Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 3 weeks); 1982
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Today Will Jennings’ long list of songwriting credits includes two #1’s with Steve Winwood, plus one each with Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. However, in 1982 – when he was brought on board to create lyrics for the closing song in An Officer And A Gentleman – Will’s only chart topper to date was Barry Manilow’s Looks Like We Made It.
The film’s music had already been composed by husband-and wife team, Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Saint-Marie, whose work included recording sessions with producer Phil Spector and the Rolling Stones (Jack), and writing such songs as Universal Soldier and Until It’s Time For You To Go (Buffy).
Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes were then tagged to record the resulting Jennings/ Nitzsche/Saint-Marie composition, Up Where We Belong.
The two singers met for the first time at the studio, laid down their vocals, and went their separate ways. The recording did indeed put the five up where they belonged…at #1.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Stewart Levine
Lyrics Written by:
- Will Jennings
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).