She Don't Have to Know

Album: Get Lifted (2004)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • John Legend with a song about creeping! It's true.

    Back in the days before he met Chrissy Teigen, he put out some Usher-like songs where he's behaving badly. One of them is "She Don't Have to Know," where he's cheating on his girl with a woman who is, in turn, cheating on her man. He figures it's OK as long as nobody finds out.
  • Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas produced this song and wrote it with Legend. The two worked closely around this time, with Legend featuring on two tracks from will's 2003 solo album Must B 21.
  • "She Don't Have to Know" is part of John Legend's debut album, Get Lifted, the first release on Kanye West's GOOD Music label. Legend was already established as a songwriter and session player, but the album made him a solo star, which judging by his stage name, he was ready for. (His real name: John Stephens.)
  • The groove includes replayed elements of a 1971 Sly & the Family Stone song called "Just Like a Baby."

Comments: 1

  • Nikki from Chicago, IlHe came out with a part two to this song called "Again" which is on his second commercial CD called "Once Again". The part 3 of this song is also on "Once Again" and that song is called "Another Again".
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.