"Afternoon Delight" ain't gonna cut it.

July 30, 2013 6:32 PM

What song could I sing to my sibling to give the general message that "no matter what happens, I love you and support you"? Looking for something I can perform in front of a small crowd. I have an alto voice and am not a talented singer.

So far the only option I've come up with is Incubus' "Dig".

posted by treehorn+bunny to Media & Arts (32 answers total)

Ridiculously cute, so maybe not up your alley, and it is technically a kids' song, but They Might Be Giants' The Number Two. Totally reminds me of siblings.
posted by peacrow at 6:35 PM on July 30, 2013

Kind of cliche, but thinking of "I'll Be There" brought a smile to my face. You'd have to change up the lyrics a little to be sibling-appropriate. It could be vocally challenging (Mariah Carey got all crazy with it) but you could do a William Shatner-y sing/talk combo.
posted by lovableiago at 6:39 PM on July 30, 2013

There's always I'm Sticking With You by the Velvet Underground.
posted by mykescipark at 6:40 PM on July 30, 2013 [4 favorites]

Stand By Me?
posted by kestrel251 at 6:45 PM on July 30, 2013

The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You" certainly fits the bill....
posted by eugenen at 6:47 PM on July 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

Bridge over Troubled Water, and if Garfunkel's high singing is too intimidating for you, you can check out the Johnny Cash version.
posted by cairdeas at 6:47 PM on July 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

Bridge over Troubled Water. Technically a gospel song, I finally realized, but always brings tears to my eyes.
posted by Native in Exile at 6:48 PM on July 30, 2013

You'd probably want to cut out a few verses, but Together WhereEver We Go from Gypsy would be good.
posted by lemniskate at 6:49 PM on July 30, 2013

I am also an alto with a fairly shitty voice, however, I can sing Lean on Me okay-ish.
posted by gatorae at 6:50 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Here's a list of 100 that's more like 30 (because I don't know about you, but the Cars' "Best Friend's Girlfriend" isn't exactly about good friendship in my book.) But a couple of favorites off that list: Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" is pretty good, even though it's associated with the Toy Story franchise. Colossally cheesy though it is, the James Taylor/Carole King standard "You've Got a Friend" is pretty dependable and doesn't require vocal gymnastics although you can fancy it up if you want.
posted by gingerest at 6:51 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Pure, by the Lightning Seeds?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:57 PM on July 30, 2013

He ain't heavy, he's my brother maybe?
posted by ODiV at 6:57 PM on July 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Lean on Me
posted by belladonna at 6:58 PM on July 30, 2013

Friendship from Anything Goes (here on I Love Lucy)
posted by biscuits at 7:01 PM on July 30, 2013

I would probably go with something that meant something to my sibling. Like something we sang together growing up, or that Mom or Dad sang to us.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:08 PM on July 30, 2013

I'll Follow You . . . but maybe not so much for a sibling.

Or Gone Gone Gone.
posted by mibo at 7:08 PM on July 30, 2013

Is there a song you used to sing together as kids, or that a parent or special adult used to sing to you both? Even if it's silly and only has meaning to you - that might actually be more special. Like, if it was my sister and me, we'd probably end up singing, "Hello, Dolly!" or "Oklahoma!" because that's what Mom sang to us at bedtime.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:13 PM on July 30, 2013

The Wind Beneath My Wings, while cheesy, seems really designed for your purpose.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:14 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

It's Probably Me
posted by Bokmakierie at 7:24 PM on July 30, 2013

Maybe "True Colors" (I like Anna Tsuchiya's version more than Cyndi Lauper's).
posted by wintersweet at 7:38 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

I would second Lean on Me, as a fellow alto, and also because you can probably get other people to sing along with you. Most people know it, or at least the chorus.
posted by emjaybee at 8:09 PM on July 30, 2013

Martha Wainwright has a platonic love song for her brother, Rufus. It's "Laurel & Hardy" and has the lyric I love you even more than when the song was begun.
The Four Tops, "(Reach Out) I'll Be There."
Also, "Two of Us" by the Beatles: You and I have memories, longer than the road that stretches out ahead.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:56 PM on July 30, 2013 [2 favorites]

I would second Lean on Me, as a fellow alto, and also because you can probably get other people to sing along with you. Most people know it, or at least the chorus.

I'll third this, and for the same reason. I was at a wedding a dozen years ago and Lean on Me was part of the background music during dinner. Somehow it caught people's ears and it turned into a spontaneous sing-along that that had everyone on their feet by the end, and although that sounds super cheesy right now it was incredibly moving at the time.
posted by looli at 9:06 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

You and me against the world is great for this.

"When all the others turn their backs, and walk away, you can count on me ... to stay!"
posted by amtho at 10:09 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

A little cheesy, but try Huey Lewis - Stuck With You. You'll need to change a couple of the lines, but a lot of them apply to a sibling relationship. You can sing-speak the verses if you are nervous, and just about everyone everyone knows the chorus, so you can get people to sing along:

Yes, it's true, (yes it's true) I am happy to be stuck with you
Yes, it's true, (yes it's true) I'm so happy to be stuck with you
'Cause I can see, (I can see) that you're happy to be stuck with me
posted by mochapickle at 10:27 PM on July 30, 2013

Carol King: You've got a friend?
posted by hydra77 at 11:25 PM on July 30, 2013 [1 favorite]

Where You Lead (also known as The Gilmore Girls theme song. It's also Carole King, lesser known, but light and not cheesy.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 12:17 AM on July 31, 2013

Hey, t&b! As it happens, I'm an alto, and I am NOT a great singer, and I have found that Wilco's songs almost always work for me, because for some reason, Jeff Tweedy's vocals sound oddly awesome when performed by a not-so-great alto. CURIOUS AS HELL, I know, but it's true. It's one of those things like "chocolate and peanut butter?! PSHAW!... oh, wait, THIS IS GREAT."

How about: "Whole Love"?
posted by julthumbscrew at 8:09 AM on July 31, 2013

Brandi Carlile - If There Was No You
posted by Nerro at 8:56 AM on July 31, 2013

Response by poster: I haven't had time to sort thru all the answers here and listen to the songs I don't know, so I won't mark best answers yet, but thank you all

I should have also been more specific - my sibling's tastes run to emo-ish modern rock, so super cheesy easy listening favorites (while I personally have a soft spot in my heart for them) probably aren't the choice for this person.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 6:40 PM on July 31, 2013

The Housemartins — You've Got a Friend (ignore the random images in the video). Lyrics.
posted by Lexica at 8:08 PM on July 31, 2013

Response by poster: I worked up the courage to go to open mic night and sing "Lean On Me", a cappella.

It was a little shaky, but heartfelt. People applauded. Thank you for the idea.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 7:54 PM on September 22, 2013 [5 favorites]