In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
If I Needed You
Asleep At The Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you come to me
Would you come to me
For to ease my pain
If you needed me
I would come to you
I would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
Well the night's forlorn
And the morning's born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
And you'll miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
And that would break
My heart in two
If I needed you
Would you come to me
Would you come to me
For to ease my pain
If you needed me
I would come to you
I would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
Baby's with me now
Since I showed her how
To lay
Her lilly
Hand in mine
Who would ill agree
She's a sight to see
A treasure for
The poor to find
If I needed you
Would you come to me
Would you come to me
For to ease my pain
If you needed me
I would come to you
I would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
The lyrics to Asleep At The Wheel's song If I Needed You revolve around the theme of love and support. The song is essentially a conversation between two lovers who ask each other if they would be there to support one another in times of need. They promise to go to great lengths to ease each other's pain if they had to. The first stanza has the person asking if their partner would come to them if they needed help, and the second stanza has the partner reciprocating the same question. This exchange of questions emphasizes the importance of mutual support in a relationship.
The third stanza introduces the idea of the passing of time, and how every moment is precious. The night may be sad and lonely, but the morning brings the light of love. The singer pleads with their partner to not miss out on the beauty of sunrise, as it would break their heart to see their partner miss out on something so beautiful. This brings home the importance of living in the moment and not taking life for granted.
The fourth stanza talks about how the singer's partner is with them now, and both of them hold hands. The partner is described as a sight to see and a treasure for the poor to find. The reference to a treasure is symbolic of how valuable their love is to the singer, and how it has brought meaning to their life.
Overall, the song emphasizes the importance of unconditional love, support, and mutual care in a relationship. It also highlights the value of living in the present and cherishing every moment.
Line by Line Meaning
If I needed you
Asking if the person he's singing to would be there for him if he needed them
Would you come to me
Asking if they would physically come to him if he asked
Would you come to me
Asking again if they would come to him
For to ease my pain
Explaining that he needs them to come to make him feel better
If you needed me
Offering to help the person he's singing to if they needed him
I would come to you
Promising to physically come to them if they asked
I would swim the seas
Willing to go to great lengths to help them
For to ease your pain
Explaining that he's doing this to make them feel better
Well the night's forlorn
Describing how the night feels sad and lonely
And the morning's born
The new day has begun
And the morning shines
The morning is bright and sunny
With the lights of love
The love between two people can make the world a brighter place
And you'll miss sunrise
If you don't open your eyes, you'll miss the beauty of the world waking up
If you close your eyes
If you don't look around, you'll miss the beauty of the world
And that would break
If the person he's singing to missed this, it would be heartbreaking
My heart in two
It would make him very sad
Baby's with me now
Talking about how he has his significant other with him now
Since I showed her how
Since he taught her something
To lay
To put
Her lilly
Her pure and beautiful
Hand in mine
Her hand in his
Who would ill agree
Who would disagree
She's a sight to see
She's beautiful
A treasure for
A valuable possession for
The poor to find
Even someone who doesn't have much can still find something of value in her
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
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Ben - Moderator
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Eddie
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