John Legend songs inspire personal stories from Yahoo readers
The appeal of John Legend, who’s playing tonight at the Araneta Coliseum, lies in his soulful vocals, his piano-driven melodies and lyrics that always seem more personal than your typical love song.
Our readers seem to think so, too.
When asked about their favorite lines from a John Legend song (for a chance to win tickets to his Manila concert), the outpouring was, for the most part, as heartfelt as the John Legend track they chose.
Here are some especially personal responses. *
Ordinary People
I hang up you call, we rise and we fall / And we feel like just walking away / As our love advances, we take second chances / Though it's not a fantasy, I still want you to stay / We're just ordinary people, we don't know which way to go / Cuz we're ordinary people, maybe we should take it slow
“My husband is not perfect and neither am I. We were always fighting no matter how much we love each other. He did something that broke my trust and made me even more bitter and angrier than I already was. I was ready to walk away from it all when I learned I was pregnant. We got married and decided to give it another shot. But I was still angry at him, and no matter what he did, I couldn't trust him anymore. Well, that's what I thought. When the baby came out, I became very ill. I was diagnosed with a fatal auto-immune disease. I was so sure he would leave me at that point. I was good as dead; he was finally free. But he never did. He took care of me and up to this day he still does. I have embraced that even the best of us makes mistakes. He was not the most honest boyfriend/person and I was not the most patient girlfriend—hey, 'we're ordinary people'. But here we are, still going strong since 1999."—Kba
Save Room
Oh c'mon, make time to live a little / Don't let this moment slip by tonight / You'll never know what you're missing / 'Till you try
“This song is memorable because it hit the airwaves when I was still working in Malaysia in 2006-2007. It was my first time to work in a foreign place. It was my first time to be away from my family, relatives, friends and my ex-girlfriend (now my wife). It was my first time to live alone. It was scary but I told myself if I let the opportunity slip away, it'll never knock again. It'll forever be in my ‘Life in Malaysia’ playlist.” — jaysantiagop
Tonight (Best You Ever Had)
I'll be the best you ever had
“I once had a huge fight with my then girlfriend. She kept telling me how she wasn't sure of our relationship and that she wanted to meet more people and find herself in the process. I told her that it was fine by me and I'd respect whatever decision she'd make, but she should keep in mind that once she walks away that's it. I'm not the type of guy to backslide to ex-girlfriends. I gave her a number of reasons to stay and told her all the times I made her cry with laughter and well-up in joy. I ended by actually saying, ‘So go on meet more people. Let's be real here though. I don't wanna brag, but I'll be the best you ever had.’ The next day, she came over to my place with one of my favorite burgers, and the cutest ‘I’m sorry’ face.”— Miguel Mendoza
Good Morning
I'll case you underneath the sheets, love / And I won't let you get away / The day won't be complete, love / Unless we get a chance to say / Good morning, good morning love
“I live with my boyfriend and every day that I wake up, this is the only song that I could think of looking at him, feeling so amazed that I am looking at the most beautiful guy I met in my lifetime. There are a lot of times I feel like just cuddling under the sheets (today is definitely one of them!) with him and just talk about anything under the sun and I usually sing him these lines when we feel too lazy for work or we feel like spending time with each other because even just 30 minutes of being under the covers completes our day and definitely makes it a good morning. This is our brunch song and I will never forget it.”—Bea Macatangay
It Don't Have to Change
I wanna go back / Wanna go back to those simple days / I wanna go back / But now we've grown and gone our separate ways
“It makes me want to go back to the days when family life was so much simpler. We'd enjoy each other’s company at the dinner table and talk. Now we all have our own families and it kinda feels like we’re not a family anymore. Kinda sad. Makes me miss my Dad, too. Wish I could say ‘I love you’ to my family more.”—aaRon
All of Me
What would I do without your smart mouth / Drawing me in and you kicking me out / Got my head spinning, no kidding / I can't pin you down
“The four lines above depict a strong-willed, witty and brave woman that men usually get intimidated with. But that did not stop John Legend from falling in love with his wife. I broke up with my boyfriend cause I refused to give up my dreams to succumb to his goals. I stood up for what I believed in because women should have their own identity. After the break-up I was down because of the thought that I intimidate men because of my strong personality. But just hearing those lines from the song reminds me that I can be me and, yes, someone out there will fall in love with me just as I am."— Christine joy
Wanna Be Loved
You wanna be loved, wanna be loved / A little kiss and hug / You wanna be loved
“I am a nurse and I am really stressed at work. With all the rotating graveyard shifting and toxic patients/ doctors I deal with every day, I always feel tired and so fed up. Good thing, my best friend/husband is always there to make me feel I am loved. He always cheers me up and inspires me. At the end of the day, all I want is to be loved and my husband never fails to show me how much he does. Whenever I hear this song from my playlist, I always think of him and I wish time flew faster so I could see him already.”— Rainbow
*Comments have been edited for brevity and clarity.
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