Wind Beneath My Wings

[Steel2Velvet]

It might have appeared to go unnoticed

But I've got it all here in my heart

I want you to know I know the truth

I would be nothing without you

Did you ever know that you're my hero

And everything I'd like to be

I can fly higher than an eagle

But you are the wind beneath my wings

You are the wind beneath my wings

by Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar

"Wind Beneath My Wings" has now been recorded by about 200 artists, in practically all genres of music from R&B to Liturgical Mass. It reached its greatest prominence in 1989, when it became a #1 hit for Bette Midler (from the "Beaches" soundtrack), and won the Grammy Award for "Song Of The Year." It originated in 1982 when country music writers Silbar & Henley were bouncing around song ideas. Silbar spotted the line "Wind Beneath My Wings" on Henley?s legal pad from bits of a poem Henley had been working on. "I started working on the melody on my guitar," recalled Silbar. "Usually we would write the chorus first, but with this song, we started from the first line of the verse. One by one, the lines came in a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness flow. By the end of that day, we had finished writing most of the song." On a Friday, the duo demoed the song as a midtempo number, with a guitar-based arrangement for their publisher, Bob Montgomery of House Of Gold Music. ?He arranged it into a beautiful, ballad version that he recorded over the weekend.? says Silbar, ?We couldn?t believe how fantastic it sounded. We both had tears in our eyes. Bob had taken our rough demo and produced a new version which truly showed the potential of the song.? Initially written as a love song, Silbar says, "It took us a few days to realize that the song had more depth and meaning. It had a lyrical theme which could apply to many people and situations. It could be for a teacher, a father or a mother. It was a ?Thank You? song for someone important in one?s life." Beyond its record sales and performances, this song has brought inspiration and joy to many people. It is performed at weddings, funerals, anniversaries, graduations and other memorable events. Wind Beneath My Wings has now won six ASCAP Pop Awards, and in 1999, was honored by ASCAP for being one of the most performed country songs of the 20th century.