Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me
When you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on...
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on
This is the OG Lean On Me song by American singer-songwriter Bill Withers and it released on April 21, 1972. But it was on July 8, 1972 that it topped the charts in the USA. You might know him for his more famous numbers like Ain't No Sunshine, but Lean On Me is another classic that this musician delivered.
When Withers shifted to Los Angeles, he became homesick for his hometown in West Virginia. In one such instance when he was overcome by emotion, he sat by his piano and the tune almost lept out of him. He had admitted in an interview that he deliberately made it a point to keep the lyrics as simple as they can be.
In a relatively short career spanning 15 years, Withers has given the world many hits like Grandma's Hands, Use Me and Lovely Day and passed away on March 30, 2020, at the age of 81.