I first played this song in October 2018, so it’s not too soon for a redux, is it?
There have been over 400 recorded versions of this song, performed by many artists, including John Lennon and Muhammad Ali — yes, that Muhammad Ali — “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee …”
My favourite, however, remains the original sung by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller. It was featured in the 1986 film of the same name, based on a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner.
In 2015 King’s original version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, just under five weeks before his death. Later in the year, the 2015 line up of the Drifters recorded it, in tribute to him.
Released in 1961, Stand By Me hit #1 on the US R&B charts, but only made it to #27 in the UK. Anyway … have a listen, see what you think …
Stand By Me
Ben E. King
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain 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
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Songwriters: Ben King / Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
Stand By Me lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Raleigh Music Publishing
Filosofa's Word 
Great song, no matter who sings it.
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Yep, I agree! Glad you enjoyed it!
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Really great song, u should redux this more often 🙂
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A great song. i will not try to compare anything with it.
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I’m glad you liked it!
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Jill, this is a classic. Anyone who d9es no like it has no musical soul.
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Well … I wouldn’t go that far, ’cause we’ve all got different tastes in music, but I think most everyone does like this one.
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My insinuation was that anyone who does not like soul music is missing a gene…Especially at or near the top of the list of true soul music.
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Ah … well, I can definitely agree with that!
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Pingback: ♫ Stand By Me ♫ (Redux) | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News
Thank you, Ned!!!
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I love this song too. Two collaborative versions deserve a mention, I think. Firstly, the excellent Playing For Change movement, who have made so many great videos, and then in the early days of the pandemic one of our national treasures – ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris – assembled a group of music industry friends to make a version raising money for grassroots musicians. It is a testimony to his longevity as an influential DJ that so many turned out for him. They are mostly British but there are a few Americans in there too: https://youtu.be/ezYABt7aLaU
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The Stand By Me movie is a wonderful homage to the point of this song.
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Agreed!
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