About the song

There’s something profoundly human about “This One’s for You” by Barry Manilow. It’s not just a love song—it’s a letter, a confession, a moment of gratitude wrapped in melody. When Manilow released this track in 1976, it felt like he was opening a window into his soul, letting listeners peek into that quiet place where music meets memory.

The song begins gently, with the soft touch of piano keys, before his voice enters—tender, warm, unmistakably sincere. Manilow had a gift for singing as though he were talking directly to you, and this song captures that perfectly. “This one’s for you, wherever you are…”—it’s a line that feels personal, no matter who you are. It could be for a lover, a friend, a parent, or someone who’s no longer here. That’s the beauty of it—it speaks to everyone who’s ever wanted to say thank you or I miss you through a song.

The mid-70s were an era of big voices and lush arrangements, but Manilow stood apart. He didn’t rely on spectacle; his music came from a place of sincerity. The orchestration in “This One’s for You” swells with emotion, yet never overshadows the intimacy of his performance. Every note feels handcrafted, every lyric soaked in feeling.

There’s a quiet sadness in this song too—the kind that comes when you realize time has passed and all you can offer now is remembrance. It’s a song for late nights, for driving alone under streetlights, for writing letters you’ll never send.

Barry Manilow wrote songs that felt like home. And in “This One’s for You,” he left us with something timeless—a reminder that even when people drift away, love can still find a voice through music.

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