I've been wondering
Where did I go wrong
I don't know if I can make it without you
(oh no)
I don't think that I can make it without you
Oh no, yeah yeah
I stood there in the pouring rain
Watch you leave for work today
I wanted just to call your name
Just say something to you
I'm wondering how the hell you've been
If I can have a chance again
I could be a better man
Better for you
I can name a million things I can change for you
Just give me the chance I know I can handle you, ohh
Wish you come home again
So won't you come home again
Cause I've been so lost without you I can't bring this pain to an end
You've been gone so long
I've been wondering
Where did I go wrong
I don't know if I can make it without you
(oh no)
I don't think that I can make it without you
(Oh no), oh I'm telling you
You've been gone so long
I've been wondering
Where did I go wrong
I don't know if I can make it without you
(oh no)
I don't think that I can make it without you
Oh no, noooooooo
John Legend's song Without You is a heartfelt ballad that explores the emotions of a man waiting for his loved one to return. The song begins by setting a somber tone with its description of the darker nights and heavier rains, which only serve to intensify the sense of longing and loss that the singer feels. The clock moving slower is a metaphor for how time has become unbearable for him, who is waiting for his lover. He hopes for her to reach out to him, but there is no response. He is going through a lot of pain and heartbreak while missing her. He wishes that they could have their old life back and it could be the way things used to be.
The chorus of the song reveals how he blames himself for the relationship's downfall but claims that he pays the price in tears. He desperately hopes that she returns and wishes, "I've tried to live without you; that life doesn't make any sense." Throughout the song, he tries to convey that he still loves her and hopes they can rekindle their relationship. He admits that he can change many things and be a better man if given another opportunity. The singer's helplessness is evident when he states that he doesn't think he can make it without her, emphasizing the extent of his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Nights a little darker now
Life without you has made everything seem more bleak and dreary.
Rain is falling harder now
The world seems to reflect my sadness and despair when I see the pouring rain outside.
The clock is moving slower while, I'm waiting for you
Every second feels like an eternity when I'm waiting for you to come back.
Was hoping you would call today
My heart aches for any contact from you, even just a phone call.
Hoping you could dull the pain
I still love you so much, and I believe that being with you will help me heal.
Wishing this could be the same
I long to go back to how things used to be between us.
Same as they used to
I want to bring back the happiness and love we once shared.
You say that I let you down when I know its you
You blame me for our problems, but I know it takes two to make or break a relationship.
But I pay the price in the tears that I shed for you
I cry for you, for our love, for the future we could've had together.
Hope you come home again
I yearn for your presence and companionship.
Wish you come home again
I dream of having you back in my life every day.
I've tried to live without you that life doesn't make any sense
My life is empty and meaningless without you in it.
You've been gone so long
I miss you desperately with each passing day that you're not here.
I've been wondering
I can't help but constantly think about you and our relationship.
Where did I go wrong
I'm tormented by thoughts of what I could have done to prevent our breakup.
I don't know if I can make it without you
I'm not sure if I am strong enough to move on from my love for you.
(oh no)
Expressing the depth of my despair and hopelessness.
I stood there in the pouring rain
My feelings of sadness and longing were so strong that I didn't even care about the weather.
Watch you leave for work today
I was devastated to see you go off alone without me once more.
I wanted just to call your name
My heart ached to just hear your voice, to feel like we were still together.
Just say something to you
Any kind of response from you would have meant everything to me.
I'm wondering how the hell you've been
I'm concerned about your well-being and how you have been coping since our breakup.
If I can have a chance again
I hold onto a glimmer of hope that we can get back together and make things right.
I could be a better man
I'm not afraid to admit that I have made mistakes, but I believe I can change and be better for you.
Better for you
I promise to be the kind of man who will love and care for you as you deserve.
I can name a million things I can change for you
I am willing to do anything to win back your heart and make our love work.
Just give me the chance I know I can handle you, ohh
I'm begging you for another opportunity to make things right between us.
Oh no, yeah yeah
Continuing to convey my heartache and desperation.
Oh no, noooooooo
Desperately expressing my disbelief at the thought of life without you.
Contributed by Gianna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.