Common dated neo-soul singer Erykah Badu for two years in the early 2000s. This love ballad celebrates their romantic union.
"The Light" departs from the more confrontational and socially conscious themes Common explored in his previous work. "My songwriting is usually rooted in the truth, but I also use my imagination and creativity, because I haven't experienced everything in life," he explained in a Vevo Footnotes video. "'The Light' was definitely inspired by Erykah Badu. It's talking about the different dimensions of love and what partnership is."
There are times
When you'll need someone
I will be by your side, oh, darling
There is a light that shines
Special For you and me
The hook is a sample of Bobby Caldwell's 1980 song "Open Your Eyes." By using this sample, Common says he will always be there for Erykah because they have something special between them.
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine
The closing lyric of verse two is Common's favorite. "I'm proud of that because so many people have told me they've used this song in their weddings," he explained. "I didn't think of that line as being dope or whatever, I just thought it was a fun line to say. But I guess it could be kinda flirty and romantic and cool, so now that's probably my favorite line."
Common ends verse three unexpectedly.
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo, I tell you the rest when I see you
He explained: "I hadn't finished the song yet, and I was lying the vocals, and that's why I ended up saying 'Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da. Yo! I tell you the rest when I see you.' Later I came up with a line for that part, but I tried to re-record it at least 20 times and it was never better than in that take."
The lyrics of "The Light" are full of tender and affectionate language, as Common raps about the depth of his feelings for his partner and the sense of comfort and safety that she brings to his life. The song is notable for its uplifting and positive tone, a departure from his hip-hop contemporaries' often misogynistic depiction of women. "This was one of those songs that allowed us males to feel like we could express love in a pure way - say what we're feeling and not be afraid," said Common. "It took me a long time to understand that."
J Dilla's production incorporates two soul samples: Bobby Caldwell's "Open Your Eyes," which Common also interpolates, and the drums from Detroit Emeralds' 1973 track "You're Getting a Little Too Smart."
"Dilla played me the beat he made for it, and I was like, 'Yo, this is incredible,'" recalled Common.
In the Nzingha Stewart-directed music video, Common and Erykah Badu co-star along with a variety of sensually alluring objects. They include a homemade Minnie Riperton cassette, a mango, a pink lava lamp, and a lush green leaf adorned with water droplets. "I think director Nzingha Stewart's vision was to make something simple, to express the couple's intimacy and partnership," said Common. "Sometimes you don't have to do a lot for it to be dope."
For Common, letting go was one of the most challenging things about shooting the video. "I'm a Southside Chicago dude, so some of the stuff was like, 'Okay, I am in this space of artsiness?' and some of it was like, 'Okay, is this a little too poetic?,'" he said. "I had to make sure I was being true to myself. They told me 'We need you to wear no socks,' and I thought it was a little weird. I was in my artsy space and everything, but no socks? Don't know if I was ready for the no socks thing, but I did it."
The video won a BET Award for Best Male Video.
Common released "The Light" as the second single from Like Water for Chocolate. It was a commercial success, peaking at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the Top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Common took the album title from the 1989 novel Like Water for Chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel, which tells the story of a young woman whose emotions are transferred to the food she prepares. Common uses this theme as a metaphor for the emotional pull of his lyrics.
Common later namechecks Erykah Badu on his 2014 track, "
Blak Majik":
Ni--as seen Badu's ass and said 'I seen what you was on'Common recorded a remake in 2008 for a Smirnoff advertising campaign. Titled "
The Light '08 (It's Love)," he made it with producer Just Blaze and singer Marsha Ambrosius.
