More Than Words Can Say
| "More Than Words Can Say" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"(I Need You Now) More Than Words Can Say" is a power ballad by Canadian rock band Alias. It became a #2 hit in the United States, and reached #1 in Canada in 1990.
The actual name of this song is "More Than Words Can Say", but many thought the name of this song is "I Need You Now" because this phrase is repeated many times in the chorus. There is also a lot of misinformation about which band this song belongs to; some lyrics websites credit it "Firehouse" or "Winger".
BMI presented the lead vocalist / songwriter Freddy Curci with the "Million-airs award" for "More Than Words Can Say". According to BMI’s web site, only 1,500 songs have achieved Million-air status (one million air plays) among the 4.5 million songs by 300,000 BMI represented artists. One million performances is the equivalent of approximately 50,000 broadcast hours, or more than 5.7 years of continuous airplay.[1]
Audio and video performances of the song can be found on the official Alias website.[2]
Song Lyrics
The complete song lyrics can be found on Freddy Curci's website under the lyrics section.[3]
Composition and inspiration
"More Than Words Can Say" was written, arranged and co-produced by former Sheriff vocalist Freddy Curci and guitarist Steve DeMarchi. At the time, their dissolved band had hit number one with "When I'm With You", and the other band members had refused to come back together. Sensing the need to follow up the hit, Curci and DeMarchi joined ex-Heart members, guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve Fossen, and drummer Mike Derosier to form Alias. This tune, bearing striking similarities to "When I'm With You" (including a sustained last note), was a result.
Chart performance
"More Than Words Can Say" was released as the first single of Alias' self-titled debut album. It entered the Hot 100 at #84 and reached the Top Ten four weeks later. On November 24, 1990, it peaked at number two, kept from the top spot by Mariah Carey's "Love Takes Time". It also peaked at number two on the adult contemporary chart and at number 13 on the Mainstream rock chart.
Charts
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| RPM Canadian Top 100 | 1 |
References
- Feldman, Christopher (2000). The Billboard Book of Number Two Hits. ISBN 0-8230-7695-4.
- "Billboard". Billboard Hot 100 airplay and sales charts. Retrieved 2006-06-11.