After singing at weddings for a few years, he joined with several other choristers to form a group named The Mistletones in 1980. He also sang the national anthems at Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs games since 1988 and continues to do so. From 1984 through 1992 he worked as a circulation representative for the Toronto Sun, Conrad Black heard him singing at company parties. Black, along with other executives, financed McDermott's independent recording of "Danny Boy" in 1992, which was picked up and released in North America by EMI Music Canada. Following this unexpected success, McDermott decided to pursue a professional singing career.
John has annual concerts world wide, and can be seen from Toronto, to Boston, to New York, to Glasgow.
McDermott performed his first concert at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on October 5, 1993 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there he continued to tour the rest of Canada, performing as an opening act for The Chieftains. Throughout 1994 he went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, following the great success of Danny Boy, which had been ranked Number 1 on the charts there and achieved triple platinum in New Zealand. Next, in 1995 he went on a tour of the United Kingdom with The Seekers.
At this point in his career he was becoming recognized internationally, so he started to tour regularly as a solo act rather than an opening act. He also appeared at several special events including the D-Day ceremonies in France in 1995, and the US Democratic National Convention in 1996. He has also appeared on TV several times, both as a host of CBC Television concert specials in 1997, and in his own television special titled John McDermott: A Time to Remember which aired on PBS in 2002.
McDermott formed The Irish Tenors and after performing a large concert in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, they spent some time touring the US, appearing on TV, and releasing a gold record.
Since leaving The Irish Tenors, McDermott continues to tour extensively throughout the World, performing with his own group and with the great symphonies of the world. He continues to work to support the veteran community in the United States and in Canada. In 2000 McDermott dedicated McDermott House in Washington DC, a transitional home for homeless veterans. His latest release Journeys-Bringing Buddy Home was recorded to help support fundraising for Fisher House Boston and launch the Canadian initiative for an outreach centre for Canadian Veterans.
Friend Like You
John McDermott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like I always used to do
No searching for some other unknown mystic lover
Now I've found the perfect friend in you
There are those I've known for a lifetime
Others, they're brand new
They come through lucky chance,
Some from brief romances
But you took me by surprise
I wasn't ready for you
Something flashed before my eyes
Suddenly I adored you, adored you
I was never terminal lonely
From my sheltered point of view
My life was kind of simple, I hadn't built a temple
Dedicated to a friend like you
On the way from cradle to tombstone
There may be a lucky few
Who sail through life untroubled,
Floating on the bubbles
In the wake of special friends like you
When you took me by surprise
I couldn't help but allow
One day vague, the next day wise
To love you beyond tomorrow, tomorrow
You took me by surprise
I wasn't thinking of you
Suddenly realized
How much I really loved you, I love you
Now I don't need to look any further
Like I always used to do
No searching for some unknown mystic lover
Now I've found the perfect friend in you
Now I've found the perfect friend in you
Oh my perfect friend how I love you
In John McDermott's song "Friend Like You," the lyrics express the joy of finding a true friend. The singer doesn't have to search for love anymore because he's found the perfect friend in the person he's singing about. The song speaks to the power of friendship, how it can sustain people through even the most difficult of times. The song is about the gratitude one feels when finding a true friend, someone who is there for you through thick and thin.
In the first verse, the singer acknowledges that he has known many people throughout his life, but in the end, he realizes that he has found the perfect friend in this one person. The second verse talks about how he was surprised by this connection. He wasn't looking for a new friend, but he found one nonetheless. The third verse speaks to the fact that the singer was not someone who was desperately lonely before finding this friend, but that this friendship has still changed his life for the better.
The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer has found the perfect friend, and that he doesn't need to look any further for something else. The song ends with the singer saying how much he loves this new friend, and how grateful he is to have found them.
Overall, the song "Friend Like You" speaks to the power of friendship and how it can change a person's life. It conveys gratitude for finding someone who truly understands and accepts you for who you are, and who is always there for you no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't have to look any further
I don't need to search anymore
Like I always used to do
I used to search before
No searching for some other unknown mystic lover
I don't have to search for a romantic partner
Now I've found the perfect friend in you
I found the perfect friend in you
There are those I've known for a lifetime
I have known some people throughout my life
Others, they're brand new
Others are new to me
They come through lucky chance,
I met them unexpectedly
Some from brief romances
Some from short-term relationships
They'd all love to have a friend like you
They would all like to have a friend like you
But you took me by surprise
You surprised me
I wasn't ready for you
I wasn't prepared for you
Something flashed before my eyes
Something caught my attention suddenly
Suddenly I adored you, adored you
Suddenly I really loved you
I was never terminal lonely
I was never completely alone
From my sheltered point of view
From my limited perspective
My life was kind of simple, I hadn't built a temple
My life was simple, I didn't have lofty aspirations
Dedicated to a friend like you
Dedicated to having a friend like you
On the way from cradle to tombstone
From birth to death
There may be a lucky few
A few people may be fortunate
Who sail through life untroubled,
Who have an easy life
Floating on the bubbles
Living carefree
In the wake of special friends like you
Thanks to people like you - friends who make a difference in someone's life
I couldn't help but allow
I couldn't resist
One day vague, the next day wise
One day confused, the next day clear
To love you beyond tomorrow, tomorrow
To love you more than just one day
Suddenly realized
Realized suddenly
How much I really loved you, I love you
I realized that I really love you
Oh my perfect friend how I love you
Oh how I love you, my perfect friend
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ShyMoonheart
This is such a beautiful song. Thanks for posting this. What a voice!! It brings back so many memories. <3
ShyMoonheart
@Dermott Studio Thank you. Any song of John's that is put on YouTube is great. The more songs, the more people will discover that wonderful tenor.
Dermott Studio
@ShyMoonheart I don't have too much that aren't on CD, I'll try my best.
ShyMoonheart
@Dermott Studio I remember the first time I heard this song. I had finally gotten a copy of Voyage and was listening and loving all the songs but this song was so special. He is the singer who knocked the Beatles out of the top spot on my list :) Thanks so much for posting this one. Maybe you can work on some of the ones that aren't on CD???? hint hint :)
Dermott Studio
I love this song allot too, and I was extremely shocked that it hadn't been uploaded by any of my other competitors. Its really a great song.
John Whitehead
Beautifully done!
Martha Jones
Martha
John, I was quite surprised, but thrilled that you sang this song on YouTube. It is one one my very favorites, and the lyrics clearly express how I feel about a certain person.
Dermott Studio
I am not John, but I am still glad you enjoyed the song. And good luck on the romance ;) They'd love to have a friend like you.
Ken Breadner
Thank you for posting this. So few songs out there say "friend" the way I mean "friend". This would be the best of them.
Dermott Studio
@Ken Breadner Ohh, scandalous. Just kidding, I'm glad you enjoyed it.