Hubbry Logo
logo
You Raise Me Up
Community hub

You Raise Me Up

logo
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something to knowledge base
Hub AI

You Raise Me Up AI simulator

(@You Raise Me Up_simulator)

You Raise Me Up

"You Raise Me Up" is a song composed by Rolf Løvland with lyrics by Brendan Graham. It was first recorded by Norwegian-Irish band Secret Garden, in collaboration with Irish singer Brian Kennedy. Although the original version was not a major hit, the song has since been recorded by more than a hundred other artists, most notably American singer Josh Groban in 2003 and Irish group Westlife in 2005.

Rolf Løvland composed an instrumental piece in 2001 and titled it "Silent Story". He later approached Irish novelist and songwriter Brendan Graham to write the lyrics to his melody, after reading Graham's novels. The song was performed for the very first time at the funeral of Løvland's mother. The original designated vocalist was Johnny Logan, who recorded a demo with an orchestra. However, the vocalist was changed due to a desire to distance the album from the Eurovision Song Contest, in which all three men were known for their success: Logan had won twice as a performer and twice as a composer, Løvland had won once as a performer and twice as a composer, and Graham had won twice as a composer.

In 2002, it was released on the Secret Garden album Once in a Red Moon, with the lead vocals recorded by Irish singer Brian Kennedy. The bridge is performed by Tracey Campbell-Nation, and backing vocals are by London Community Gospel Choir and Anúna. The album sold well in both Ireland and Norway. Originally, Brian Kennedy was supposed to follow Secret Garden on their Asian tour in 2002, but Curb Records couldn't come to an agreement with Universal to release Brian, and he reluctantly could not attend the tour. He was replaced by Norwegian singer Jan Werner Danielsen, who also later recorded the song together with Secret Garden. A demo version of this recording was released in 2010, on Danielsen's posthumous compilation album One More Time - The Very Best Of, which included several previously unpublished recordings.

In April 2018 Icelandic composer Jóhann Helgason claimed the song infringed the copyright of his 1977 work "Söknuður," meaning "Into the light" sung by Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson, stating that Løvland would have heard the song while living in Iceland. The Performing Rights Society of Iceland analyzed both songs and found a 97% similarity between them, stating that the songs are "musically identical" except for just two notes. It was disclosed at a press conference that Groban had "Söknuður" played for him in 2007, who reacted in an 'alarmed' fashion.[citation needed] He then admitted that the two songs were similar and he didn't know where the inspiration had come from.[citation needed] Later, singer Edgar Smári performed "Söknuður" in English to outline the similarities.

In April 2020 the United States District Court of the Central District of California granted summary judgment in favor of Løvland and Graham, "finding that it is not substantially similar to Icelandic song Soknudur as a matter of law, and excluding plaintiff's expert musicologist's reports as unreliable, unhelpful, and inadmissible." The court acknowledged that the songs have similarities, but accepted the argument that those similar parts were not necessarily Helgason's own work in the first place; substantially the same material is in "Londonderry Air" (the melody of "Danny Boy") and other old public-domain songs (it also list a Johnny Mathis song "When a Child Is Born" which, ironically, was made before "Söknuður", and which also used similar melodies and pitches).

When issued as a CD single, the Secret Garden version of "You Raise Me Up" charted at number 103 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2002. Despite this modest initial success, the song has since become a major hit around the world, having been covered more than 125 times. Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell's version reached number 22 in the UK in December 2003. Brian Kennedy released his own solo recording of the song in the same month, reaching number 91. Another solo version of the song by Brian Kennedy also found success as part of a three-song EP entitled "George Best – A Tribute". Credited to Brian Kennedy and Peter Corry, the song was backed with a version of "The Long and Winding Road" by Peter Corry and a medley performed by both Kennedy and Corry, with the EP reaching number four in the UK in January 2006.

Christian group Selah's version, included in their 2004 album Hiding Place, peaked at number two on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs and Christian Airplay in June 2004. This recording was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2005 Dove Awards.[citation needed]

Josh Groban took his version to number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the US Adult Contemporary chart, Westlife reached number one on the UK Singles Chart with theirs, and Dutch Popstars winner Wesley Klein reached number four in the Netherlands with his recording.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.