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Kara Gardner

Professor Reynolds

ENG 1201.508

10 February 2022

Lean on Who?

“We all have pain, we all have sorrow” (Withers). Even half a century later, in these

trying times, Bill Withers’ hit song “Lean on Me” becomes more important to us than ever

before. After its release in April 1972, the song was no stranger to the top of the charts. It’s no

surprise that the song was, and continues to be, remixed by hundreds of different artists, each

new version with its own unique aspects. Of the most popular of these, Club Nouveau covered

the song in 1986 with a pop/R&B twist that undeniably adds new significance to the song.

Though both video versions convey an important message and use similar rhetorical

strategies, the cover of “Lean on Me” by Club Nouveau attracts a wider audience than the

original by Bill Withers. It reiterates the importance of Withers’ message through his original

lyrics while adding new and improved meaning with enhanced visuals and music.

Both versions of the song use pathos to persuade the audience to listen to their

message. The music video “Lean on Me” features a lonely Bill Withers singing his song while

taking a stroll on a minuscule boating dock. The instrumentals match his mournful

expressions as he professes his feelings to none other than the water beyond. In the song,

Withers makes a point to express his empathy towards those going through a tough time.

“Lean on me when you’re not strong. And I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on…”

(Withers). This verse shows the listener Withers’ willingness to help someone in need of a
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confidant. He goes on to say, “For it won’t be long till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on”

(Withers). In this line, he communicates to the audience that he shares in their struggles, and

he understands what it is like to need a friend. The melancholic music, along with many

verses in the song, appeals to the audience’s emotions, or pathos, by emphasizing empathy.

Club Nouveau’s cover of the song, released over a decade after Withers wrote it, uses

pathos as well but evokes a more positive emotional reaction that ultimately helps support

their claim more effectively. The joyous, upbeat music and frequent transitions between shots

allow the song and video to move at a quicker pace than Withers’ version does. The music

video features dancers, soldiers, young children, and adults of various cultural, racial, and

ethnic backgrounds. Cheerful characters dominate the screen as people put aside their

differences and unite together to celebrate. The video shows the insignificance of personal

differences and the ability of people to be kind to one another despite those differences.

The diverse character selection in Club Nouveau’s video shows the audience that

everyone is welcome, helping their video appeal to anyone regardless of age, race, gender,

etc. Furthermore, the danceable tune catches the ear, convincing the audience that the video in

its entirety is worth watching. In contrast, because of the lack of characters and the overly

limited setting in Bill Withers’ music video, he isn’t able to adequately appeal to as large of

an audience as Club Nouveau does. His video is only of interest to those who are fans of Bill

Withers himself. The video doesn’t stand out in a way that would entice other viewers to give

the song a try, as all it shows is Withers walking along a boating dock while singing. Withers

relies heavily on the lyrics and auditory details of the song to get his message across, which is

why the Club Nouveau video is ultimately more appealing, considering the artists’ use of

visual cues in addition to the already meaningful lyrics.

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Some might argue that regardless of Club Nouveau’s effective visual strategies, their

cover of the song simply cannot outdo Bill Withers’ legendary original. In addition, despite

his inability to generate views from a broader audience, as an admirable figure with thousands

of people that look up to him, Bill Withers is able to use ethos to his advantage by ensuring he

plays the largest role in the music video. By setting an example, Withers is able to persuade

the audience, his fans, to be empathetic and helpful towards people experiencing difficulty.

He relies on his own credibility as a famous artist to get his message across. Younger

audiences, however, might not take him seriously while watching his video, considering many

of them don’t know who he is.

“But if we are wise, we know that there’s always tomorrow” (Withers). Bill Withers

wrote an excellent song, and Club Nouveau paid tribute to Withers by keeping his message,

adding new meaning, and generating his song to an even wider audience. Though both songs

have the same lyrics, they are certainly quite different from one another. Both music styles

elicit an emotional reaction from the viewer, but the genres of each song further add to their

artist’s unique use of pathos. Both versions have spiked in popularity since Bill Withers’

passing in 2020 and will continue to make an impact on listeners around the world as his

message becomes more important each day.

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Works Cited

Club Nouveau. “Club Nouveau- Lean on Me (Official Music Video).” YouTube, 20

Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbyjaUJWWmk .

Withers, Bill. “Bill Withers- Lean on Me (1973).” YouTube, 2020,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzoqh-9DlHQ .