“Stand by Me” by Ben E. King

To note, this song actually traces its origins back to a gospel piece in which, most frankly put, the intended addressee is God. And that is why the lyrics feature such powerful language as the ‘land going dark’ and what have you. That would also be why the implication is that even if the world were to come to an end so to speak, the addressee feels he can withstand it so long as the addressee is by his side.

But with Ben E. King making this more contemporary than the original “Stand by Me”, the person whom he is singing to would rather be a loved one, like a close friend, lover or however the listener may interpret it. 

Considering that the vocalist refers to the addressee as “darling” in the chorus, the general implication would be that said individual is a romantic interest. And with that in mind, “Stand by Me” may indeed be the standard upon which other songs based on this same motif of a narrator being willing to face the end of the world alongside the person he loves – which has become sort of recurring theme in the music industry – is derived from.

A Dual Themed Song

But as the song progresses, it becomes more like the vocalist is rather telling the addressee to “stand by” him whenever she or he may find themselves “in trouble”. So in reality, this piece is dual-themed. On one hand, the singer is expressing the wherewithal to endure any hardship, as long as he’s able to do so with the addressee. But on the other, he is asserting that he will rather remain by this individual’s side when they’re faced with trouble. 

So putting these two ideas together, perhaps the most concise way to describe “Stand by Me” is as a friendship song.

Who wrote “Stand by Me”?

Ben E. King (1938-2015) wrote this song in conjunction with the famous songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber (1933-2011) and Mike Stoller. The general consensus is that King based it on a gospel piece dating back to 1905, which itself is also entitled “Stand by Me” by an African-American reverend named Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933). 

According to one legend behind this piece, Ben wrote it with the intention of it being sung by The Drifters, a crew of crooners he was associated with at the time.

Even though this song and Tindley’s “Stand by Me” share the same name and a similar lyrical style, reportedly Ben E. King rather contended that he got the title and inspiration from another Black spiritual called “Stand by Me Lord”, which was dropped by The Soul Stirrers circa 1961.

As implied, Tindley did not receive any writing credit for King’s “Stand by Me” on the grounds that it differed significantly enough from his original. And apparently this wasn’t the only time he got beat in the head like that, as another classic, “We Shall Overcome” (circa 1947), is based on another song he wrote by the name of “I’ll Overcome Some Day” (1901).

King’s Signature Song

“Stand by Me” went on to become Ben E. King’s signature piece and one of the most-beloved songs in American music history. For instance, it’s safe to say that the tune holds a permanent place on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. For example, the 2021 edition of the ranking places this classic at number 131. 

Upon its initial release in the early 1960s, the song topped what is currently known as Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, in addition to reaching 4^th place on the Hot 100. Then in 1986 it was re-released as the theme song to a film also entitled Stand by Me, which co-starred Corey Feldman and the late River Phoenix. 

Around that same time, it was also used in a very-successful ad campaign by Levi’s.  And that time around the song was an even bigger hit internationally, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart and appearing on music charts in over a dozen countries overall.

In addition to this, it earned a place on Billboard’s year-end Billboard Hot 100 for 1987. Here, it peaked at number 9 on the Hot 100 itself that year. Thus it made it onto the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 twice, being one of only a few songs to ever do so. And to note, this track has also gone on to achieve platinum status in the UK.

Moreover, in 2012 “Stand by Me” was honored with a Towering Song Award via the Songwriters Hall of Fame, with King also receiving a Towering Performance Award for his contribution to it. And in 2014 it earned the distinction of being enshrined into the US Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

When did Ben E. King actually release “Stand by Me” for the first time?

It was originally released on the 27th of October 1960. Upon original release, this song was part of the playlist of a Ben E. King album entitled “Don’t Play That Song!”, which is the product of a still-active label called Atco Records.

Notable Covers of “Stand by Me”

There are countless musicians who have covered this piece! Amongst those who have laid down their own versions of “Stand by Me” to notable chart success are:

• John Lennon (1975)
• 4 the Cause (1998)
• Prince Royce (2010)
• Florence + the Machine (who actually did so in 2016 in conjunction with the release of Final Fantasy XV)

Other well-known names amongst those who covered this tune are:

• Muhammad Ali (yes, the boxer, in 1964)
• Otis Redding (1964)
• Sonny & Cher (1967)
• Aaron Neville (2006)
• Michael Bolton (2017)
• Imagine Dragon (2018)
• Skylar Grey (2018)
• Weezer (2019)

More Interesting Facts

To date this song has appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 on 11 different occasions by 9 separate music acts (with King’s original appearing twice). 

This classic has also been sampled by the likes of De La Soul (A Little Bit of Soap, 1989) and perhaps most famously Sean Kingston (“Beautiful Girls”, 2008).

Another interesting side note is that when Prince Harry got wed to Meghan Markel in mid-2018, this was one of the songs played at the ceremony, that time being laid down by The Kingdom Choir, a group based in London.

King’s “Don’t Play That Song!” Album

King had his third studio album, “Don’t Play That Song!” released on August 20 of 1962.

The 12-tracked, soul album was produced by the aforementioned Leiber and Stoller with assistance from Turkish-American songwriter-cum-businessman, Ahmet Ertegün.

American record label, Atco Records, owned by Atlantic Records, was responsible for the release of the album.