A 1961 soul single by Ben E. King, drawing on a gospel hymn, with a sustained walking bass line and Latin-influenced percussion.
Composition
Stand by Me was written by Ben E. King with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, drawing partly on the gospel hymn “Lord Stand by Me.” The arrangement features a walking bass line by Lloyd Trotman, scraper percussion, and a string arrangement.
Reception
Released in 1961, the single reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. It re-entered the charts in many countries after featuring in the 1986 film of the same name directed by Rob Reiner.
Legacy
The song has been recorded hundreds of times, including a 1980 version by John Lennon and a charity rendition by Playing for Change. The Library of Congress added Stand by Me to the National Recording Registry in 2015.