Taste of Life
Legend Lyrics


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Exploding, like some vision of the future
Eroding, like nightmare of the past
Degrading, like the voice of retribution
Evading, like the life that couldn't last
Demanding, like the call of satisfaction
Tolling, like the bell that rings of death
Announcing, that the game of life is over
Gasping, like the failing of your breath

Your sadness is reflected in the way your life is wasted
Your ignorance stands the test in the life you tasted
Your fear stands alone in the world you have created
But weeping has no future when your cries are so belated

So there it is my friends, a taste of life
We're on the stage my friends, we're under the lights

Why is it that your visions are confessions of the past
A silence here tomorrow in a life that cannot last
The men that call for changes in a dream that never starts
Are victims of the future in a play devoid of parts





And there it is my friends, a taste of life
We're on the stage my friends, we're under the lights

Overall Meaning

In the verse of "Taste of Life," John Legend paints an intensely melancholic picture of the human experience. He compares the different aspects of life to being "Exploding" like some vision of the future, "Eroding" like a nightmare of the past, "Degrading" like the voice of retribution, "Evading" like the life that couldn't last. He continues on by saying life is "Demanding" like the call of satisfaction, "Tolling" like the bell that rings of death, "Announcing" that the game of life is over and "Gasping" like the failing of your breath. The imagery that Legend creates in this verse is vivid, and the use of adjectives heightens the intensity of human emotions, both positive and negative, and the transience of existence.


The chorus of the song is where, probably, the lyrics draw meaning. Legend states that the sadness and the ignorance that a person holds and manifests reflects in the way their life is wasted, and that their fear stands alone in their created world. He mentions that weeping has no future when the tears are so belated. Finally, he tells his listeners that this is life and that it's a "stage." He describes our lives as being under "lights," and he leads into the next verse when he questions everyone's visions and how that relates to the confessions of the past.


In conclusion, Taste of Life is a song about the temporality of human experience and the inevitability of change. The song suggests that in the end, all that reamains is "taste of life" and one must learn to embrace it.


Line by Line Meaning

Exploding, like some vision of the future
Bursting intensely like a future prediction


Eroding, like nightmare of the past
Slowly fading away like a horrifying memory


Degrading, like the voice of retribution
Becoming weaker, as if being scolded or punished


Evading, like the life that couldn't last
Avoiding, as if a short life cannot be faced


Demanding, like the call of satisfaction
Urgently requiring, similar to the urge of being pleased


Tolling, like the bell that rings of death
Sounding like the death knell that signals end of life


Announcing, that the game of life is over
Declaring that life's journey has come to an end


Gasping, like the failing of your breath
Struggling to breathe, as though breath is diminishing


Your sadness is reflected in the way your life is wasted
Your sorrow is evident in how you squander your life


Your ignorance stands the test in the life you tasted
Your lack of understanding is shown by the life you have experienced


Your fear stands alone in the world you have created
Your anxiety exists alone in the world you have constructed


But weeping has no future when your cries are so belated
Crying has no use once it's too late to be heard


So there it is my friends, a taste of life
That's life for you, my mates


We're on the stage my friends, we're under the lights
We are in the spotlight, in front of an audience


Why is it that your visions are confessions of the past
Why do your visions depict things you regret


A silence here tomorrow in a life that cannot last
A silent future in a life that is finite


The men that call for changes in a dream that never starts
Those who demand change in a dream that was never begun


Are victims of the future in a play devoid of parts
Are destined to suffer in a future that has no script


And there it is my friends, a taste of life
That's life for you, my mates


We're on the stage my friends, we're under the lights
We are in the spotlight, in front of an audience




Contributed by Eliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@marksaunders4936

Haven't heard this for nearly 40 years, so great to hear again. TV on the radio. Tommy Vance was the legend

@kaosmonger73

Why they don't make music like this anymore. I'm lucky that I was around when all this happened. Great,great band!!

@minorindiscretion

Music like this should never be so underground. The whole world should have heard this, Mutt Lange should have been in the queue to produce it and it should now sit alongside classics like Tom Sawyer. Awesome.

@paulstephen61

This one got played on the friday rock-show,exhausting a limited press for Jersey consumption only!They did not expect such a demand.Still a legacy to blinkered execs everywhere.Rock on Tommy!

@metal7757

Lazy Woman from 'Death in the Nursery'

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