I'll Be There

Link to my "I'll Be There" playlist on Spotify

Ciao! This week’s theme is “I’ll Be There”, and our first song has that phrase as a subtitle, but the full title of the song is “Reach Out” (I’ll Be There)”, and it was recorded by the Four Tops in 1967.

“Say Me Say You” by Lionel Richie, from 1986, talks about how it seems hard to find someone who understands you, who is always there to help you when you feel you’ve lost your way, and he promises to be there for the one he loves. This next song by Arisa was released in 2014. The title, “Controvento”, literally means “against the wind”, but it is more about struggling against difficult odds. She promises to be there for the person she loves, and to travel with them, side by side, down the road of life, “controvento”.

The lyrics of “Love Song” by Tesla, from 1989, say that “love is all around you”, “love will find a way”, and “love will find its way back to you” and “I’ll be right there for you, when you need a friend”.

When The Pretenders released “I’ll Stand By You” in 1984 it won a Grammy, and it reached the top 20 in several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was later covered by other artists, often for charity. It is a ballad, promising love and help to a loved one who is going through dark times. Here is “I’ll Stand By You”.

“Ed io ti seguirò” is the title of our next song, by Renato Zero. The title means “I will follow you”, and he says to his love “stay here with me when you don’t know where else to go”...”leave the grey world behind, stay here, where time knows how to wait”. “I will be simply a sincere embrace, a safe place, a rare smile”. Here is “Ed io ti seguirò” from 1981.

“You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor from 1971 is a classic rock song that goes perfectly with this week’s theme.

Another great classic is “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel. It is from the album of the same name, which was the 5th and final album of the duo. When it was released in 1970 it won a Brit Award for International Album and Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Song, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Engineered Album. It also won a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It is on the Rolling Stone list of 500 greatest songs of all time, and the album is on the list of 500 greatest albums of all time. Here is “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.

“Sono Qui Per Te” by Valerio Scanu is from 2012. It means “I’m Here for You”, and it has beautiful music and even more beautiful lyrics that include phrases like "even the moon reflects your light, the fear inside of me disappears”. Here is “Sono Qui Per Te”. (this song is not included in my Spotify playlist because it was not available on Spotify at the time of this post)

Now let’s listen to “I Won't Let You Go” by James Morrison, from 2011.

“Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx from 1989 is the definitive song about the way we suffer when we are in a long distance relationship. It was a global hit, topping charts throughout the world, including the U.S. where it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA and has been covered by many artists, including Monica for her album “The Boy Is Mine”. Here is Richard Marx with “Right Here Waiting”.

Next up is “Io Ci Sarò” by 883 (otto otto tre) from 1998. The title means “I Will Be Here”, and the lyrics say that he won’t promise his love things he doesn’t have, nor promise to be something that he is not. He says he can’t swear that every day he will be handsome, exceptional, upbeat, tender, or fantastic, and that there will be grey days...but that they will pass. In good times and bad, in joy and in difficulty, “if you are here, I will be here”. Here is “Io ci sarò” by 883 (otto otto tre).

“Because I Love You” by Stevie B was recorded in 1988 but wasn’t released until 1990. It is also known as “The Postman Song”. He says “you can count on me, I'll always be around, because I love you, I'll be right by your side, to be a light, to be your guide”. “Wherever You Will Go” by The Calling, from 2001, is the first single from their debut studio album, Camino Palmero (2001). It remains their best known song and most successful hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Adult Top 40 for 23 weeks, the second longest-running number one in the chart's history.

Now here’s another song with the title “Io ci sarò”, but this time it’s a very different song by Luca Bergamini. Released in 2017, it comes from the singer’s album “L’amore Che Vorrei”, and the song was co-written by Luca Bergamini, Omar Lambertini, Daniele Tarantino and the great Mario Neri. Here is Luca Bergamini with “Io ci sarò”.

Be sure to tune in every week for a new episode of Love Songs, featuring host Marcy Coate. See the sidebar for current broadcast days and times.