She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000), which was a critical and commercial success that spawned two top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "I'm Like a Bird" and "Turn Off the Light". The first of the two singles won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado's introspective folk-heavy 2003 second album, Folklore, explored her Portuguese roots. Its singles received moderate success in Europe, but the album's underperformance compared to her debut was regarded as a sophomore slump.
Furtado's third album, Loose (2006), was a smash hit and became her bestselling album, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, also making it one of the bestselling albums of the 2000s. Considered a radical image reinvention, Furtado continued to explore her Portuguese heritage while leaning heavier into hip hop. The album spawned four successful number-one singles worldwide; "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)".
She released her first Spanish-language album, Mi Plan, in 2009, which won her a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. In 2012, Furtado released her nostalgia-inspired fifth album The Spirit Indestructible. Furtado split with her management and went independent thereafter, releasing her indie-pop sixth album, The Ride, in 2017 under her own label Nelstar Entertainment.
She has won many awards throughout her career, including one Grammy Award from seven nominations, one Latin Grammy Award, ten Juno Awards, one BRIT Award, one Billboard Music Award, one MTV Europe Music Award, one World Music Award, and three Much Music Video Awards. Furtado has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, and was awarded Commander of the Order of Prince Henry on February 28, 2014, by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the then-President of Portugal.
Legend
Nelly Furtado Lyrics
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He wants to be, he wants to be with everything under the sun
And like a legend who rises and then falls
I cannot be his only one
He makes me feel, he makes me feel like you used to
Whoa, like you used to
Whoa, like you used to
And like a fickle flower when it first sees the light
I cannot show just how I fight
And like a fickle flower when it first sees the light
I cannot show just how I fight
Babe, I saw you walking, it was after midnight
Carrying nothing except for a flashlight
You wanted to be Romeo, so low at my window
You wanted to be Romeo, so low at my window
Will you open the door for me if you believe in chivalry?
Will you open the door for me if you believe in chivalry?
For I do not think you low, though you bow to me so-so
I do not think you low, though you bow to me so-so
I know you want to drink from the purest wine
(From the purest wine)
But the drink is far more sour than you would ever think
He wants to be, he wants to be with everything under the sun
And she wants to burn, she wants to burn hot like that sun
Whoa, hot like that sun
Just like a legend who rises and then falls (like a legend)
I cannot be his only one (his only one)
And like a callous, cold, callous woman (like a woman who never sees)
She'll never see what she did done
And like a legend who rises and then falls
I'll never be his only one
Nelly Furtado’s “Legend” is a song about the confusing and unexplained feelings of a woman towards a man. The woman is drawn towards the man, who wants to be with everything under the sun, but at the same time, she cannot be his only one. She compares herself to a legend and a fickle flower and acknowledges that she cannot show how she fights. The man makes her feel like her ex-used to, and she is torn between the past and present. She recalls seeing him walking with nothing but a flashlight at midnight and asking her to open the door for him if she believed in chivalry.
Line by Line Meaning
He wants to be, he wants to be with everything under the sun
He is greedy and desires everything in life, never content with what he has.
He wants to be, he wants to be with everything under the sun
He is greedy and desires everything in life, never content with what he has.
And like a legend who rises and then falls
Just like a legendary figure that experiences highs and lows, I too have seen the good and bad times.
I cannot be his only one
I am not the only one he desires and will not settle for someone who is not solely devoted to him.
He makes me feel, he makes me feel like you used to
Being with him makes me feel like I used to when I was with someone else.
Whoa, like you used to
The feeling I get with him is reminiscent of my past experiences with someone else.
He makes me feel, he makes me feel like you used to
Being with him makes me feel like I used to when I was with someone else.
Whoa, like you used to
The feeling I get with him is reminiscent of my past experiences with someone else.
And like a fickle flower when it first sees the light
Similar to a delicate flower that is exposed to sunlight for the first time, I am fragile and cautious.
I cannot show just how I fight
I am unable to reveal my true emotions and resistance.
And like a fickle flower when it first sees the light
Similar to a delicate flower that is exposed to sunlight for the first time, I am fragile and cautious.
I cannot show just how I fight
I am unable to reveal my true emotions and resistance.
Babe, I saw you walking, it was after midnight
I caught a glimpse of you walking late at night.
Carrying nothing except for a flashlight
You were not carrying anything except for a tool to guide you.
You wanted to be Romeo, so low at my window
You were trying to come across as romantic and woo me from a distance.
You wanted to be Romeo, so low at my window
You were trying to come across as romantic and woo me from a distance.
Will you open the door for me if you believe in chivalry?
If you believe in being chivalrous, would you open the door for me?
For I do not think you low, though you bow to me so-so
I do not think less of you, even though your gestures of respect are not the best.
I know you want to drink from the purest wine
I understand that you desire the best things in life.
(From the purest wine)
But the drink is far more sour than you would ever think
However, even the best things in life may not always be as satisfying as you think.
He wants to be, he wants to be with everything under the sun
He is greedy and desires everything in life, never content with what he has.
And she wants to burn, she wants to burn hot like that sun
Just like the sun, I too want to shine bright and be passionate about life.
Whoa, hot like that sun
I want to be on fire with my enthusiasm for living.
Just like a legend who rises and then falls (like a legend)
Like legendary figures that experience ups and downs, I too have been through good times and bad.
I cannot be his only one (his only one)
I am not the only person he desires and he will not settle for someone who is not solely devoted to him.
And like a callous, cold, callous woman (like a woman who never sees)
Similar to a heartless woman who is unfeeling, I am unaware of the damage I may have caused.
She'll never see what she did done
I will never understand the harm I may have inflicted on others.
And like a legend who rises and then falls
Like legendary figures that experience ups and downs, I too have been through good times and bad.
I'll never be his only one
I will never be the only person he desires and he will not settle for someone who is not solely devoted to him.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerald Eaton, Brian West, Nelly Furtado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind