Mr. Write's Page

Playing for Change is a project started in 2002 “to inspire, connect and bring peace to the world through music.” What began as a search for street musicians around the world soon grew into a series of popular recordings and a non-profit foundation that promotes music education.

PFC really gelled in 2005, when one of its founders heard street musician Roger Ridley performing “Stand By Me” in Santa Monica. It led to the idea of recording multiple artists singing the same song and blending the performances into one.

Ridley, sad to day, died late in 2005. Although PFC went on to record many songs and unite musicians from many countries, “Stand By Me” remains their most popular effort.

The performers are: (from the US) Roger Ridley, Grandpa Elliott, Reggie McBride, Washboard Chaz, and the Twin Eagle Drum Group; (from The Netherlands) Clarence Bekker; (from South Africa) Sinamuva, Bhekani Memela, Pokei Klass, and Vusi Mahlasela; (from Congo) Junior Kissangwa; (from France) Django Degen and François Viguié; (from Brazil) Cesar Pope; (from Italy) Roberto Lupi and Stefano Tomoselli; and (from Russia) Dimitri Dolgonov.

Stand By Me

By Playing for Change, 2009
Written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller

This song says — no matter who you are,
No matter where you go in your life,
At some point you gon’ need somebody
To stand by you.

Oh, yeah. Oh, my darlin’. Stand by me.
No matter who you are, no matter where you go in life,
You gon’ need somebody to stand by you.
No matter how much money you got, or the friends you got,
You gon’ need somebody, to stand by you.

When the night has come, and the land is dark,
And that moon is the only light you see.
No, I won’t be afraid. No, I won’t shed one tear,
Just as long as the people come and stand by me.

Darlin’, darlin’, stand by me. Oh, stand by me.
Oh, stand, stand, stand by me. C’mon, stand, stand by me.

When the sky that we look upon
Well, should tumble and fall,
And the mountains, they should crumble to the sea,
I won’t cry, I won’t cry, no, I won’t she’d a tear,
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

So darlin’, darlin’, stand by me. Oh, stand by me.
Please stand, stand by me, stand by me.

And darlin’, darlin’, stand by me. Oh, stand by me,
Please stand, stand by me, stand by me.
Oh, baby, baby…

Oh, darlin’, darlin’, stand (la la nomie)
Oh, stand (la la nomie), Oh, stand, stand by me,
Stand by me, c’mon, stand by me, stand by me.
Stand (la la nomie), oh, won’t you stand, (la la nomie),
Oh, stand (la la nomie), stand by me, c’mon, stand by me.

When the night has come, and the land is dark,
And the moon is the only light we’ll see,
I won’t be afraid (la la nomie), I won’t be afraid,
Not as long… not as long… as you stand by me.

Yeah.

Thank you. Thank you.

Milton Lee “Roger” Ridley, Jr. (1948-2005).