From Love Song to Personal Anthem
This is it
No one can tell what the future holds (this is it!)
Your back’s to the corner (this is it!)
You make the choice of how it goes (this is it!)
The waiting is over
One of my favorite songs is “This is It” co-written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald in 1979. It evolved from a song about a failed love to a motivational anthem about taking control of one’s life. At the time, Loggins and McDonald were working on a “favorite unfinished melody” trying it three times as a love song but both felt it was not working in this context.
The turning point came when Loggins visited his seriously ill father who was facing multiple cardiovascular surgeries after a series of strokes. After the visit, Loggins told McDonald, “It’s not a love song. It’s a life song” inspired by his father’s situation. This personal crisis shifted the song’s theme into one of resilience, determination, and the urgency to “stand up and fight.”
The melody, already in place, was paired with new, life‑affirming lyrics. McDonald’s soft vocal parts contrasted with Loggins’ more assertive delivery. The recording session was quick and energetic.
While the song’s polished, yacht‑rock sound fits the late 70s pop scene, its message is about self-empowerment and seizing pivotal moments in one’s life. Loggins has said it resonated with people in life‑and‑death situations, even without them knowing his personal story.
Released in October of 1979, it won Loggins a 1981 Grammy for best Male Pop Vocal Performance. It became not only a personal anthem for Loggins’ father but a universal call to action for anyone facing a turning point in their life.
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This is It / Lyrics
There’ve been times in my life
I’ve been wondering why
Still somehow I believed we’d always survive
Now I’m not so sure you’re waiting here
One good reason to try
What more can I say
What’s left to provide
You think that maybe it’s over
Only if you want it to be
Are you gonna wait for a sign? Your miracle
Stand up and fight
This is it!
Make no mistake where you are (this is it!)
Your back’s to the corner (this is it!)
Don’t be a fool anymore (this is it!)
The waiting is over
No room to run, no way to hide
No time for wondering why
It’s here, the moment is now ’bout to decide
Let him believe
Leave him behind
But keep me near in your heart
Know whatever you do, I’m here by your side
You said that maybe it’s over
Not if you don’t want it to be
For once in your life, here’s your miracle
Stand up and fight
This is it!
Make no mistake where you are (this is it!)
You’re going no further (this is it!)
Until it’s over and done
No one can tell you what you know
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Who makes the choice of how it goes
It’s not up to me this time (you know)
Comes a day in every life
This is it!
Make no mistake where you are (this is it!)
You’re going no further (this is it!)
Until it’s over and done (this is it!)
One way or another
This is it
No one can tell what the future holds (this is it!)
Your back’s to the corner (this is it!)
You make the choice of how it goes (this is it!)
The waiting is over
This is it
No one can tell what the future holds (this is it!)
You’re going no further (this is it!)
You make the choice of how