STEVE WINWOOD - VALERIE

VALERIE

STEVE WINWOOD

SONGWRITERS: STEVE WINWOOD & WILL JENNINGS

COUNTRY: u. k.

ALBUM: TALKING BACK TO THE NIGHT

LABEL: island records

GENRE: synthpop

YEAR: 1982

Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician whose genres include rock, blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, pop rock, and jazz. Though primarily a vocalist and keyboardist, Winwood also plays bass guitar, drums, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, violin, and other strings.

Winwood was a key member of The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and Go. He also had a successful solo career with hits including "While You See a Chance", "Valerie", "Back in the High Life Again" and two US Billboard Hot 100 number ones: "Higher Love" and "Roll with It". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic in 2004

"Valerie" is a song written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings and originally recorded by Winwood for his third solo album, Talking Back to the Night, in 1982.

The song deals with a man reminiscing about a lost love he hopes to find again someday. Will Jennings reportedly wrote the lyrics while thinking about Singer Valerie Carter, whose career was declining, in part, because of drug use. On its original release, the single reached number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 70 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

In 1987, a remix by Tom Lord-Alge was included as a single from Winwood's compilation album Chronicles. The remixed version of "Valerie" climbed to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late December 1987, and also reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. Both versions also reached number 13 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

So wild, standing there

With her hands in her hair

I can't help remember

Just where she touched me

There's still no face

Here in our place

So cool, she was like

Jazz on a summer's day

Music, high and sweet

Then she just blew away

Now she can't be that warm

With the wind in her arms

Valerie, call on me

Call on me, Valerie

Come and see me

I'm the same boy I used to be

Love songs fill the night

But they don't tell it all

Not how lovers cry

Just like they're dying

Her cries hang there

In time somewhere

Someday some good

Wind may blow her back to me

Some night I may

Here her like she used to be

Now she can't be that warm

With the wind in her arms

Valerie, call on me

Call on me, Valerie

Come and see me

I'm the same boy I used to be

(Instrumental Interlude)

So cool, she was like

Jazz on a summer's day

Music, high and sweet

Then she just blew away

Now she can't be that warm

With the wind in her arms

Valerie, call on me

Call on me, Valerie

Come and see me

I'm the same boy I used to be

I'm the same boy I used to be.