![the original lean on me song the original lean on me song](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ed/eb/d7/edebd7f6e42c17a352d32516364614b1--billboard-magazine-soul-music.jpg)
advice, as well, if such is a problem that requires ‘understanding’ as opposed to something more material.Īdditionally, the singer is able to perceive that sometimes pride gets in the way of people asking for help, despite the fact that they may direly need it. So he is telling the addressee to cast such aside, as he’s more than willing to be of aid if the situation calls for it.Īnd maybe, on one hand, it may seem that the vocalist is not truly a friend since ‘borrowing’, i.e. ‘borrowing’. Later, the bridge further indicates that he’s offering mentoring assistance, i.e.
![the original lean on me song the original lean on me song](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/a-uM7ivnuC4/maxresdefault.jpg)
So the second verse gets more specific in terms of what Bill is talking about. And yes, he is in part alluding to financial assistance, i.e.
![the original lean on me song the original lean on me song](https://i0.wp.com/www.naijagreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Michael-Bolton-Lean-On-Me.jpg)
But at the same time that and other statements like “I’ll help you carry on”, as found in the chorus, are pretty ambiguous in terms of the aid being offered. Now if you were in trouble and someone came and said “lean on me”, it may be obvious that they’re willing to lend support. This is because it implies that the addressee may be dealing with a serious, perhaps even suicidal level of depression. Or as some people would say, ‘no adversity is permanent’. And that’s some powerful language to use in this context. But he closes out the passage by also acknowledging that “there’s always tomorrow”, as in the future may not be a reflection of the present. Lyrics of “Lean on Me”īut now that we’ve gotten that out of the way comes the actual lyrics. And truthfully, the first verse has nothing to do with interpersonal relationships. Instead it’s more of a philosophical nature, with the singer pointing out that hardships, i.e. Slab Fork is a community which, as of the writing of this post, barely has more than 200 residents. However the said ‘hood, where mining is the main occupation, had seen better times and likely as a result higher population numbers. But either way, it’s still a small town in the truest sense of the word.Īnd as detailed by Bill Withers, growing up there was a lot more different than, say what he witnessed later in Los Angeles. Or put differently, as far as interpersonal relationships go, it was like the ideal community, a place where “people were a little more attentive to each other less afraid”. Or phrased alternatively, Bill not only sang “lean on me” but grew up in an environment where such was practiced, thus giving him the background to do so in the first place.