About the song

There are songs that don’t just play — they linger. “If I Should Love Again” by Barry Manilow is one of those timeless melodies that drifts softly through the heart, like a memory that refuses to fade. Released in 1981, this song captures the quiet ache of love lost and the fragile hope that maybe, someday, love might return. It’s not dramatic or grand — it’s tender, reflective, and deeply human, just like the way love often really feels when the music fades and you’re left with the silence.

Manilow’s voice in this song is pure emotion — steady yet trembling with vulnerability. There’s a certain honesty in the way he sings, almost as if he’s having a conversation with the part of himself that still believes in love despite everything. The orchestration is lush but never overwhelming; gentle piano chords lead the way, followed by strings that seem to breathe along with the rhythm of a lonely heart.

Listening to “If I Should Love Again” feels like sitting by the window on a quiet evening, looking out at the rain, remembering a time when everything felt whole. It belongs to that golden era of late ‘70s and early ‘80s adult contemporary pop — when artists like Manilow, Lionel Richie, and Neil Diamond turned heartbreak into poetry. Yet, unlike many love songs of its time, this one doesn’t plead or promise; it simply accepts. There’s a maturity in its sadness, a grace in its longing.

For longtime Manilow fans, this song represents the essence of what made him special — his ability to blend melody and emotion so effortlessly that the listener doesn’t just hear the song… they feel it. “If I Should Love Again” isn’t just about falling in love once more — it’s about believing that even after loss, the heart still has room to hope.

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