Cover art for Lightning & Thunder by Jhené Aiko

Lightning & Thunder

Mar. 6, 20201 viewer97.1K views

Lightning & Thunder Lyrics

[Verse 1: Jhené Aiko]
Been up since six doin' rituals
Burning incense just to wish you well
Throw all my cents into wishing wells
Smelling your scent, I do miss you still

[Chorus: Jhené Aiko]
What kind of spell do you have me under?
What in the hell, starting to wonder
I am not well, I'm going under
Can't help myself, lightning and thunder

[Verse 2: John Legend & Jhené Aiko]
Oh, what if the feeling's reciprocal
She misses me like I miss her soul
I don't wanna drown in a sea of regret
But it seems like that's all I have left
What in the hell, what kind of spell did you put over me?
Controllin' me, what in the hell
What kind of spell did you put over me? (Ooh)
Controllin' me

[Verse 3: Jhené Aiko]
I've been a sick individual
Ever since you made it official
You went and did the unthinkable
I am still here and available
[Chorus: Jhené Aiko & John Legend, John Legend & Jhené Aiko]
What kind of spell do you have me under?
Oh, what in the hell, I'm starting to, starting to wonder
I am not well, I'm going under
Can't help myself (Yeah), lightning and thunder
Oh-oh-oh-ooh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah


[Post-Chorus: Jhené Aiko & John Legend]
It's just like lightning and thunder
It's just like lightning and thunder
It's just like lightning and thunder
It's just like lightning and thunder

[Outro: Jhené Aiko]
What in the hell, what kind of spell did you put over me?
You took control of me
What in the hell, what kind of spell did you put over me?
You took control of me, yeah

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About

This song bio is unreviewed
Genius Annotation

In “Lightning & Thunder”, Jhené Aiko and John Legend play the role of two lovers who have obviously broken up some time ago. And for the most part, what they are doing throughout is expressing amazement and honestly discomfort that despite such, they respectively retain strong feelings for each other. Indeed they liken the experience to being put under a “spell” by the other individual.
So basically, what we have here is a case of two exes who simply miss each other to a great degree. And overall, they are saying that this reality is “just like lightning and thunder”. And whereas the exact meaning of this metaphor is never specified, it likely points to the idea of these still-existent feelings being a considerable disturbance in their lives.

So conclusively, what this all boils down to is that these two former lovers totally lack the wherewithal to get over each other.

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Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Translations
Genius Answer
What did Jhené Aiko say about "Lightning & Thunder"?
Genius Answer
When I’m alone, I do a lot more with my vocal range, but I’m always like “Oh, I’m not gonna try that live” ‘cause I’m like “I don’t wanna, you know, fuck up”, but that one I really wanted to try new things and, of course, John Legend is an amazing singer so I had finished the song, done […] and sent it to him. He sent me a verse back right away and I was like “Oh, wow… a legend himself”.

Tidal’s “Car Test” series

Have Jhené Aiko and John Legend collab with each other in the past?
Genius Answer

Although they aren’t unfamiliar given that both performed Jhené’s song “The Worst” back in 2014 at the BET Awards, this is their first time officially collaborating on a track.

Aiko also sampled “Eyez Closed” by Snoop Dogg, which features him and Kanye West, on 2011 track “Sailing NOT Selling” from her debut mixtape, Sailing Soul(s).

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