What’s That Song?

If you guessed Lean On Me by Bill Withers, you are correct!

Today’s Bill Campbell What’s That Song, Lean On Me released in 1972, was written by Bill Withers upon moving to Los Angeles and finding himself missing his hometown’s strong community ethic. Bill grew up in a coal mining town from which he drew his inspiration. He recalls buying a little piano and just running his fingers up and down it. During the course of creating the music, the phrase “lean on me” crossed his mind. Bill liked the way that phrase sounded with the song. Lean On Me is certified Gold in the U.S.A. and certified Silver in the U.K.

Did you know…

• The 1989 film, Lean On Me, starring Morgan Freeman, includes both Bill Withers’ version and Club Nouveau’s version of Lean On Me.
• Lean On Me is Bill Withers’ first and only #1 single on Billboard‘s Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles both. It also made it to #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 in the U.S.
• Whither’s version of Lean On Me includes the coda section where the words “call me” repeat 14 times before the song ends. The single version fades out during the repeated coda. Due to time constraints, some radio stations limit the number of Call Me’s to six before the song ends.
• In 1987 the R&B group Club Nouveau covered Lean On Me, taking it to #1 for 2 weeks on Billboard‘s Hot 100 and #2 on the Black Singles chart.
• Artists to cover Lean On Me at charity events include Avril Lavigne and Heart in a duet at the 2010 17th Race to Erase MS event, and Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow and Keith Urban performed the song at the 2010 Hope for Haiti earthquake relief telethon.
• Mud (1976), Al Jarreau (1985), DC Talk (1992), Michael Bolton (1993), Bonnie Tyler (1999), Anne Murray (1999), Glen Campbell (2004), and The Temptations and Mark Medlock (2011), and Garth Brooks (2013) all covered Lean On Me in various projects.

Lean On Me

Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow.
But if we are wise,
We know that there’s always tomorrow.

Lean on me when you’re not strong
I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won’t let show.

You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand,
We all need somebody to lean on.

Lean on me when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on

You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand,
We all need somebody to lean on.

If there is a load
You have to bear
That you can’t carry
I’m right up the road
I’ll share your load
If you just call me.

Call me if you need a friend
Call me, call me, uh-huh
Call me when you need a friend
Call me if you ever need a friend
Call me, call me
Call me, call me
Call me, call me
Call me, call me
Call me if you need a friend
Call me, call me
Call me, call me
Call me, call me
Call me, call me
Call me
(Lean On Me lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group)

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