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What is the story behind the song Lean on Me by Bill Withers?

Bill Withers' childhood in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, was the inspiration for "Lean on Me", which he wrote after he had moved to Los Angeles and found himself missing the strong community ethic of his hometown.

en.wikipedia.org - Lean on Me (song) - Wikipedia

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1972 single by Bill Withers

This article is about the Bill Withers song. For other songs, see Lean on Me "Lean on Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bill Withers. It was released in April 1972 as the first single from his second album, Still Bill. It was a number one single on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100; the latter chart for three weeks in July 1972.[1] Billboard ranked it as the No. 7 song of 1972.[2] It was ranked number 208 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2010.[3] Numerous other versions have been recorded, and it is one of only nine songs to have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with versions recorded by two different artists.[4]

Background and writing [ edit ]

Bill Withers' childhood in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia,[5] was the inspiration for "Lean on Me", which he wrote after he had moved to Los Angeles and found himself missing the strong community ethic of his hometown. He had lived in a decrepit house in the poor section of his town.

Withers recalled to SongFacts the original inspiration for the song:

"I bought a little piano and I was sitting there just running my fingers up and down the piano. In the course of doing the music, that phrase crossed my mind, so then you go back and say, 'OK, I like the way that phrase, Lean On Me, sounds with this song.'" [6] Withers stated in the same interview that he made an effort to keep the lyrics simple.[6] Several members of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band[7] were used for the recording session in 1972. A string section was also included as well.

Personnel [ edit ]

Track listings [ edit ]

7-inch single

"Lean on Me" – 3:45 "Better Off Dead" – 2:13

Charts [ edit ]

Certifications [ edit ]

Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[14] Platinum 70,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Gold 400,000 United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 1,000,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Club Nouveau version [ edit ]

The R&B group Club Nouveau covered the song with go-go beat and took it to number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in March 1987.[17] It also reached number one on the dance charts,[17] and number two on the Black Singles charts, kept out of the top spot by Jody Watley's "Looking for a New Love". It won a Grammy award in 1987 for Bill Withers, as the writer, for Best R&B Song.[18] The song ranked at number 94 in VH1's 100 Greatest One-hit Wonders of the 80s.[19]

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Track listings [ edit ]

7-inch single

"Lean on Me" – 3:58 "Pump It Up (Lean on Me)" (reprise) – 2:38

12-inch single

"Lean on Me" (remix)" – 7:42 "Lean on Me" (LP version) – 5:56 "Pump It Up (Lean on Me)" (remix) – 4:51 "Pump It Up (Lean on Me)" (reprise – LP version) – 2:38

Charts [ edit ]

Weekly charts [ edit ]

Year-end charts [ edit ]

Certifications [ edit ]

Certifications and sales for Club Nouveau's cover Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 250,000^ United States (RIAA)[45] Gold 1,000,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

2-4 Family version [ edit ]

In 1999, 2-4 Family released "Lean on Me (With the Family)", a remake with a hip hop arrangement and additional lyrics. Epic Records published a 12-inch single and a CD maxi single in Germany. In 2008, several years after the dissolution of 2-4 Family, founding band-member Mike Johnson performed the song with backing vocalists and dancers at the Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria.

Track listings [ edit ]

12-inch single [ edit ]

"Lean on Me (With the Family)" (Special radio version) – 3:58 "Lean on Me (With the Family)" (DSP mix) – 4:04 "9 Lives" (Album Version) – 4:06 "Stay" (Special Radio Version) – 4:12 "Lean on Me (With the Family)" (Lounge mix) – 6:38 "Stay" (Jay's D-Style Mix) – 4:15

CD maxi single [ edit ]

"Lean on Me (With the Family)" (Radio version) – 3:38 "Lean on Me (With the Family)" (DSP mix) – 4:04 "Lean on Me (With the Family)" (Lounge mix) – 6:38 "Lean on Me (With the Family)" (Special radio version) – 3:58 "Stay" (Jay's D-Style mix) – 4:15 "9 Lives" (Album version) – 4:06

Charts [ edit ]

Year-end charts [ edit ]

Chart (1999) Position Germany (Official German Charts) [49] 82

In popular culture [ edit ]

Notable cover versions [ edit ]

en.wikipedia.org - Lean on Me (song) - Wikipedia

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