In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
Stand By Me
Ben E. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No, I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me
So darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now
Stand by me, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh, stand now
Stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Won't you stand by
me
Stand by me
"Stand By Me" by Ben E. King is a beautiful song about friendship, unity, and support. The first verse sets the scene for a dark and lonely night, where the only source of light is the moon. However, the singer reassures his friend that he won't be afraid as long as they stand by his side. The chorus reinforces this sentiment, imploring his friend to stand by him.
The second verse imagines a catastrophic event where the world as they know it crumbles and falls apart. The singer declares that he won't cry or shed a tear as long as his friend stays with him. The final chorus repeats the message of the first, saying that whenever the singer is in trouble, he hopes his friend will stand by him.
Overall, the song emphasizes the power of companionship and how reassuring it is to know that someone is always there for you, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
When the night has come
When everything seems dark and the future is uncertain
And the land is dark
When everything around us is uncertain and uncharted
And the moon is the only light we'll see
When even the small strips of light bring us hope
No, I won't be afraid
I won't let fear be in control of my emotions
No, I won't be afraid
I can face anything that comes my way without fear, with you by my side
Just as long as you stand
As long as you're there, I know I can face anything
Stand by me
Just be there with me
So darlin', darlin', stand by me
My love, I need you to be there for me
Oh, stand by me
Just stay beside me
Oh, stand
Don't leave me now
Stand by me, stand by me
Just stay close to me, always
If the sky that we look upon
Even if everything we thought was solid and unchanging become unstable
Should tumble and fall
Should crumble and disappear, never to come back
Or the mountains should crumble to the sea
The impossible event, the mountains sinking in the sea, an uncontrollable, unimaginable change
I won't cry, I won't cry
I won't break down and cry when I'm with you
No I won't shed a tear
I won't allow myself to feel helpless or despair
Just as long as you stand
As long as you're there, I know I can face anything
Stand by me
Just be there with me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me
I need you to be there for me, always
Oh, stand by me
Just stay beside me
Oh, stand now
Don't leave me now
Stand by me, stand by me
Just stay close to me, always
And darlin', darlin', stand by me
My love, I need you to always be there for me
Oh, stand by me
Just stay beside me
Oh, stand now
Don't leave me now
Stand by me, stand by me
Just stay close to me, always
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
When you need help, I'll always be here to support you
Oh, stand by me
Just stay beside me
Won't you stand by me
Just be there for me, always
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ben King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind