Just You And I

Album: Better Days And Happy Endings (1976)
Charted: 27
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by Melissa Manchester and Carole Bayer Sager, "Just You And I" describes two people who help each other out in the face of a struggle. These kind of songs are often about a romantic couple, but this one has a different meaning, according to Manchester.

    "It was written in the early '70s at the point of the burgeoning woman's movement, so it was written about women's solidarity in that time," she told Songfacts.
  • "Just You and I" was the third hit for Melissa Manchester, following "Midnight Blue" and "Just Too Many People." She remained quite popular into the early '80s; her last big hit came in 1982 with "You Should Hear How She Talks About You." Manchester later ventured into acting (she played Blossom's mom on Blossom), teaching and musical theater.
  • Manchester often wrote with Carole Bayer Sager around this time. They were one of the few all-female writing teams of the era. Some of their other songs include "Midnight Blue" and "Come In From The Rain," a hit for Captain & Tennille.
  • In 2020, Manchester re-recorded this song and released it with a video paying tribute to the essential workers putting themselves at risk during COVID. Gerald Albright played saxophone on this version and students from Citrus College, a community college in Glendora, California, add backing vocals. This version appears on Manchester's 2024 album Re:View.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Alice Cooper

Alice CooperFact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

When Rock Belonged To Michelob

When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing

Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.