Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Lean on Me by Bill Withers



This is one of my favorite songs to sing with. I loved Withers' songs and when he soared into the upper reaches of his voice, it was stronger and affecting.

Once, a group of us, including my son, stood outside a venue near the campus of the University of Cincinnati waiting to see, I think, Delirious? (The question mark was part of their name and, for a time, they were an astoundingly good band.) We hadn't purchased tickets in advance, intending to buy them at the window. Someone from a radio station approached me and said, "If you'll sing for us, we'll give you free tickets." My son and I broke into Lean on Me and we got our tickets. I think that we even sang in tune.

The sentiment of this song which I wish I more faithfully conveyed to my friends: lean on me.

In the 90s, several bands did covers of this tune, including dcTalk.

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