If a picture paints a thousand words
Then why can’t I paint you?
“If” by Bread is a beautiful, underrated song from an underrated band. Let me tell you about how I discovered Bread. I remember the scene perfectly, but it could be completely wrong. When I was young, I loved The Wonder Years. Wayne, the big brother, played by Jason Hervey, gets his first girlfriend Carla Gugino. They are sitting in a red car and Wayne turns to her and sings the line above.
That line and the tune stayed with me. Years later I asked my dad if he knew who sang this song (this was pre-internet), and I quoted him the above line. He said, “That’s the band Bread!’ I bought a Bread cd and they sing the song better than Jason Hervey (naturally). It turns out you know about ten of their songs, but you probably have never heard their name.
There are several things that make Bread’s “If” great. That guitar sound is one-of-a-kind. There are very few songs that can be identified based upon the strumming of the first chord, and this is one of them. The sound throughout is amazing. David Gates singing sounds tender yet intense. We wonder if he’ll be able to hit that final high note and it feels like an accomplishment. We’re happy and relieved. The lyrics are a bit over-the-top, but they are still well-written.
“If’s” melody during the bridge and the verses are both incredible. The song doesn’t have a chorus, which is why you might not hear this on the radio, sadly (though it did reach top 5 when it was released). But it is one of the most well-constructed and performed soft-rock songs of all-time.
If Lyrics
If a picture paints a thousand words,
Then why can’t I paint you?
The words will never show the you I’ve come to know.
If a face could launch a thousand ships,
Then where am I to go?
There’s no one home but you,
You’re all that’s left me too.
And when my love for life is running dry,
You come and pour yourself on me.
If a man could be two places at one time,
I’d be with you.
Tomorrow and today, beside you all the way.
If the world should stop revolving spinning slowly down to die,
I’d spend the end with you.
And when the world was through,
Then one by one the stars would all go out,
Then you and I would simply fly away…
written by David Gates