Retrospect for Life

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"Retrospect for Life"
Single by Common
from the album One Day It'll All Make Sense
Released	1997
Format	12-inch single, Vinyl
Genre	Chicago hip hop
Length	6:23
Label	Relativity Records
Writer(s)	Lonnie Lynn James Poyser Ernest Wilson Stevie Wonder Syreeta Wright
Producer(s)	James Poyser No I.D.
Common singles chronology
"The Bitch in Yoo" (1996)	"Retrospect for Life" (1997)	"Reminding Me (Of Sef)" (1997)

"Retrospect for Life" is the first single from rapper Common's third album One Day It'll All Make Sense. It features production from James Poyser and No I.D., vocals from Lauryn Hill and bass guitar playing by Vere Isaacs. Its autobiographical lyrics weigh the choices of abortion and birth for a woman impregnated by Common. The lyrics as well as a "mellow, piano-driven beat" has caused Dan Menella to call it the most memorable track on Common's third album.^[1] Kevin Powell of Rolling Stone considers it to be the centerpiece of its album,^[2] and Leo Stanley of All Music Guide similarly boasts of its significant emotional impact.^[3] Lauryn Hill's verse embodies portions of "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" by Stevie Wonder, while the song's beat samples "A Song for You" by Donny Hathaway. A music video directed by Lauryn Hill was made for it. Two of its b-sides, "Invocation" and "Hungry," received low budget music videos.

Contents 1 Single track list 1.1 A-Side 1.2 B-Side 2 References 3 See also

[edit] Single track list

[edit] A-Side

1. "Retrospect for Life (Radio Edit)" (2:14)
2. "Retrospect for Life (Album Version)" (5:23)
3. "Retrospect for Life (Instrumental)" (5:23)

[edit] B-Side

1. "Invocation" (2:14)
2. "Hungry" (2:33)
3. "Real Nigga Quotes" (5:23)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of Common songs

v • d • e Common
Discography
Studio albums
Can I Borrow a Dollar? (1992) | Resurrection (1994) | One Day It'll All Make Sense (1997) | Like Water for Chocolate (2000) | Electric Circus (2002) | Be (2005) | Finding Forever (2007)
Solo singles
"Take It EZ" | "Breaker 1/9" | "Soul by the Pound" | "I Used to Love H.E.R." | "Resurrection" | "The Bitch in Yoo" | "Retrospect for Life" | "Reminding Me (Of Sef)" | "All Night Long" | "One-Nine-Nine-Nine" | "Hurricane" | "Car Horn" | "The 6th Sense" | "Funky for You" | "The Light" | "Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph)" | "While I'm Dancin'" | "Come Close" | "Panthers" | "The Food" | "The Corner" | "Go!" | "Testify"
Guest singles
"Pre of Cash" (DJ Honda) | "State to State" (No I.D.) | "Respiration" (Black Star) | "Full Moon" (Armand Van Helden | "The Sun God" (Hi-Tek) | "Dance for Me" (Mary J. Blige) | "In the Sun (Remix)" (Shaquille O'Neal) | "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" (Erykah Badu) | "She Wants to Move" (N*E*R*D) | "CpH Claimin' Respect #2" (The Boulevard Connection) | "Why! Remix" (Jadakiss) | "Yelling Away" (Zap Mama) | "SupaStar" (Floetry) | "Wouldn't You Like to Ride" (Malik Yusef)
See Also
Soulquarians | Native Tongues Posse | Lonnie Lynn | GOOD Music | List of Common songs | Smokin' Aces | American Gangster