"All your perfect imperfections . . ."

"All Of Me"

John Legend and Lindsey Stirling

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I heard this song recently one morning while sitting in Ewha's ECC Starbucks sipping an extra-strong cappuccino and reading the New York Times, and I fell for the whole song on the strength of the fourth trenchant line in these four: "'Cause all of me / Loves all of you / Love your curves and all your edges / All your perfect imperfections . . ."

Here are the entire lyrics (and you can listen, too):

"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, ohoh

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, ohoh

Give me all of you
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, ohoh

Granted, the lyrics are uneven - aside from a few lines, they don't look like much just to read them, and even seem a bit contradictory (is you, ain't you, is you ain't my baby?) - but John Legend's artful interpretation brings out the best meaning, particularly, of the "perfect imperfections."

Lindsey Stirling is great, too, on the violin . . .