https://youtu.be/_ePUh2OS6rQ?si=OsGeV1vzIKsknIfo

his 1972 classic of Bill Withers became a very popular music worldwide. In our remote and small neck of the woods in Nigeria, and particularly in my secondary school(high school), during dance parties that brought other girls secondary schools to our school, this song was always a feature.

Whenever the song was played, it was always an opportunity for what we termed “wholesale” dance with the opposite gender. Dancing “wholesale” was the term given to dancing with the opposite gender, where both boy and girl would hold one another in a hug-like manner. But before that step, the boy first had to approach the girl as soon as the DJ played the song and invite her to the dancing floor by saying: “excuse me dance”. If the boy was lucky, the girl would rise and follow him to the dance floor. If he is not, she would ignore him and his classmates would tease him all day thereafter because it was seen as total rejection- LOL.

Because of the “wholesale” interpretation that it was a song to be danced with the opposite gender in a tight hug- “leaning on you”, we lost the broader meaning of the song. Bill Withers used this song to shine light on the fact that at some point in everyone’s life, the person would need someone to lean on- in times of difficulty, physical difficulty, financial difficulty, health difficulty and more. It could be a friend, a relative or just a contemporary. He also makes the important point that humans can only be helped by their neighbors, friends or relatives, if they state their problems because no one would know your problem unless you told them.

I loved and still love the song, the melody, the lyrics and everything about it and I am certain many still do.

Enjoy