“Lean
on me, when you're not strong
And
I'll be your friend.”—American singer-songwriter Bill Withers (1938-2020), “Lean
on Me,” from his Still Bill LP (1972)
In
his short but glorious career, soul singer Bill Withers created songs that not
only spread across the airwaves but formed a kind of musical primer for later
artists, such as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lovely Day” and “Use Me.”
But
the one that feels especially urgent now, amid our current isolation and fear—and
the one that makes his loss earlier this week so agonizing—is “Lean on Me.”
His
message of mutual aid and understanding can break down barriers of class, race,
ethnicity, gender, and religion. It pays as much to heed it now as when he
wrote and recorded it nearly a half century ago.
(The
photo accompanying this post shows Bill Withers—with Cornell Dupree in the
background—at the tribute convert for Withers held Aug. 9, 2008.)
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