You Raise Me Up
Westlife
PLACE: (Live At Croke Park
Stadium)
SONGWRITERS: ROLF LØVLAND
& BRENDAN GRAHAM
COUNTRY: IRELAND
ALBUM: FACE TO FACE
LABEL: SONY BMG
GENRE: POP
YEAR: 2004
"You
Raise Me Up" originally titled Söknuður (Into the light) is an Icelandic
song originally sung by Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson know as 'Villi Vill' in 1977. In 2002 Secret Garden released
the song under the title 'You Raise Me Up'. This was an almost identical version
of the 1977 song to which Secret Garden claimed to be original composed by
Secret Garden's Rolf Løvland, with lyrics by Brendan Graham. Icelandic Composer
Jóhann Helgason filed a lawsuit claiming that the song is a copy. An English
version of Söknuður has been released to underline the similarity between the
two songs. After the song was performed early in 2002 by the Secret Garden and
their invited lead singer, Brian Kennedy, the song only became a minor UK hit.
The song has been recorded by more than a hundred other artists under the name
'You Raise Me Up' including Josh Groban, who popularized the song in 2003; his
rendition became a hit in the United States. The Irish band Westlife then
popularized the song in the UK and the rest of the world two years later. On 29
November.
"You
Raise Me Up" was released as the lead single from Westlife's sixth studio
album Face to Face. This version is one of the most successful covers of the
song, peaking at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, the only version to do so. This
was the band's 13th number-one single as well as the first single to be
released following Brian McFadden departure from the group. It debuted with
97,288 combined physical and download sales in the UK alone. The single has
sold 540,000 copies in the UK so far. In South Korea, it entered the Official
South Korean Year-end Downloads Singles Chart in 2010 with 130,759 sales. Later,
it stayed in the top 75 of the Official International Karaoke Charts since the
inception of the charts in December 2010 up to its recent chart released.
Westlife
performed this song with Secret Garden at the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize concert.
On December 11, 2009, they performed it again at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
concert celebrating US President Barack Obama. The backing track is re-used in
the Spanish version of this song, "Por Ti Sere", performed by Il Divo
in their Siempre album. When Louis Walsh suggested the band to record it,
Filan, Egan, Byrne, and Feehily were against it saying it was a church song,
and would not be a success. They also said they did not want to record it. However, they have
since claimed in 2011, six years after the single's release, that the song
changed their careers and were glad they recorded it. It was
composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in Eb major, with Filan and
Feehily's vocal ranging from the chords of Bb3 to Bb5.
Westlife's official music video for "You Raise Me
Up" was shot in late-2005 and is directed by Alex Hemming. It
is currently the most played "You Raise Me Up" official music video
version on YouTube with 73 million views as of January 2019. It is also their
most-streamed single of all time with 19.7 million listens in the United
Kingdom as of January 2019. It is the band's third best selling single of
all-time on both paid-for and combined sales categories. While it is their
eighth most streamed song of all time from their home country, the Republic of
Ireland, as of 2 April 2019. It is the second best-selling single of 2005 in Ireland.
The song
was reinstated in the live bonus disc album of the band's Greatest Hits in
2011. After the band broke up in 2012, the single was performed solo in many
live instances by three of band members Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily.
In 2018, the single was re-recorded by its member Shane Filan for his solo
album Love Always - Deluxe Version. On 12 May 2018, the song was performed on South
Korean music programme 'Immortal Songs 2' by Sohyang. Filan was the featured
'Legend' and judged the participants.
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up
To more than I can be
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up
To more than I can be
There is no life, no life without its hunger
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly
But when you come and I am filled with wonder
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up
To more than I can be
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up
To more than I can be
You raise me up
To more than I can be.