It's from his album Rock 'N' Roll (1975).
According to the documentary History of Rock 'n' Roll, Ben E. King had no intention of recording the song himself when he wrote it.[1] King had written the song for The Drifters, who passed on the chance to record it. It was not until after the "Spanish Harlem" recording session that he had some studio time left over. The session's producers, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, asked if he had any more songs and King played "Stand by Me" on the piano for them. They liked it and called all the studio musicians back in to record it. The song was not released on an album until it had been out as a single for two years. After those two years the song appeared as track seven on King's Don't Play That Song.
King's version went to number one on the R&B charts[2] and was a Top Ten hit on the U.S. charts twice—in its original release in 1961, when it peaked at #4, and a 1986 rerelease coinciding with its use as the theme song for the movie of the same name following its appearance in the film, when it peaked at #9, and also in an advertisement for Levi Jeans. It also reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart in 1987 after its re-release, mostly due to the jeans spot, originally reaching #27 on its first release.
"Stand by Me" was ranked number 121 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1999, BMI named it as the fourth most-performed song of the 20th century, with about 7 million performances.[3]
[edit] Structure
The song uses a version of the common chord progression now called the 50s progression, also known as a "turn-around", which have been called the "'Stand by Me' changes"[4] after the song.
[edit] Notable covers, remixes and samples
* Ben E. King recorded a song that paraphrased it musically, "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)".[citation needed]
* The Searchers included the song on their 1963 debut album Meet the Searchers.
* Otis Redding recorded a version for his album Pain in My Heart.
* John Lennon recorded his version of the song for his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll. Lennon's cover of "Stand by Me" was his last hit prior to his five-year retirement from the music industry. This version of the song had a more rock sound than R&B. The acoustic introduction of this version is reminiscent of Ringo Starr's "Only You (And You Alone)" from 1974. Lennon suggested Starr cover that song, and Lennon plays guitar on both songs. The B-side of the single was "Move Over Ms. L", a rare and raucous track also covered by The Who drummer Keith Moon.
* Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller have a version which was featured in the hit musical Smokey Joe's Cafe.
* Playing for Change made a music video rendition of "Stand By Me" which is a collaboration of over 35 street performers and musicians from all over the world.
* Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire recorded his version of the song on his 1985 album Maurice White. White's remake of "Stand by Me" peaked at number 6, 11 and 50 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, Adult Contemporary and Billboard Hot 100 charts respectively.[5]
* Mickey Gilley performed a version which was featured in the hit 1980 film Urban Cowboy. It was a #1 country hit for him in August of that year, also reaching #22 on the Pop charts and #3 at Adult Contemporary.
* Pennywise recorded a punk cover which was originally released on the EP Wildcard in 1989.
* Ronnie Milsap recorded a gospel-altered version on his recent album, Then Sings My Soul.
* Gigi D'Agostino released a dance version of this song.
* Seal covered the song on his album Soul.
* Lemmy Kilmister performed the song with Dave Lombardo and DJ Baron for the soundtrack of the 2009 Flip Skateboards video "Extremely Sorry."
* Overboard performed an a cappella version of the song for their 2008 album, Castaways.
* Boxer Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, released a version of the song in 1963.
* J.R. Rotem interpolated Stand By Me when he produced Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston
* U2 has covered it many times while on tour, and once with Bruce Springsteen during the The Joshua Tree Tour. It was also sung during the U2 360° Tour at the Rose Bowl at the end of their song I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.
* Andy Madadian, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora recorded a version of this song (available only on web) in 2009 as a musical message of "worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran".
* Timon & Pumbaa also did a version of this song, though during the song sequence when Timon's singing, Pumbaa ends up getting into dangerous situations of sorts.
* Stephen King and Warren Zevon recorded a version for the charity compilation album Stranger than Fiction.
Stand By Me
John Lennon 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
No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And 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 darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me, yeah
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Ah
The lyrics of the song Stand by Me by John Lennon convey a powerful message about the importance of having someone's support during difficult times. The song opens with the image of a dark night, which represents a time of uncertainty and fear. However, the singer asserts that as long as he has someone standing by him, he will not be afraid. The chorus repeats the phrase "stand by me," emphasizing the need for the other person's unwavering presence and support.
The second verse takes a more dramatic turn, as the singer imagines a worst-case scenario: the sky falling and the mountain crumbling into the sea. Despite this apocalyptic image, the singer remains resolute, promising not to cry or shed a tear as long as his companion stands by him.
Overall, the lyrics of Stand by Me are about the importance of companionship and support in difficult times. The song emphasizes that with someone by your side, you can face anything without fear or tears. It's a message that has resonated with listeners for decades, and the song remains a beloved classic to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
When the night has come
When darkness falls and all hope seems lost
And the land is dark
And the world around us is consumed by the same darkness
And the moon is the only light we'll see
And the only thing that illuminates the dark is the moon
No I won't be afraid
I will not be scared or intimidated
No I won't be afraid
I won't allow myself to feel frightened
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
As long as you are with me, I have nothing to fear
And darling, darling stand by me
My dear, my love, please stay with me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Please, right now, stay by my side
Stand by me, stand by me
I need you to support me, to stay close to me
If the sky that we look upon
If the world as we know it crumbles around us
Should tumble and fall
If everything we thought was solid falls apart
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
Even if the largest and strongest things we know can't withstand the chaos
I won't cry, I won't cry
I will not lament or give in to despair
No I won't shed a tear
I won't allow myself to show weakness or vulnerability
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
As long as you are with me, I know I can handle anything
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Please, in your time of need, let me be the one to support you
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Right now, I need you to stay with me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Stay by my side, be my rock, my support and my comfort
Darling, darling stand by me
My dear, please be there for me
Stand by me
Stay close to me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Be my strength, my confidant, stay with me through thick and thin
Ah
A final word of pure emotion, gratitude and appreciation
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment
Written by: Ben King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dewsuperhero5642
When the night has come
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
@justinratcliffe947
RIP Prince
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Seriously Death? Are you a fucking music hater or something?
@darthkurland
One take of this song from 1974 actually included the other Beatles as backing musicians. Yes, Paul included. That session featured all four of them reunited for the first time in five years.
• John Lennon: rhythm guitar/vocals
• Paul McCartney: bass guitar
• George Harrison: lead guitar
• Ringo Starr: drums
Additional musicians:
• Harry Nilsson:
• Jim Keltner: additional percussion
• Bobby Keys: saxophonist
• Stevie Wonder: keyboards
Recorded at Burbank Studios, LA in March, 1974
Released by Apple Records on March 10, 1975
@theolambert654
“Everything will be ok in the end, if it’s not ok, it’s not the end”
-John Lennon
@bridgetbrown9525
what a beautiful man...RIP John !! You are so. so. missed and loved...IMAGINE...
@angelatrump6325
Oh, Wow, Do you know, who said that to me TuPac, You just reminded me of that, and yes, he told me it was John Lennon's, it was actually one of his posts on his personal Facebook, wow!
@streetmk2605
grande el Pelusa Caligari
@personguy7919
Angela Trump dude Tupac was a gangster with guns talking shit about everyone
@maribethstern8023
Still miss you John Lennon!
@mimhymarchel3669
someone listening to it in 2024?
@xrpvegas5407
Me
@jaybee9269
Yep.
@MariaFatimafMelo
❤❤❤❤❤oi boa noite