Various versions of favorite friendship songs are presented below.
I. “Stand By Me” is an oldie originally sung by Ben E. King (1960); it serves as the theme song in the classic 1986 movie by the same name.
Of the hundreds of cover versions out there, the one below is among the best. Music Travel Love, the male duo playing guitars, are joined by special friends in Abu Dhabi.
…If the sky that we look uponShould tumble and fallOr the mountain should crumble to the seaI won’t cry, I won’t cryNo, I won’t shed a tearJust as long as you standStand by me…
II. “I’ll Stand by You” began with The Pretenders (1984). Below Josh Groban is joined by Helene Fischer in a worthy remake. Romance or friendship? It can be both.
…I’ll stand by youWon’t let nobody hurt youI’ll stand by youTake me in, into your darkest hourAnd I’ll never desert youI’ll stand by you…
III. “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Who knew this weepie was recorded by multiple artists before Bette Midler‘s character in Beaches (1988) ever sang it. When Lifetime remade the film (2017) co-star Idina Menzel gave it her take.
Did you ever know that you’re my heroAnd everything I would like to be?I can fly higher than an eagleFor you are the wind beneath my wings…
…And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend.Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea.
Like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood.Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better
But because I knew you…[Both:]
I have been changed for good.
I also want to give male bonding a chance, though. You’ve got to hear this one by Jacob Daniel Cummings and Peter Gibbons:
V. “You’ve Got a Friend” (1971) was written and recorded by Carole King in response to this lyric in “Fire and Rain” (1970) by James Taylor: I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. A year after King’s song came out, Taylor recorded his own version.
A 2010 performance by King and Taylor together:
When King was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2015, she was blown away that Sara Bareilles was there to perform it.
