You make sense of madness/
When my sanity hangs by a thread.

Richard Marx’s “Now and Forever” is another soft-rock classic that gets overlooked as a great song because it is soft rock. The lyrics are strong: it is a love song expressing his gratitude about what he loves about his girl. That is, he provides specifics about what he loves about this girl.

This girl helps him make sense of the madness in his life and brings him comfort when he feels like he is losing his sanity. For this, the author is grateful. He realizes he is holding a fortune in his arms. And he will be her man now and forever. If he only knew she was out there all along.

The instrumentation is solid. A finger-picked acoustic guitar accompanied by strings. I am a fan of this combination. It has a nice guitar solo, tight bridge and a timeless melody. The vocal is strong and I feel that the song is well produced.

Now and Forever Lyrics

Whenever I’m weary
From the battles that rage in my head,
You make sense of madness,
When my sanity hangs by a thread.
I lose my way but still you seem to understand,
Now and forever,
I will be your man.

Sometimes I just hold you,
Too caught up in me to see
I’m holding a fortune,
That heaven has given to me.
I’ll try to show you each and every way I can,
Now and forever,
I will be your man.

Now I can rest my worries and always be sure,
That I won’t be alone anymore.
If I’d only known you were there all the time,
All this time.

Until the day the ocean doesn’t touch the sand,
Now and forever,
I will be your man.
Now and forever,
I will be your man.

Songwriters: Richard Marx

They say we’re young and we don’t know/
Won’t find out until we grow.

Duets are hard to pull off. For the most part I don’t find them enjoyable. But Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” is perfect for a duet. The message is about a couple singing about each other, to each other. Also, there is just the right amount of back and forth. Bono rightfully lets Cher have most of the song. His voice is average; and it comes off charming since we hear it in small doses.

The lyrics are simplistic but that is sort of the charm. Many young lovers can probably relate to hearing how they are too young for each other, they don’t have enough money, “your hair’s too long”, “love won’t pay the rent”, etc. Bono says that just having each other is enough, and that is a nice, uplifting message.

Though “I Got You Babe” sounds simple it has its nuances that makes it great. The bridge is not forced into the song because pop songs must have bridges (“And when your sad, you’re a clown..”), the bridge fits perfectly and makes the song better. Also, the last verse is a half-step higher than the rest of the verses to allow Cher to belt it out and end the song triumphantly.

I Got You Babe Lyrics 

They say we’re young and we don’t know
We won’t find out until we grow
Well I don’t know if all that’s true
‘Cause you got me, and baby I got you

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe

They say our love won’t pay the rent
Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent
I guess that’s so, we don’t have a plot
But at least I’m sure of all the things we got

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe

I got flowers in the spring
I got you to wear my ring
And when I’m sad, you’re a clown
And if I get scared, you’re always around

Don’t let them say your hair’s too long
‘Cause I don’t care, with you I can’t go wrong
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you to hold my hand
I got you to understand
I got you to walk with me
I got you to talk with me
I got you to kiss goodnight
I got you to hold me tight
I got you, I won’t let go
I got you to love me so

I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe

Songwriters: Sonny Bono

I want her everywhere/
And if she’s beside me I know I need never care.

“Here, There and Everywhere” is a Beatles love song by McCartney off the Revolver album. This is from the early-middle Beatles period. We see Paul experimenting with complex chord progressions, but his lyrics are still relatively simple…though more complex than “And I Love Her” which he wrote a couple years prior.

Here, is a great example where Paul gets his reputation as the one who writes the silly love songs. He writes about feeling complete only when she is with him, and how their love will never die. These are romantic expressions perfect for a ballad, and Paul is the king of the ballad.

A couple notes: George Harrisons guitar work is prominently displayed in this song. That sound he achieves with the guitar is unique. This song was written after Paul heard the Beach Boys Pet Sounds. The background harmonies are something we hadn’t heard from The Beatles since perhaps “That Boy”.

McCartney perhaps drew inspiration from Brian Wilson. While much is made of The Beatles inspiring the Rolling Stones and the arms race between them, it was Brian Wilson who was really doing the most amazing work of this time period and The Beatles took notice and their work was inspired by it.

Here, There and Everywhere Lyrics

To lead a better life
I need my love to be here

Here, making each day of the year
Changing my life with a wave of her hand
Nobody can deny that there’s something there
There, running my hands through her hair
Both of us thinking how good it can be
Someone is speaking
But she doesn’t know he’s there

I want her everywhere
And if she’s beside me I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes and hoping I’m always there

I want her everywhere
And if she’s beside me I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her everywhere
Knowing that love is to share
Each one believing that love never dies
Watching her eyes and hoping I’m always there

I will be there
And everywhere
Here, there and everywhere

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney