For me, one of the joys of doing requests and covers is that I get to dig into some songs that I might never have heard, or that I’ve heard many times but never really paid close attention to. Sometimes it can be disappointing to look too closely at a song, but most of the time it has been a beautiful experience.
This Bill Withers song was one of those beautiful experiences. It was requested by a director who was working on an interactive theatre piece in Oslo that I was unfortunately not able to attend but sounded very special. Through that, I got to rediscover this song and remember how much I really love the lyrics. I love songs that are comforting and that bring people together somehow – songs like “By Your Side” by Sade that I covered on the Leave Me Breathless album, for example – and “Lean on Me” is one of those.
credits
from Rarities 2,
released September 22, 2023
1. Lean on Me
Performed by Ane Brun (2017) Written by Bill Withers Published by Universal Music Publishing Produced by Ane Brun P&C 2023 Balloon Ranger Recordings AB
More folk-inflected confessionals on love, loss, and anxiety — plus a Kacey Musgraves cameo —from the Nashville indie pop auteur. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 11, 2024
I love to listen to this during work, it fills me with calmness and I can almost smell the scents of the forest.
Beautiful & serene from start to finish. SilverFolfy