When the night has come
And the land is dark
And moon is the only light we’ll see
No I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
I’m not sure how I came to know this song, but I’ve loved it for years. Since high school, at least. It’s a promise and a plea. I won’t be afraid [if the unthinkable happens] as long as you stand by me.
Ah, if only it were that simple.
During the U2 concert, there was a bit of an acoustic set as Bono and The Edge played without the rhythm section of the band. They played “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” and “Stand By Me.*” I’d read reviews of the concert so I anticipated this happening, but was awestruck just the same when it did happen. It was very cool to hear 65,000 people sing this old soul song. Lyrically, the songs come from the same place and it makes sense to pull them together and pool their resources, as it were. I loved it.
A promise and a plea.
Sometimes I plead before I make the promise. I have it in the wrong order.
Stand by me. Maybe it is that simple.
*The idea of the mountains crumbling into the sea isn’t one first presented in this song, of course: it’s all throughout the Bible. The passages I’m most familiar with are Psalms 46:2 and one of my favorites, Isaiah 54:10.
