Dan Wayland Seals (born February 8, 1948 in McCamey, Texas - died March 25,… Read Full Bio ↴Dan Wayland Seals (born February 8, 1948 in McCamey, Texas - died March 25, 2009) was an American musician.

From a very music oriented family, his older brother Jim Seals sang with a 1950s musical group called The Champs who had a 1958 hit single with the song "Tequila", and who then teamed up with Dash Crofts in the mid-1960's to perform as Seals & Crofts. Dan's other brother is country musician Eddie Seals. He is a cousin of singers Johnny Duncan, Troy Seals, Chuck Seals and Brady Seals (of Little Texas and Hot Apple Pie fame).

Taught by his father to play the upright bass, in high school, Dan joined with piano-playing friend John Ford Coley to perform first as part of Dallas pop/psych group "Southwest F.O.B." (Freight On Board) whose material has been re-released on CD by the Sundazed label. When the group disbanded, he continued performing with Coley as England Dan & John Ford Coley. The two would eventually have several hits performing singing pop rock harmonies such as I'd Really Love To See You Tonight. After 7 albums, they disbanded in 1980 and since then Dan has been performing as a solo artist.

Between 1985 and 1990, Seals scored 10 #1 hits, 7 of them consecutively, on the country charts. His first #1 was "Meet Me in Montana", a 1985 duet with Marie Osmond. His first #1 as a solo artist, "Bop", won the Country Music Association Award for best single in 1986 and had some crossover success as well; the song reached #10 on the adult contemporary charts and #42 in the Billboard Hot 100. Seals and Osmond also won a CMA award as Vocal Duo of the Year in 1986.

Dan, his brother Jim, and Dash Crofts are members of the Bahá'í Faith and say that they derive a lot of their inspiration from the faith's teachings.

Although Dan was a touring artist for the rest of the 1990s, he did release a few more albums on smaller labels throughout the decade, such as Fired Up in 1994, his final album for Warner Bros. He signed to Intersound and released In a Quiet Room, comprising acoustic versions of his earlier hits in 1995. He then switched to TDC and released In a Quiet Room II in 1998, followed by Make It Home in 2002.[7]

In 2008, Seals completed radiation treatments for mantle cell lymphoma at Vanderbilt in Nashville and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and received a stem cell transplant in December of that year at NIH in Maryland. Seals died at the age of 61, on March 25, 2009, at his daughter's home following those treatments.[8]

After You
Dan Seals Lyrics

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I always thought you were the best
I guess I always will
I always thought that we were blessed
And I feel that way still
Sometimes we took the hard road
But we always saw it through

If I had only one friend left

I'd want it to be you

Sometimes the world was on our side
Sometimes it wasn't fair
Sometimes it gave a helping hand
Sometimes we didn't care

'Cause when we were together
It made the dream come true

If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you

Someone who understands me
And knows me inside out
Helps keep me together
And believes without a doubt,
That I could move a mountain
Someone to tell it to

If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you

Someone
And knows me inside out
Helps keep me together
And believes without a doubt,
That I could move a mountain
Someone to tell it to

If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you

Overall Meaning

Dan Seals's song "After You" is a moving ballad about the enduring bond between two people who have been through life's ups and downs together. The song expresses a deep appreciation for the friendship and love that has sustained the relationship over time. The lyrics convey a sense of gratitude and respect for the other person, and a recognition that, even in the face of adversity, the bond between them remains unbroken.

The first verse sets the tone for the song by describing the singer's long-standing admiration for the other person. The second verse reflects on the challenges they've faced together, but also acknowledges their resilience and determination to overcome obstacles. The chorus, "If I had only one friend left, I'd want it to be you," is a simple yet powerful declaration of the importance of the other person in the singer's life.

The third verse presents an image of someone who understands and supports the singer completely, even in their most vulnerable moments. The final repetition of the chorus underscores the message that this friendship is of paramount importance, and that the singer values it above all else.

Overall, "After You" is a reminder of how important it is to cherish the people in our lives who have been there for us through thick and thin.

Line by Line Meaning

I always thought you were the best
I have always held you in high regard

I guess I always will
My opinion of you hasn't changed.

I always thought that we were blessed
I believed that what we had was special.

And I feel that way still
My feelings haven't changed.

Sometimes we took the hard road
At times, we chose to do things the difficult way.

But we always saw it through
Nevertheless, we persevered until the end.

If I had only one friend left
In circumstances where I could only have one friend,

I'd want it to be you
I would unreservedly choose you.

Sometimes the world was on our side
We occasionally received support from the world around us.

Sometimes it wasn't fair
Sometimes we faced injustice.