Randy VanWarmer (also written as Vanwarmer, Van Warmer; March 30, 1955 – Ja… Read Full Bio ↴Randy VanWarmer (also written as Vanwarmer, Van Warmer; March 30, 1955 – January 12, 2004) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His biggest success was the pop hit, "Just When I Needed You Most". It reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1979 after peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks earlier that year. There are several cover versions of this song, including those by Dolly Parton and Smokie.

He wrote several songs for the group The Oak Ridge Boys including the No. 1 U.S. Country hit "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes". The song appeared on his 1981 album Beat of Love, which also included the pop tune "Suzi Found a Weapon", which hit No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Career:
He was born Randall Van Wormer, in Indian Hills, Colorado, United States, the son of Roger Van Wormer (1919–1967) and Betsy (née Harry; 1919–2006). At 15, three years after the death of his father in an automobile accident, he moved with his mother to Cornwall, England. His experiences there inspired "Just When I Needed You Most".

In a 1989 interview with Release, a now-defunct independent paper from Stanford, California, Van Warmer said that Albert Grossman, the head of Bearsville, would not let him do television or tour the United States, a strategy that did not prove successful.

His follow-up album, Terraform, was dark and (compared to his previous work) almost alternative. According to Release, Terraform sold moderately in Japan and Australia. VanWarmer would later publicly rue his decision to turn away from dreamy ballads. He made two more records at Bearsville: Beat of Love and The Things That You Dream. Beat of Love included the single "Suzi Found a Weapon", a tribute to a Bearsville public relations rep whom VanWarmer would later woo and marry, and which went to No. 1 in Alaska and gained a certain amount of post mortem acclaim (for example, a review by James A. Gardner in AllMusic). But Grossman died soon thereafter, and VanWarmer's future was in doubt.

According to Release, in the mid-1980s Suzi VanWarmer mailed a song called "I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes" from Beat of Love to a friend at MCA, who sent it to Ron Chancey, the producer of the Oak Ridge Boys. They put it on their next album. Charley Pride recorded a song of VanWarmer's, as did Michael Johnson. Moving to Nashville, VanWarmer saw a recording of his song, "I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)", also No. 1 on the country chart by Alabama.

His final album was a tribute to Stephen Foster, released posthumously only in Japan. According to the CD's liner notes, VanWarmer played all the instruments. The notes also indicate that he completed work on the record a few days after learning he had leukemia; he died at 48, one day before the anniversary of Foster's death.

In line with one of his greatest loves, some of his cremated remains were sent into space in 2007 and then again in 2012 aboard the first successful private space flight to the International Space Station, the SpaceX Dragon vehicle.

Death:
VanWarmer died on January 12, 2004 at the age of 48, in Seattle. He had been suffering from leukemia for the previous year. He is survived by his widow Suzi and his brothers Dave, Mark, and Ron.

Call Me
Randy VanWarmer Lyrics

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Call me
When your lonely
Call me
I will be free
If you need love
Or just a friend
Call me for company
Last time

You were lonely
You came straight to me
I made you laugh
I gave you my love
I gave you sympathy

Tried to tell myself
I was more than just stuck on you
When I finally pulled you through
I'd have what you were looking for
Now I tried to think
Of what I said
And what I have or haven't done
I know when you needed me
I was there
I was there
So oh call me
Oh Oh Oh call me
Now you know if you need me
I'll be there
I'll be there
So call me

If you need love
Or just a friend
Call me for company
Call me
Oh Oh Oh call me
Now you know if you need me
I'll be there
I'll be there

So sometimes when your lonely
Call on me
Call me I will be free
Call on me
Sometimes when your lonely
Call on me
Call me I will be free
Call on me

Sometimes when your lonely
Call on me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Randy VanWarmer's song "Call Me" speaks of the singer's willingness to be there for someone when they are in need of company, whether it be for love or just friendship. The lyrics are full of empathy and understanding that everyone, from time to time, needs someone to reach out to when they experience loneliness. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been there for the person before, and they can trust that he will always be there for them. The song encourages listeners to call on someone who cares when they are feeling down, and not to suffer alone. It also reminds the listener of the importance of being supportive of others and offering friendship, love, and sympathy to those who need it most.

The emotion in the song comes from the singer's sweet vocal delivery and heartfelt lyrics. The mix of the soft acoustic guitar and piano creates a melancholy sound that reflects the longing in the singer's voice.

Line by Line Meaning

Call me
Reach out to me

When your lonely
When you're feeling alone

Call me
Get in touch with me

I will be free
I'll be available

If you need love
If you're looking for love

Or just a friend
Or if you need someone to talk to

Call me for company
Contact me for companionship

Last time
The previous occasion

You were lonely
You were feeling lonely

You came straight to me
You reached out to me directly

I made you laugh
I caused you to laugh