Johnny Gill

Released: September 26, 1990

Songwriter: LA Reid Babyface Daryl Simmons

Producer: LA Reid Babyface

[Intro]
I won't be no fairweather friend, no, oh
I won’t be no fairweather friend, now sing it
I won't be no fairweather friend, now sing it
Fairweather friend ('Til the end)
Fairweather friend, yi-ti-di-dee (Sing it)
Fairweather friend (’Til the end)
("Here, here-here-here, here, here, here we go again")
Fairweather friend, 'til the end
Fairweather friend, 'til the end
I'm gonna be right
I'm gonna be right your side
Through the storm, through the pain
You'll never, never, never have to face no rain again
No rain again, yeah
Oh baby, baby, woo

[Verse 1]
You need a love that will not change
You want a lover to remain, forever yours
Oh, but you don't have to worry
You never have to fear
Through thick and thin I'll always be here

[Pre-Chorus]
I’ll be your bridge
Over and through troubled waters
You never have to face it alone
And when the world seems to treat you unfair
Baby, for you, I’ll always be there

[Chorus]
I won't be a fairweather friend
I’ll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
Time and time again
I won't be a fairweather friend
I'll be there ’til the end
Even through stormy weather
Time and time again

[Verse 2]
Sometimes I know it's rough for you
And then there are times you're feeling blue
You felt so much pain
Oh, but I'm the kind of person who can take the hurt away
You'll never have to suffer again

[Pre-Chorus]
I'll be your strength
To carry you over the mountain
To lift you up when you're falling down
Baby, be strong
You can believe in me
'Cause I'm your friend
And I'll always, always, always be right there

[Chorus]
I won't be a fairweather friend
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
(Even through stormy weather)
Time and time again
I won't be a fairweather friend
(Woo, never, never, never let you)
I'll be there 'til the end
(I'll never, never let you fall)
Even through stormy weather
(Through the fall, through the pain)
Time and time again
(Woo, I'll lay your on my shoulder)
I won't be a fairweather friend
(I'll lay your head on my shoulder)
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
(I'll be, I'll be)
Time and time again
(I will be right there for you)
I won't be a fairweather friend
(Through the bad times, my baby)
I'll be there 'til the end
(I'll be your sunshine)
Even through stormy weather
(Woo, woo)
Time and time again

[Bridge]
Ah, ah, woo, ah, woo, ah, woo, ah, woo, ah
Oh, baby for you, I'll always be there, oh

(Fair, fairweather friend) Fairweather friend ('til the end)
(Fair) Fairweather friend (Sing it)
(Fair, fairweather friend) (Oh) ('til the end)
(Fairweather friend) (Sing it, sing it) Yeah ('til the end)
(I won't) (Sing it, sing it) Yeah (I won't)

[Chorus]
I won't be a fairweather friend
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
Time and time again
I won't be a fairweather friend
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
Time and time again

I won't be a fairweather friend
(I'm gonna be right, I'm gonna be right by your side)
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
(Through the storm, through the pain)
Time and time again
(You'll never, never, never have to face no rain again)
I won't be a fairweather friend
(No rain again, yeah)
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
(Oh baby)
Time and time again
(Baby, woo)
I won't be a fair...

[Bridge]
Baby, I know it's rough for you
Maybe sometimes you're feeling blue
But I won't let you, I won't let you
You're never gonna face no pain again
'Cause, baby no mountain's high enough
I'm gonna be there to lift you up
Baby, call my name, and I'll be there

[Instrumental Break]

[Bridge]
(Fairweather friend, 'til the end) (Sing it)
Fairweather friend, y-ti-di-dee (Sing it)
(Fairweather friend, 'til the end)
("Here, here-here-here, here, here, here we go again")
I won't be no fairweather friend, no
("Here we go again")
I won't be no fairweather friend, no
("Here we go again")
I won't be no fairweather friend, no
("Here we go again")
I won't be no fair...
Baby, I know it's rough for you
Maybe sometimes you're feeling blue
But I won't let you, I won't let you
You're never gonna face no pain again
'Cause, baby no mountain's high enough
I'm gonna be there to lift you up
Baby, call my name, and I'll be there

[Chorus]
I won't be a fairweather friend
(See, I'll never)
I'll be there 'til the end
(I'll never let you fall)
Even through stormy weather
Time and time again
I won't be a fairweather friend
(See, you need a shoulder to lean on)
I'll be there 'til the end
Even through stormy weather
Time and time again
(Lay your head on my shoulder)
I won't be a fairweather friend
(Lay your head on my shoulder)
I'll be there 'til the end
(I'll be right here)
Even through stormy weather
(To hold you, to love you, to squeeze)
Time and time again
(To hold you)
I won't be a fairweather friend

Johnny Gill is a singer-songwriter that entered the music business when he was 16-years-old. He released his self-titled debut in 1983, a duet album with Stacy Lattisaw titled Perfect Combination in 1984, and his second solo album Chemistry in 1985. It was his next move that turned him into a star as Johnny joined the popular R&B group New Edition in 1987 following the departure of Bobby Brown. He was featured on their 1988 album Heart Break and closed the album as the lead vocalist on the classic song “Boys To Men.”

After Heart Break, New Edition decided to focus on solo projects, leading Johnny to release his third album, a second self-titled album, in 1990. He enlisted the top two R&B super-producer duos at the time to produce the album—L.A. Reid & Babyface and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who he worked with on N.E.’s Heart Break album. These collaborations led to the three #1 R&B singles (“Rub You the Right Way,” “Wrap My Body Tight,” and “My, My, My”), while “Fairweather Friend” peaked at #2. The album peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 and hit #1 on the R&B Albums chart, while also getting a couple of Grammy nominations for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male and Best R&B Song for “My, My, My.”

He released two more solo albums—Provocative in 1993 and Let’s Get the Mood Right in 1996—before re-joining New Edition in 1996 for the album Home Again and joining another supergroup with Keith Sweat and Gerald Levert, forming LSG in 1997. They released the album Levert Sweat Gill featuring the #1 R&B hit “My Body.” He would go on to make another album with LSG (LSG2 in 2003) and New Edition (One Love in 2004), appear on TV and in stage plays as well as release several solo albums such as 2014’s Game Changer, which features the New Edition reunion track “This One’s For Me and You.”

Johnny Gill popular songs

Fairweather Friend (12" Remix)Johnny Gill

Johnny Gill