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Inside John Legend Writing One of History's Most Romantic Songs for Chrissy Teigen
"All of Me" is one of Legend's biggest hits, and is a beautiful tribute to his wife of 10 years.
The Voice Coach John Legend doesn't just love Chrissy Teigen. He really, really, really loves her a lot.
The Hollywood power couple have been married for 10 years and are raising four kids, and they let the world in on their soulmate connection in 2013 when Legend released his romantic ballad "All of Me," which quickly became a wedding and Valentine's Day staple. As one of the few songs with over two billion streams on Spotify, "All of Me" is a certified smash, and won't be going away any time soon. Get to know the story behind the music here.
John Legend met Chrissy Teigen on his music video set
The two first met in 2006 when Teigen was cast in the video for his song "Stereo". While Legend was on tour, the pair kept in touch through talking and texting and eventually realized they were falling in love. Teigen knew she wanted to marry Legend after a romantic trip to Lake Como in 2007, and on another vacation in 2011, he popped the question!
John Legend releases "All of Me" in 2013
Legend's album, Love In The Future, dropped on August 30, with one of its biggest hits being "All of Me." Just two weeks later, the pair married in Italy. True to history, Teigen stars in the video, which ends with footage from their wedding and was directed by the same director who brought them together for "Stereo."
"All of Me" charted around the world, was certified 14X Platinum in the U.S., and a live performance of the song was nominated for a Grammy.
RELATED: All of John Legend's Albums and Most Essential Songs
What John Legend and Chrissy Teigen have said about "All of Me"
In May 2013, a few months before tying the knot, Teigen told The Huffington Post that she knew "All of Me" was about her from the very first line."'What would I do without your smart mouth,' so if that's not about me I don't know what is," she quipped. "I did cry when I heard it," she also admitted, explaining, "I'm emotional, but I really don't cry at things like that, but yeah, it's beautiful and live it's pretty unreal." Legend later revealed that the first time he sang it to her, he whispered it in her ear, which must have been incredibly romantic.
RELATED: John Legend Reveals the Personal Way He First Sang "All of Me" to Chrissy Teigen
A remix from Tiësto helped the song climb the charts to number 1 in early 2014, a rare feat for a down-tempo ballad. But Legend always knew the song had staying power, recalling to Billboard, “I told my label early on that this could be the biggest song of my career if we don’t mess it up. ‘All of Me’ is probably the only song on the radio right now with no drums.”
He also also credited the song's slow but steady success to his performance at the 2014 Grammys. “By all rights, I shouldn’t have gotten that slot to perform by myself. But producer Ken Ehrlich believed in the song and thought it was special enough to deserve its own slot.” In the same interview, he joked that Teigen takes "all the credit" for his success, and added, “Having somebody who knows me so well and knows what it takes to push me creatively is really important.”
Then in 2018, Teigen revealed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that while she still holds the song close to her heart, it's become a bit of a hassle to fake-cry to it at his concerts. "When it got popular, I had been hearing it for almost a year and a half. So it’s a nice — I like it a lot! But I’ve heard it for a long time!" she explained, adding, "I swear, even if I go to a show of his tomorrow, and he sings it, everyone turns to look and see if I’ll start crying. And then I have to either pretend or…I just don’t know what to do anymore. It’s a good song! I like it!"
In 2020, Spotify revealed that the song was the most popular Valentine's Day track, consistently peaking in streams around the holiday, appearing on Valentine's Day-themed playlists and Love-themed playlists. “The impact of ‘All of Me’ continues to amaze and inspire me,” Legend told the platform. “I’m so honored to know we created something that has meant so much to so many people. I wrote this song to express how I felt to the woman I love as we were about to commit to a lifetime together. But often the best songs are able to express something in a way that is both personal and universal. I’m grateful to know that lovers around the world have connected with this song and made it their own.”
The lyrics to "All of Me"
What would I do without your smart mouth?
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind?
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose, I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh-oh
How many times do I have to tell you?
Even when you're crying, you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
You're my downfall, you're my muse
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues
I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose, I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh-oh
Give me all of you, oh
Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts
Risking it all, though it's hard
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose, I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you
I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh-oh
