Loggins was born in Everett, Washington and is the youngest of three brothers. His mother was Lina (née Massie), a homemaker, and his father, Robert George Loggins, was a salesman. They lived in Detroit and Seattle before settling in Alhambra, California. Loggins attended San Gabriel Mission High School, graduating in 1966. He formed a band called the Second Helping that released three singles during 1968 and 1969 on Viva Records. Greg Shaw described the efforts as "excellent punky folk-pop records" that were written by Loggins who was likely to be the bandleader and singer as well; Shaw included "Let Me In" on both Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2 and the Pebbles, Volume 9 CD.
Loggins had a short gig playing guitar for the New Improved Electric Prunes in 1969 before writing four songs for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which were included in their Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy album. During his early twenties, he was part of the band Gator Creek with Mike Deasy. An early version of "Danny's Song" (later recorded by Loggins and Messina and a No. 7 Hot 100 hit for Anne Murray in 1973) was included in a record on Mercury Records.
Loggins appears in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V playing himself as the host of an in-game radio station called Los Santos Rock Radio. He also lends the songs "Danger Zone" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)", and sings station jingles.
In 2014, Loggins appeared as himself in the episode "Baby Shower" of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Archer. His song "Danger Zone" had been a recurring joke in the show. At the end of the episode and during the credits, Loggins also performs a country version of "Danger Zone" as a duet with the character of Cherlene. Loggins stated in a later interview that his in-show nickname 'K-Log' is a complete creation of the show, stating, "It was always a joke. That's why it works, because it's so absurd.
Now or Never
Kenny Loggins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I saw, it all there in a different light,
Just when I thought I was out of the rain,
Suddenly I'm in a hurricane,
And all around me voices in the wind.
Say again, what I know I know,
It's time, it's time, to learn about letting go,
Stuck out here on the precipice?
They say the future's out of our hands,
So why is it making demands?
If I have to make up my mind,
Maybe now is the time to decide.
Every minute makes it harder on me,
Why must it be now or never?
I knew a man, I held his hand,
When I was just a child,
He showed me his dreams
I watched him let 'em die
If I could stand again by his side,
I'd tell him that love is why we're alive,
That's what I tell the world I believe,
So why can't I listen to me?
If I have to make up my mind,
Maybe now is the time to decide.
Every minute makes it harder on me,
Why must it be now or never?
Welcome to sunrise in paradise,
The light of the dawn, is burning my eyes,
And that's just where I want it to be.
If I have to make up my mind,
Maybe now is the time to decide.
Every minute makes it harder on me,
Why must it be now or never?
If I finally get to make up my mind,
Girl then now is the time to decide.
Somebody tell me why I do this to me,
Why must it be now or never?
The song "Now Or Never" by Kenny Loggins is a reflective ballad about making important decisions in life. In the first verse, the singer describes a moment of clarity when he sees something from a new perspective. He realizes that he has been stuck in a rut and needs to let go of the past. The chorus emphasizes the urgency of the situation, with every passing minute making it harder to make a decision. The bridge offers a personal anecdote about a man who once inspired the singer, but who gave up on his dreams. The singer wants to learn from this example and not waste any more time.
The second verse continues this theme of self-reflection, with the singer questioning why he can't practice what he preaches. He believes in the power of love, but finds it difficult to apply that to himself. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the pressure to make a decision before it's too late. The final verse offers a glimmer of hope, with the singer welcoming the sunrise and the possibility of a new day. He realizes that it's time to act and make a choice, no matter how difficult.
Overall, the song is about the struggle to take control of your life and make decisions that will lead to happiness and fulfillment. The singer acknowledges the challenges and obstacles that can get in the way, but also recognizes that there comes a point where you have to take a leap of faith.
Line by Line Meaning
I took, one look, in your eyes tonight,
At that moment, I glanced at your eyes and saw a new perspective.
And I saw, it all there in a different light,
I saw everything in a new and refreshing way.
Just when I thought I was out of the rain,
I had thought I was free from trouble.
Suddenly I'm in a hurricane,
But now I find myself in the midst of chaos.
And all around me voices in the wind.
I hear whispers everywhere I turn.
Say again, what I know I know,
I need to reaffirm what I already understand.
It's time, it's time, to learn about letting go,
I must learn to release my grip on things.
Why does it feel like I just exist,
I feel like I am just surviving without truly living.
Stuck out here on the precipice?
Am I just standing on the edge of something with no progress forward?
They say the future's out of our hands,
People say that we don't have control over the future.
So why is it making demands?
Then why does the future seem to demand my attention?
If I have to make up my mind,
If I am required to choose a path,
Maybe now is the time to decide.
Perhaps at this moment I must make a decision.
Every minute makes it harder on me,
Every moment that passes makes the decision more difficult.
Why must it be now or never?
Why does it seem like I have to make this decision right now or there is no other choice?
I knew a man, I held his hand,
There was a man in my life whom I was close to.
When I was just a child,
I was a child when I met him.
He showed me his dreams
He shared his aspirations with me.
I watched him let 'em die
But I witnessed him give up on those dreams.
If I could stand again by his side,
If I could be near him once more,
I'd tell him that love is why we're alive,
I would remind him that the reason we exist is because of love.
That's what I tell the world I believe,
That is the belief I outwardly express to others.
So why can't I listen to me?
So, why am I not heeding my own advice?
Welcome to sunrise in paradise,
Entering into a bright new beginning.
The light of the dawn, is burning my eyes,
The light of the new beginning is blinding me.
And that's just where I want it to be.
But that's exactly where I desire to be.
If I finally get to make up my mind,
If I finally get to make the decision,
Girl then now is the time to decide.
Then the present moment is when I must choose.
Somebody tell me why I do this to me,
I want to know why I put myself through this challenge.
Why must it be now or never?
Why does it feel like I only have this moment to decide or ever lose my chance?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KENNETH CLARK LOGGINS, GUY S. THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joeridgechua
This song is a staple in Philippine radio to this day.
@jerryjennings1257
One of my favorites from Leap of Faith. Awesome song featuring Michael McDonald on backing vocals.