That's What Friends Are For
Disney Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We're your friends
We're your friends
We're your friends to the bitter end

When you're alone
Who comes around
To pluck you up
When you are down
And when you're outside, looking in
Who's there to open the door?
That's what friends are for!

Who's always eager to extend
A friendly claw?
That's what friends are for!

And when you're lost in dire need
Who's at your side at lightning speed?
We're friends of every creature
Comin' down the pike
In fact we never met an animal
We didn't like, didn't like

So you can see
We're friends in need
And friends in need
Are friends indeed
We'll keep you safe




In the jungle forevermore
That's what friends are for!

Overall Meaning

The song "That's What Friends Are For" from Disney's The Jungle Book is a lively and upbeat tune that depicts the importance of friendship. The song begins with the repeated verse, "We're your friends, we're your friends, we're your friends to the bitter end." This lyric conveys the steadfastness of true friendship, suggesting that the friends in the song will remain loyal and supportive no matter what happens.


The song's chorus goes on to further illustrate the many ways in which true friends support one another. The lyrics posit a series of rhetorical questions like, "when you're alone, who comes around to pluck you up when you are down?" and "when you're outside, looking in, who's there to open the door?" The answer, of course, is, "that's what friends are for." The song goes on to point out that friends are always eager to help out in any way they can, extending a friendly paw or claw when needed.


The song's final verse plays on the idea that true friends are always there for each other, no matter what. It suggests that friends are "friends of every creature comin' down the pike," that they "never met an animal they didn't like." This last idea reminds listeners that true friendship knows no boundaries, and that friends will always be there to help and support one another, no matter what the circumstances.


Line by Line Meaning

We're your friends
We are here for you as your friends.


We're your friends to the bitter end
We will be your friends no matter what.


When you're alone
When you feel lonely and by yourself.


Who comes around
Whoever visits or calls to check if you are okay.


To pluck you up
To lift you up.


When you are down
When you feel sad or unhappy.


And when you're outside, looking in
When you feel like an outsider or excluded from something.


Who's there to open the door?
Who is there to invite you in and make you feel welcome?


That's what friends are for!
That is what true friends are supposed to do.


Who's always eager to extend
Who is always willing to lend a helping hand?


A friendly claw?
A metaphorical reference to being helpful and kind.


And when you're lost in dire need
When you are in desperate trouble or facing extreme difficulties.


Who's at your side at lightning speed?
Who will rush to help you as soon as they hear you need it?


We're friends of every creature comin' down the pike
We are friends to every living organism that comes our way.


In fact we never met an animal we didn't like, didn't like
We enjoy the company of every type of animal we meet.


So you can see
Therefore, it is evident.


We're friends in need
We are the kind of friends you can rely on in difficult situations.


And friends in need
This refers to the fact that true friends are always there for each other whenever they need help.


Are friends indeed
This is an old English saying which means that friends who help each other out in times of need are true friends indeed.


We'll keep you safe in the jungle forevermore
We will always protect you, just like how we would protect our own kindred in a jungle.


That's what friends are for!
This line is repeated to emphasize the fact that being a true friend involves helping and supporting each other through good and bad times.




Lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company
Written by: RICHARD SHERMAN, ROBERT SHERMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions