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January 22, 2021
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we have Huey Lewis and the News performing “The Power of Love” from the blockbuster film, Back to the Future. In the chart-topping 1985 hit, Lewis claims that the power of love is a curious thing. It’s “tougher than diamonds, rich like cream.”
Being tougher than diamonds is an impressive claim, indeed. Diamonds possess a number of impressive attributes, including unparalleled beauty, rarity and toughness. Yes, diamonds are the hardest natural substance ever known to man. Based on the song, if diamonds rate a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, the “power of love” would likely score an 11 or better.
Fans of actor Michael J. Fox and the Back to the Future trilogy may remember that “The Power of Love” was featured in one of the first scenes of the original release (1985). The song plays in the background as Fox’s Marty McFly character is skateboarding to school.
Later in the film, the song surfaces again when McFly and his group are auditioning for the Battle of the Bands. Lewis makes a cameo appearance in the film as a grumpy faculty member who rejects the band before McFly can sing the first verse. Says Lewis, “Sorry, fellas… I’m afraid you’re just too darn loud.”
The backstory reveals that the real reason Marty doesn’t sing is because there were no lyrics at the time of filming. Lewis and two collaborators wrote “The Power of Love” especially for Back to the Future, but could only deliver an unfinished song by the time the movie was in post production.
According to songfacts.com, Lewis’s family provided inspiration for the lyrics. The singer was newly married and had two young children when he wrote it with his bandmates Johnny Colla and Chris Hayes.
Driven by the film’s universal appeal (it grossed $388 million at the box office), “The Power of Love” charted in 17 countries, including #1 spots on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. The song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 58th Academy Awards, but lost to Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me.”
“The Power of Love” also makes brief cameos in both Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990).
Huey Lewis was born in New York City in 1950, but was raised in Marin County, CA. In an interview with David Letterman, Lewis said he learned to play the harmonica while waiting for rides as he hitchhiked across the country back to New York City as a teenager. Later in his youth, Lewis stowed away on a plane to Europe and supported himself in Madrid by busking with his harmonica.
Trivia: Lewis, whose birth name is Hugh Anthony Cregg III, scored a perfect 800 on his math SAT, attended Ivy League Cornell University and had aspirations of being an engineer.
We invite you to check out the video of Huey Lewis and the News performing “The Power of Love.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“The Power of Love” Written by Johnny Colla, Chris Hayes and Huey Lewis. Performed by Huey Lewis and the News.
The power of love is a curious thing Make a one man weep, make another man sing Change a hawk to a little white dove More than a feeling that’s the power of love
Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream Stronger and harder than a bad girl’s dream Make a bad one good make a wrong one right Power of love that keeps you home at night
You don’t need money, don’t take fame Don’t need no credit card to ride this train It’s strong and it’s sudden and it’s cruel sometimes But it might just save your life That’s the power of love That’s the power of love
First time you feel it, it might make you sad Next time you feel it, it might make you mad But you’ll be glad baby when you’ve found That’s the power makes the world go ’round
And it don’t take money, don’t take fame Don’t need no credit card to ride this train It’s strong and it’s sudden it can be cruel sometimes But it might just save your life
They say that all in love is fair Yeah, but you don’t care But you know what to do When it gets hold of you And with a little help from above You feel the power of love You feel the power of love Can you feel it? Hmmm
It don’t take money and it don’t take fame Don’t need no credit card to ride this train Tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel You won’t feel nothin’ till you feel You feel the power, just the power of love That’s the power, that’s the power of love You feel the power of love You feel the power of love Feel the power of love
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com.
