| "You and Me Against the World" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Helen Reddy | ||||
| from the album Love Song for Jeffery | ||||
| B-side | "Love Song For Jeffrey" | |||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | traditional pop | |||
| Length | 3:08 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Writer(s) | Kenny Ascher, Paul Williams | |||
| Producer | Tom Catalano | |||
| Helen Reddy singles chronology | ||||
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"You and Me Against the World" is a song written by Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams, recorded by Helen Reddy for her 1974 album Love Song for Jeffrey.
"You and Me Against the World" was the first song written by Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams and began as a gag song: Williams and Ascher, a member of Williams' band, had a discussion about their favorite songwriters which led to the spontaneous composition of a song on the subject whose tune, Ascher then realized, had real hit potential. Williams himself debuted "You and Me Against the World" on his 1974 album Here Comes Inspiration, singing it as a traditional love ballad. Reddy considered the song's lyrics too "paternalistic" to be convincing as a woman's declaration of love for a man. Instead Reddy interpreted the song as a mother singing to a child, which her version clarified via Reddy's daughter Traci speaking to "Mommy" at the start and end of the track.[1]
Released as the second single from Love Song For Jeffrey, "You and Me Against the World" reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1974 and became the fourth of Reddy's six consecutive - eight overall - Adult Contemporary number ones [2].
"You and Me Against the World" had also been recorded by Ann Burton, Robert Goulet, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Vera Lynn, Johnny Mathis, Matt Monro and Matt Monro Jr. A Swedish rendering: "Du Och Jag Emot En Värld", was recorded by Lill-Babs.