Ordinary People by John Legend Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Anthem of Love’s Reality
Lyrics
This ain’t the honeymoon
Passed the infatuation phase
Right in the thick of love
At times we get sick of love
It seems like we argue everyday
I know I misbehaved and you’ve made your mistakes
And we both still got room left to grow
And though love sometimes hurts
I still put you first
And we’ll make this thing work
But I think we should take it slow
We’re just ordinary people
We don’t know which way to go
‘Cause we’re ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
This ain’t a movie, no
No fairytale conclusion y’all
It gets more confusing every day, oh
Sometimes it’s Heaven sent
Then we head back to hell again
We kiss then we make up on the way
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
‘Cause we’re ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
Take it slow
Maybe we’ll live and learn
Maybe we’ll crash and burn
Maybe you’ll stay, maybe you’ll leave
Maybe you’ll return
Maybe another fight
Maybe we won’t survive
But maybe we’ll grow
We never know, baby, you and I
We’re just ordinary people
We don’t know which way to go, hey
‘Cause we’re ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow, hey, hey
We’re just ordinary people
We don’t know which way to go
‘Cause we’re ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
Take it slow, slow
This time we’ll take it slow
Take it slow, oh
This time we’ll take it slow
In a musical landscape often punctuated with grandiose expressions of idealized love, John Legend’s ‘Ordinary People’ stands as a solemn reminder of the flawed but genuine nature of human connections. Delivered with Legend’s soulful prowess, the track is a stark, unfiltered exploration of love stripped of its gilded pretenses.
From jarring arguments to moments of tender reconciliation, ‘Ordinary People’ unfolds as an intimate narrative, a slice-of-life portrayal that crafts a nuanced discourse on relationships. It captures the complex dichotomy of love – pain coupled with pleasure, growth entwined with setback. Here, we dive deep into the layered meanings woven within the song’s deceptively simple lyrics.
The Honeymoon is Over: Love Beyond Infatuation
Legend doesn’t shy away from the truth that relationships evolve past infatuation. The lyric ‘This ain’t the honeymoon, passed the infatuation phase’ crudely awakens listeners to the fact that enduring love isn’t a constant high but a journey through peaks and valleys.
The song portrays love’s maturity, where true connection is tested not in the flush of new romance but in the mundane, ‘the thick of love,’ where real bonds are forged in the fires of daily challenges and mutual perseverance.
The Imperfect Tango: Humanity in Harmony and Discord
Through the acknowledgment of imperfections – ‘I know I misbehaved and you’ve made your mistakes’ – Legend vocalizes the human propensity to falter. And yet, it’s within this shared humanity that the song finds hope, embracing the idea that there’s still ‘room left to grow.’
The song becomes an ode to resilience in love, expressing the cyclical dance of conflict and reunion. It’s a reminder that relationships are not a sprint but a marathon, requiring patience, understanding, and the occasional pause to catch one’s breath.
A Mirror to the Ordinary: Unveiling the Song’s Hidden Message
The chorus serves as a stark declaration that strips away any veneer of superiority. When Legend sings, ‘We’re just ordinary people,’ he unveils the universality of our experiences in love. No relationship is above struggle, and no individuals are immune to the raw emotions that accompany deep affection.
Thus, the song becomes a uniting chant that demystifies the narrative of fairytale romances, providing solace in the shared experience of unremarkable yet profound love.
Love’s Cinematic Illusions Dispelled in Memorable Lines
‘This ain’t a movie, no, No fairytale conclusion y’all’ – With these words, Legend dismantles the Hollywood construct of perfect narratives and posits a much more authentic, accessible reality of what it means to be in love.
He acknowledges the confusing nature of a real relationship – juxtaposing the tumultuous back and forth of ‘Heaven sent’ highs and ‘hell again’ lows, effectively blurring the lines between romantic rendezvous and the chaos of entwined lives.
Championing A Methodical Love: The Virtue of Taking It Slow
Repetition in music isn’t always a mere echo; sometimes, it’s a clarion call. By iterating the phrase ‘Take it slow,’ Legend emphasizes the virtue of caution and the willingness to navigate love’s terrain with deliberate, reflective steps.
This mantra is a radical departure from love songs that rush toward climactic resolutions. Instead, Legend honours the journey itself and the potential that comes from learning, burning, leaving, returning, and the myriad of possible outcomes that love in its true form can bring.
