Movie Music Monday – To Be Your Man

Admittedly, today I present a song that is probably unfamiliar to you. It is a truly amazing love song by Don Williams, who was born on this day in 1939.

In 1980, Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason and Sally Field teamed up together again for the less than stellar “Smokey and the Bandit II.” While it was not anywhere near as good as the original, it did have a few funny scenes and some classic country songs.

Don Williams earned the nickname “The Gentle Giant because of his smooth baritone/bass voice and his height. Over his career he had seventeen number one records. His hits include Tulsa Time, Lord, I Hope This Day is Good, I Believe In You, It Must Be Love, and Some Broken Hearts Never Mend.

Don played himself in Smokey and the Bandit II. In the story, Don is playing at a club nearby and Bandit and his friends go to hear him. As they walk in to the club, he is playing his hit Tulsa Time. From the stage he introduces the Bandit and dedicates To Be Your Man to Bandit and Frog (Sally Field). For years, I looked for the song on Don Williams collections, but I could only find it on the soundtrack for the movie. (That’s not necessarily a bad thing as there are great songs from Tanya Tucker, Roy Rogers, The Statler Brothers, Mel Tillis, and of course, Jerry Reed on the album as well.)

I guess what I love about this song is (1) Don’s vocal (2) the simple, yet powerful lyrics, and (3) the fact that I could have easily written these words to my wife.

To Be Your Man

Be my love, be my friend
Help me grow, help me bend
Understand, now and then
When I do wrong

It’s for you that I try
I will live ’til the day I die
Givin’ all, all that I can
To be your man

High on a hill, standin’ alone
I’ll tell the world everythin’ I’ve done
Raise my hand, testify
My love is real

When I laugh, when I cry
I would never, never lie
I’ll do all, all that I can
To be your man

So, be my love, be my friend
Help me grow, help me bend
Understand, now and then
When I do wrong

Well, it’s for you that I try
I will live ’til the day I die
Givin’ all, all that I can
To be your man

When we’re old, old and gray
And the children have moved away
And it’s time, our time again
For being alone

Then you’ll look, look and see
Love’s been good to you and me
Understand, it’s my plan
To be your man

So, won’t you be my love, be my friend
Help me grow, help me bend
Understand, now and then
When I do wrong

Well, it’s for you that I try
I will live ’til the day I die
Givin’ all, all that I can
To be your man