[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Bill Withers — Lean on Me
Album: Best of
Avg rating:
8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1821









Released: 1972
Length: 4:16
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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
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

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
Comments (60)add comment
There are times my friends when we really do need someone to lean on and may there always be that someone.
I bought my 1959 Selmer tenor sax (still made in Paris) with a college student loan (when you could still do it),  because I heard his "Just the Two of Us" song, with the tenor part being played by Grover Washington Jr.
Back when R&B was about smooth jazz sounds, vocal harmonies, and love.  WTF happened to that genre?  It's like it went completely off the rails about 20-30 years ago and started going into some really awful places.
 ch83575 wrote:

My mom sent me to piano lessons when I was a child.  To this day, this is the only thing I can play on the piano... and poorly at that.  Sorry Mom...


  For me it was Good King Wenceslas. 
 NickDanger wrote:

Spring of '72 and this song was in rotation on AM. Still an excellent song.
Damn. That was 46 years ago. Damn. 



Now it is almost 51 years ago..... time flies
 kazoo wrote:

Has anybody ever seen a photo of Withers where he is not smiling? It strikes me that he was a happy person.




Damn Happy!!!! Totally!!!!
I can not understand why there are so few Bill Withers songs on RP!? 
50 years later and this song still resonates, maybe even more so today
Any other choir nerds fight the urge to shout "five" in the pause between "for" and "it won't be long" or was that just a local thing? 
Has anybody ever seen a photo of Withers where he is not smiling? It strikes me that he was a happy person.
We’ll never know how many people were rescued by this song
Universal.  Human.
We need so much of that right now.

 
hayduke2 wrote:
each and every time I hear Bill Withers start this song I'm spiritually onboard its timeless and subtle power

it contains love 
 

I don't know if there's a God or not, but Bill Withers gave us a glimpse of something special.
c.
 punkermal wrote:
Good song but played to death. Played so much that it now just reminds me of black and white tv.
 
Fair, but black and white TV isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'll give you Dobie Gillis and My Three Sons being dumb and bad, but Bewitched and I Love Lucy were cornerstones. Just like this song is a cornerstone, even though it's about as cliché as Bewitched at this point.
So simple.  So good.
These go to 11.
RIP, Mr. Withers.
That vibrato...
Spring of '72 and this song was in rotation on AM. Still an excellent song.
Damn. That was 46 years ago. Damn. 
My mom sent me to piano lessons when I was a child.  To this day, this is the only thing I can play on the piano... and poorly at that.  Sorry Mom...
sublime
Good song but played to death. Played so much that it now just reminds me of black and white tv.
Somehow, I had only ever heard the Club Nouveau version before.
each and every time I hear Bill Withers start this song I'm spiritually onboard its timeless and subtle power

it contains love 
 kingart wrote:
lovely and classic and a song about how to live a good and fruitful life, as opposed to songs examining the life mistakes we make that wither (no pun intended) the fruit. 

 
Preach on mate.
Anything by Bill Withers is automatically > 8! 
A song you can identify from the first chord.  To me this song always started out ponderous, picked up a bit in the subsequent verses and had a great chorus.
Was watching the movie Lean on Me last night... and waiting to hear the song (but didn't - probably because I didn't finish the movie).

So happy to hear it now!  Thanks! 
Just flawless. Sublime. Warms my soul with every listen. 
lovely and classic and a song about how to live a good and fruitful life, as opposed to songs examining the life mistakes we make that wither (no pun intended) the fruit. 
 calle01 wrote:
 I really hate this artist! HATE is a strong word but doesn't seem to stop Bill from playing crap?

 
Poor you!
Well, after noticing that 65% of your votes are "1 Sucko-barfo", I'm not that surprised anymore.
I think it's high time you went and got to listen to other radios.
Hope you like commercials, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, .... I guess you do.
I started as a dj when I was 15. We used to play local schools and parties and there was always a smootchy section for a bit of slow dancing. . . which was basically the opportunity for blokes to grope girls if they were brave enough to ask a girl for a dance. The girls would usually dance together is not asked for a dance (is that still how it works? I can't say I have been to many discos lately).

Anyway. . . I used to play this track a lot then, so it brings back a whole host of memories of good times both behind and in front of the decks. 

That is all :) 
Used to hate it, but now think it's one of the best things ever.

Same as 'lovely day'. Really played to death and cheesy, but somehow, it still sounds good.
However its a well worn groove. Ill bet this artist had other good tracks. 
the tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I love evrything about this magnificent piece of music!  Joy
Really is a great song. But I really hate it. Can't listen to it anymore, too many terrible associations.
I am with you Bill.
I never seem to tire of this song either & have heard it many many times.
A classic.
 Cynaera wrote:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  The original is the best - all other versions of this song just leave me cold, but I'll happily listen to this one. Thanks, RP.
 

We miss you so much, Cynaera...

love this classic song...
Every now and again, hearing this song reminds me of that anti-drug film "Dead Is Dead" we were forced to watch back in junior high.  Must have been about 1982-83 — 30 years later, can't believe I can still recall!  It was pretty intense, especially the scene of a woman puking while "Lean on Me" played....  I guess I am not the only one with memories of it, there's a forum here posted in Aug 2011 and here.  I am surprised to see it is only 21 minutes long — makes quite an impact.
Smile
 
I might not answer, however

{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}{#Notworthy}

Greetings from London.

www.cubaninlondon.blogspot.com

Yes! You just call on me....we all need somebody to lean on. Amen.
 Cynaera wrote:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  The original is the best - all other versions of this song just leave me cold, but I'll happily listen to this one. Thanks, RP.
  There is no other voice like Bill's. Perfect.


If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  The original is the best - all other versions of this song just leave me cold, but I'll happily listen to this one. Thanks, RP.
 scraig wrote:
The most overplayed funeral song...ever.
 
ha
probably true... 

Or on a mix CD titled "songs to drink to"
So thankful this is the real Bill Withers version, and not the Club Nouveau version that bedeviled every one of my high school dances.
...this is nice to hear in the mix...
{#Meditate}

The Great Bill Withers! Reminds me of simpler times, growing up in the 70s. Sweet.


The most overplayed funeral song...ever.
Classic music, classic lyrics, classic message.
slurpy wrote:
Withers is a classic. Any chance of hearing "Ain't No Sunshine" which is even better. Thanks.
AMEN to that! "Ain't No Sunshine" is on here, so I'd ask people to request it, if they want to hear it.
:nodhead: A little soul shouldn't hurt anyone.
Platypus wrote:
:-&
If you need a friend ;)
Originally Posted by slurpy: Withers is a classic. Any chance of hearing "Ain't No Sunshine" which is even better. Thanks.
Agreed!