When your down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
And you know where ever I am
I’ll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You’ve got a friend.
If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Winter, Spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They’ll hurt you and desert you.
Well they’ll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don’t you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don’t you know that,
Winter Spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you’ve got to do is call.
Lord, I’ll be there, yes I will.
You’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend.
Every time I hear him sing there was a vulnerability and sadness in his voice at the same time as being extremely soulful and uplifting. He obviously felt so much that it sometimes hurt. There are very few singers like Donny was and what a musician. Donny the world is a better place for you having been in it.
Amazing!!! Carole King is a great songwriter, but Donny Hathaway is a great artist to give life to her song. Very emotional with the crowd joining in. Awesome!!!
Why do I feel like if God himself could speak to us face to face, these lyrics is EXACTLY what he would tell us...... That's what this song means to me!!
I'm 67 years old. I've been listening to this one since 1972. And it's power remains undiminished. I have tears in my eyes now even as I write this words! On this performance, Donny Hathaway, playing the piano and singing, backed up by this great band (and the audience!) created a musical moment that is transcendent. Truly inimitable in the deepest sense of that word.
Donny Hathaway is essentially to R&B what Sarah Vaughn is to Jazz, the voice. Never to be replaced and never to be imitated only inspired to go higher.
The way he broke that scat down into a run, he melisma is unmatched. Stevie did a scat quite similar to that in the opening of As on Songs in the key of life.
Total 'lightning in a bottle' moment where the audience, obviously good Gospel church going folk, kick in with perfect three part harmony on the chorus!
Seriously, the world stopped and you could have knocked me over with a feather the first time I heard this!
Thank you Carole King for writing this song, thank you James Taylor for recording a memorable version of it and thank you Donnie Hathaway for singing it better than any other human possibly can.
CLOSE YOUR EYES THINK OF ME...... THIS SONG BROUGHT ME HERE 8 MONTH AGO MY LIFE CHANGE MISSING MY HUSBAND HE DIED OF CANCER!!!!! A YEAR AGO I WAS LISTEN TO THIS SONG THINKING ABOUT MY MOM WHICH WAS HER FAVORITE SONG SHE LISTEN TOO WHEN MY DAD DIED SMH HEAD NOW HERE I GO LISTEN TO THE SAME SONG IN TEARS JUST LIKE MY MOM RIP DADDY AND MOMMY AND MY BELOVED HUSBAND I'M MISSING YOU LIKE CRAZY I LOVE YOU MY ANGELS.
