About the song

There are certain songs that feel like they were written not just to be heard, but to remind us why we listen to music at all. Barry Manilow’s “I Write the Songs” is one of those timeless anthems—a song that captures the heart of what it means to create, to feel, and to share emotion through melody. Released in 1975, it became one of Manilow’s signature pieces, though interestingly, he didn’t write it himself. The song was penned by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys, yet when Barry sang it, it sounded as if it had always belonged to him.

There’s something deeply human about this song. It’s not about ego or fame, but about being a vessel for music—the mysterious force that lives within all of us. When Manilow sings, “I write the songs that make the whole world sing,” he isn’t boasting. He’s speaking as the voice of music itself, that universal spirit that finds its way through every composer, every singer, every heart that’s ever been touched by a tune.

Manilow’s warm, soaring vocals turn the lyrics into a quiet conversation between artist and listener. The orchestration swells like a sunrise—soft at first, then brilliant and golden. There’s sincerity in his phrasing, a kind of gentle conviction that only he could deliver. Listening to it feels like standing in the glow of a piano-lit stage, surrounded by memories of all the songs that have soundtracked our own lives.

“I Write the Songs” isn’t just a classic pop ballad—it’s a celebration of the power of creation, the beauty of melody, and the enduring connection between artist and audience. In Barry Manilow’s hands, it becomes more than a performance. It becomes gratitude set to music.

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