Lean on Me (song)
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"Lean on Me" is a well known hit song by Bill Withers from the 1972 album Still Bill. It is ranked number 205 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has been interpreted by various artists ever since, including Mud (1976), Club Nouveau (1987), dc Talk (1992 - Free at Last) and Michael Bolton (1994). Even though he has not released a version, country singer Kenny Rogers has performed the song at his concerts.
The song was written by Paul Hill, a college student at St. John's Lutheran College in Winfield, Kansas. He was playing at a coffee house in Wichita when Bill Withers stopped in after a concert and heard him play it. Withers liked the tune and bought it.[citation needed]
The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band was used for the recording session in 1972.
UK Singer Elkie Brooks performed the song as the title music for BBC comedy programme Agony Again.
Now, Lean on Me is often sung at summer camps and other such communities. As its lyrics suggest, it is all about being there for other people.
Preceded by "Song Sung Blue" by Neil Diamond |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Bill Withers version) July 8, 1972 |
Succeeded by "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan |
Preceded by "Jacob's Ladder" by Huey Lewis & the News |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Club Nouveau version) March 21, 1987- March 28, 1987 |
Succeeded by "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship |