# Songs where the singer is being a good friend/lover **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 26, 2021, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321 "2021-07-26T12:10:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/1 "2021-07-26T12:10:31Z")
Last night, I was thinking about the song “Trouble Me” by 10,000 Maniacs. It’s about being a supportive and trustworthy lover/friend, and it made me think of how few songs I know with that theme. Most sings seem to either have the general theme of “you are wonderful,” or “I want to do this with you,” but I’m looking for a theme along the lines of “this is who I am and what I have to offer you.” (I hope this is making sense, because I’m struggling to explain this!) Another good example of this sort of song is “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders. Just wondering what other examples people know of. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/2 "2021-07-26T12:20:07Z")
Can’t get closer than this: James Taylor [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xEkIou3WFnM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDBE-7XX_plLOYvjHLn3Og1H0t55g ""You've got a Friend" By: James Taylor") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEkIou3WFnM) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/3 "2021-07-26T12:21:23Z")
Lean on me. - Bill Withers You’ve got a friend - James Taylor He ain’t heavy (he’s my brother) - various ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/4 "2021-07-26T12:27:01Z")
I never knew Clarence Clemons wrote this song. RIP Big Man. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/087mi1e46us/maxresdefault.jpg "Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne - You're a Friend of Mine (Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=087mi1e46us) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/5 "2021-07-26T12:52:58Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MKLVmBOOqVU/maxresdefault.jpg "The Rolling Stones - Waiting On A Friend - OFFICIAL PROMO") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKLVmBOOqVU) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/6 "2021-07-26T12:56:10Z")
[Stand by You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwB9EMpW8eY) by Rachel Platten. It’s so embarrassing to admit this poppy bit of fluff kind of makes me tear up. I wish I had someone in my life to say those words to me. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/7 "2021-07-26T13:00:28Z")
Queen - “You’re My Best Friend” ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/8 "2021-07-26T13:15:34Z")
I’ll Be There For You - Rembrandts (Gosh, someone should start a thread about the TV show ‘Friends’) ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/9 "2021-07-26T13:25:23Z")
> [@Alright, so he IS kinda heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-so-he-is-kinda-heavy/781227): > > “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” “Lean On Me” All good songs IMO but also rather self-aggrandizing. if I wanted to make a playlist of songs about what a great guy I am can you help me find other songs in the same vein? A similar (if somewhat cynical) thread I started years ago. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/10 "2021-07-26T14:34:47Z")
That’s the same building featured on the cover of the Led Zeppelin album _Physical Graffiti_. I wonder if it has any particular meaning, or is just a building? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/11 "2021-07-26T15:08:24Z")
So it is! Interesting bit of trivia. No idea if there’s anything to it beyond coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/12 "2021-07-26T15:19:46Z")
I suspect that it’s not coincidence that the Stones used it in the video, possibly as an Easter egg-style tribute to Led Zeppelin, but it’s not otherwise a particularly noteworthy building (it’s an apartment building, located at 96-98 St. Mark’s Place in Manhattan). ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/13 "2021-07-26T15:58:25Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I suspect that it’s not coincidence that the Stones used it in the video, possibly as an Easter egg-style tribute to Led Zeppelin, Hmmm…maybe so. They seem like such different bands that I wouldn’t have thought that the Stones would incorporate an Easter egg tribute to Led Zeppelin in a video, but they are both British bands who borrowed (some might say stole) heavily from American blues. So, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/14 "2021-07-26T16:19:37Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vqIbbrq5SQk/hqdefault.jpg "Jefferson Airplane - My Best Friend") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqIbbrq5SQk) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/15 "2021-07-26T16:31:54Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I suspect that it’s not coincidence that the Stones used it in the video, possibly as an Easter egg-style tribute to Led Zeppelin, but it’s not otherwise a particularly noteworthy building (it’s an apartment building, located at 96-98 St. Mark’s Place in Manhattan). Same graphic designer: Pete Corriston was based in Greenwich Village and worked on both _Physical Graffiti_ and _Tattoo You_. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/16 "2021-07-26T16:39:52Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Queen - “You’re My Best Friend” I’m not totally sure I understand the OP, but I think it’s looking for “I am…” and “I will…” kinds of songs, as opposed to “You are…” songs, which is what this is. > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Most sings seem to either have the general theme of “you are wonderful,” or “I want to do this with you,” but I’m looking for a theme along the lines of “this is who I am and what I have to offer you.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/17 "2021-07-26T17:08:45Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m not totally sure I understand the OP, but I think it’s looking for “I am…” and “I will…” kinds of songs, as opposed to “You are…” songs, which is what this is. Right. I think this thread has turned into “songs about friendship,” but what I was going for was “I am …” and “I will …” songs that could probably apply to either being a good friend or being a good lover. But hey, at least Dopers know how to celebrate friendship! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/18 "2021-07-26T17:19:50Z")
How about “Where You Lead,” by Carole King: > [@](#): > > Wanting you the way I do > I only wanna be with you > And I would go > To the ends of the earth > 'Cause, darling > To me that’s what you’re worth > > Where you lead, I will follow > Anywhere that you tell me to > If you need, you need me to be with you > I will follow where you lead > > If you’re out on the road > Feeling lonely, and so cold > All you have to do is call my name > And I’ll be there on the next train [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jtxeDpNoR8I/maxresdefault.jpg "Where You Lead") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtxeDpNoR8I) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/19 "2021-07-27T05:37:06Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/b4SYBROfHTA/maxresdefault.jpg "Turn to Me") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4SYBROfHTA) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321/20 "2021-07-27T08:13:01Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Hmmm…maybe so. They seem like such different bands that I wouldn’t have thought that the Stones would incorporate an Easter egg tribute to Led Zeppelin in a video, but they are both British bands who borrowed (some might say stole) heavily from American blues. So, maybe? > [@DCnDC](#): > > Same graphic designer: Pete Corriston was based in Greenwich Village and worked on both _Physical Graffiti_ and _Tattoo You_ . There’s another connection. The Stones jammed and recorded a song with Jimmy Page in 1974. That’s not surprising, the classic English rock scene always was quite incestuos. e class="onebox allowlistedgeneric" data-onebox-src="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-rolling-stones-jimmy-page-scarlet-1032144/"\> ![](https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cropped-Rolling-Stone-Favicon.png?w=32)[Rolling Stone – 22 Jul 20](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-rolling-stones-jimmy-page-scarlet-1032144/ "10:54AM - 22 July 2020") ![](https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/keith-richards-jimmy-page-scarlet.jpg?w=600) ### [The Rolling Stones Release Lost 1974 Collaboration with Jimmy Page, 'Scarlet'](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-rolling-stones-jimmy-page-scarlet-1032144/) The Rolling Stones have released "Scarlet," a lost 1974 song they recorded with Jimmy Page and bassist Ric Grech. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-singer-is-being-a-good-friend-lover/947321.md?page=2)