John Legend

Released: December 28, 2004

Featuring: Miri Ben-Ari - מירי בן-ארי

Songwriter: John Legend

Producer: Devo Springsteen John Legend Kanye West

[Produced by Devo Springsteen, John Legend, Kanye West]

Ha-ha ha-ha ooh...

[Verse 1]
You know we've been struggling for such a long time
Working here and there just to get by
It's finally time for me to get mine
No more robbing Peter so we can pay Paul (oh no)
Or going to Mama's house to make a phone call (no no)
No we don't have to struggle at all

[Bridge 1]
Cuz now every day is feeling like Friday (Friday)
I'm getting paid and doing it my way (my way)
We're finally on our way
Baby now it's time to celebrate

[Chorus]
Oh live it up, we can go crazy
Live it up, you and me baby
Live it up, live it up, live it up
We're flying high, don't wanna come down
We'll let 'em know all over town and
Live it up, live it up, live it up

[Verse 2]
No more putting it in the layaway (away)
Cause Boo I got the money today (today)
Come on and go to the mall and let's play (play)
Let's go raise a toast to the days ahead (ahead)
You can't take it with you when you're dead (dead)
You might as well enjoy it now instead (instead)

[Bridge 2]
Oh now, it's about to be a long evening (yeah yeah)
We'll party through the rest of the weekend (come on)
We're finally on our way
Baby now it's time to celebrate

[Chorus]
Oh live it up, we can go crazy
Live it up, you and me baby
Live it up, live it up, live it up
We're flying high, don't wanna come down
We'll let 'em know all over town and
Live it up, live it up, live it up

[Interlude]
We can fly so high in the moonlit sky
Cause there's no more cloudy days
It's so beautiful, when you feel the flow
We can dance the night away

[Verse 3]
Do you remember when times were hard? Oh so hard
Through it all, we've come so far
(Ha-ha ha-ha ooh)
So we gotta live it up
So we can just celebrate there's no more pain
Raise your glass and feel no shame
(Ha-ha ha-ha ooh)
Oh so we gotta live it up

[Chorus]
Oh live it up, we can go crazy
Live it up, you and me baby
Live it up, live it up, live it up
We're flying high, don't wanna come down
We'll let 'em know all over town and
Live it up, live it up, live it up

[Outro]
Oh it's time to celebrate baby
(Ha-ha ha-ha ooh)
Said we don't have to worry no more
We don't have to struggle no more
(Ha-ha ha-ha ooh)
So does it feel good to you?
I know it feels good to you, yea
(Ha-ha ha-ha ooh)
Hmm, we don't have worry no more
We don't have to struggle no more, yea
(Ha-ha ha-ha ooh)
It's time to celebrate baby
Yeah we gotta live it up

John Legend was born in 1978 in Ohio. He became an in-demand session musician and songwriter, working with such artists as Alicia Keys, Twista and Janet Jackson. He was soon introduced to up-and-coming hip-hop artist Kanye West, and the two musicians collaborated on one another’s demos.

J. Ivy claims credit for bestowing the “Legend” moniker upon John Stephens (with an assist from Kanye West). Via

Kanye was like, ‘Have you heard of this singer called John Stephens?’ He played me this song from him, that I think will.i.am produced. It was so refreshing and soulful. An hour later, John Stephens comes into the studio. I told him, ‘I heard your music. It’s so amazing. It sounds old school. Man, you sound like one of the legends. You’re a legend. Matter of fact, that’s what I am going to call you from now The Legend. A couple days later, we were in the lounge of the studio (Record Plant) and John Stephens walks in and everyone shouts him out. I was like, ‘John Legend!’ Kanye then said, ‘You’re John Legend from now on. That’s your name!’”

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