John Legend's "Ordinary People"

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think this had the potential to be much better than it is but I don't know, something sounds missing, lyrics are kinda shit, but overall i say issalright

any thoughts?

apologize in advance if dis has been discussed

― Colin O, Sunday, 6 March 2005 16:15 (twenty years ago)

No thoughts as I have heard nothing from it yet, but lots of interest.

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 6 March 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

I definitely think the arrangement is its strength more than the song itself. I mean, it really stands out on the radio, even Alicia Keys needs drums to get piano ballads on urban radio. they dropped the ball on the video, though; all the people arguing audibly over the music takes me out of the song, and the added strings at the end are totally unnecessary.

― Al (sitcom), Sunday, 6 March 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

It sounds like a Bill Murray lounge singer routine to me. If he pushed it a little further it could be really funny.

― Robert Myers (Robert Myers), Sunday, 6 March 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

the arguments are bs but its pleasant. track gives me no reason to believe this guy will last longer than his promotional budget

― miccio (miccio), Sunday, 6 March 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

"Live It Up" is a great song.

― djdee (djdee2005), Sunday, 6 March 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

The record is huge where I work (a big rekkid store in downtown Philadelphia). That track really does stand out, a nice soulful piano ballad a la Stevie Wonder, but I agree with Ant, dude is full of shit.

― Sara Sherr, Sunday, 6 March 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

hey I only know one track, now. Dude might go all Innervisions on my ass on the LP.

― miccio (miccio), Sunday, 6 March 2005 20:39 (twenty years ago)

I think both the song and the video are outstanding.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 6 March 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

so are the arguments on the album version too or just the video? I'd like it a lot more without and assumed it was just a director's thing

― miccio (miccio), Sunday, 6 March 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

yeah, the arguments (and the strings) are absent on the album/radio version. purely embellishments of the director (=Kanye, unfortunately).

― Al (sitcom), Sunday, 6 March 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

yay! I might actually be a fan of this song then

― miccio (miccio), Sunday, 6 March 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

I like. Could have gone wrong in so many ways, but it really works. People are (ordinary) people, so why should it be..?

― daria g (daria g), Monday, 7 March 2005 04:45 (twenty years ago)

the song doesnt even have a melody and it's excuse for a hook is stolen from stevies my cherie amour. i think it's one of his weakest ssongs, but he's got a coupla good ones on the cd

― svenne, Monday, 7 March 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

So far I've heard Used To Love U, and Ordinary People, and I'm thinking I want to buy the album...even though my gut feeling is he'll last as long as a strip of magnesium put to the flame.

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

the song doesnt even have a melody

Would people actually use their brains and THINK before saying things like this?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

Dan OTM - like you said, steeevieeee, it's biting (or, to be fair, slyly rewriting a melodic phrase - the intro / bridge - from) "My Cherie Amour", for the luvva! If you think THAT song doesn't have a melody, clean out yr ears with corn cob holders.

The album's solid, too, though there's at least one ballad that's a little too "fly / sky / my oh my". The first 6 or 7 tracks are great (and that's two before "Ordinary People").

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:16 (twenty years ago)

Come now, "Live it Up" is the best reason to by the album!

― djdee (djdee2005), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

Is "Live It Up" the "fly / sky" ballad? If so, I'll have to politely disagree w/ that assessment.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)

"fly/sky" songs are better if you replace "sky" with "pie."

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

Maybe? There's the line "We can fly so high in the moon lit sky 'cause theres no more cloudy days" but i think the song is lush philly soul and it is terrific. Better than Ordinairy People, certainly.

― djdee (djdee2005), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

That might be it. It's the vamping bit near the end that makes me go "oy". Granted, I've only heard the album a few times, so I can't recall off the top of my noggin. "Ordinary People" I like tons, but it sounds much better as a change-of-pace radio single than as an album track, that's for sure.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Mawkish, insipid, pious, insufferable, preachy, irritating, masturbatory SHIT!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 April 2005 10:01 (twenty years ago)

Ouch.
The album is quite nice for the first few songs, y'know.
This track however, is already tired. And the video is annoying.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Saturday, 9 April 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

twelve years pass...

songs fine, good, whatever, but a thread for it?

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Monday, 8 May 2017 10:57 (eight years ago)

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