"Somebody Stand By Me" ~ Rebirth Genesis?

[HejiraNYC]

When I first heard this song in 1995, I had no idea of its context in terms of Stevie's career- that she was so close to hitting rock bottom physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. I didn't think of it as a comeback as much as I thought, oh, cool! Another soundtrack song! At first I was a little bummed out that it was a Sheryl Crow song and I thought the lyrics were a little corny and trite. And to be honest, I didn't think it was one of Stevie's better vocals. But what struck me was Don Was' production. Wow. He really should have done a whole album with her. My favorite part is towards the end, when Stevie is repeating the chorus. The song hits an emotional peak right there when the horn section comes way up in the mix and Stevie starts vamping and reaching for those high notes. Bliss!