The Gospellers (ゴスペラーズ) are a Japanese a cappella vocal group made up of Te… Read Full Bio ↴The Gospellers (ゴスペラーズ) are a Japanese a cappella vocal group made up of Tetsuya Murakami, Kaoru Kurosawa, Yuji Sakai, Yoichi Kitayama and Yutaka Yasuoka.

Originally formed by Murakami and Kurosawa (along with 4 other members) in 1991 as a group within a college chorus club "Street Corner Symphony" at the University of Waseda, they recruited 3 new members in order to fill the vacancy (4 members previously left the group due to their job placement activities) for the recording of The Gospellers, their first major label release in 1994. They spent the next 6 years working towards national recognition, releasing 13 singles and 5 albums, until they finally came up with a hit single "Towa ni," which stayed in the Oricon chart ranking for 44 consecutive weeks in 2000 and 2001. They became the first a cappella group to be in the top 3 of the chart in Japan with their 16th single, "Hitori."

In early 2006, the group made a side-project release, Gosperats, which featured the members in blackface and singing with more soul and jazz-like accompaniment, with Rats & Star members Masayuki Suzuki, Nobuyoshi Kuwano and Yoshio Sato, who originally, along with such a style, established the popularity of R&B and Doo-wop in the 1980s in Japan.

Stand By Me
The Gospellers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Darling, darling
Stand by me, oh stand by me
Oh stand(now), stand by me
Stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountains 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
Oh stand(now), stand by me
Stand by me
Darling, darling
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

Oh won't you stand now, oh stand
Stand by me...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Gospellers' song "Stand By Me" begin with a depiction of a dark night with no other light but the moon. However, the artiste assures that he is not scared as long as his lover stands by his side. This highlights the importance of emotional support and reassurance in times of fear and uncertainty. The lyrics also show the strength of the bond shared between two people and how important it is to have somebody reliable and trustworthy by one’s side in need.

In the second verse, the lyrics describe the possibility of the sky falling or mountains crumbling, but the singer doesn't react with fear. He is determined to stay strong and stay calm as long as his partner remains there. These notions of loyalty and support make the song timeless, resonating with audiences regardless of the era in which it was produced. The chorus repeats the main message of the song: stand by me. It conveys the idea of unity, companionship, and support in all situations - happy or sad.

Line by Line Meaning

When the night has come
When darkness falls upon us

And the land is dark
And we cannot see the light

And the moon is the only light we'll see
And the only source of light we have is the moon

No, I won't be afraid
I will not be scared

Oh I won't be afraid
I will have no fear

Just as long as you stand
As long as you are with me

Stand by me, so
Stand beside me

Darling, darling
My love, my love

Stand by me, oh stand by me
Support me, be there for me

Oh stand(now), stand by me
Stand with me right now

If the sky that we look upon
If the world we know crumbles down