When I was young before I had cassettes, the only good way of making a playlist of songs was to stack 45s on the turntable. I would arrange for them to play my favorite songs in my favorite order. These posts are about records I had in my stacks.
“Sweet Surrender”/”Make It By Yourself” by Bread is a single released in November 1971 on Elektra Records (EK-45818). The single was the second from their fifth album, Guitar Man. “Sweet Surrender” was written and produced by David Gates. The first and third singles were “The Guitar Man”, and “Aubrey”.
Personnel
- David Gates – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, violin, Moog
- Jimmy Griffin – vocals, guitars, piano
- Larry Knechtel – piano, bass, organ, harmonica, guitars, miscellaneous keyboards
- Mike Botts – drums, percussion
“Sweet Surrender” was #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts for two weeks. It reached #15 on the Hot 100 chart. The flip, “Make It By Yourself” is a catchy country-flavored number. Jimmy Griffin co-wrote this song with Gates. Jimmy was an original member of Bread when Gates put them together in 1968. Botts joined in 1969 and Knechtel in 1971.
Not surprisingly, the Gates’ compositions, ‘Sweet Surrender’, ‘Aubrey’ and the title track [Guitar Man], three of the strongest songs he ever contributed to the band.”
The Birmingham Post
Lyrics
Sweet Surrender
Baby I'm through runnin' it's true
I'd be a fool to try to escape you
Maybe I'm beat but oh what a sweet surrender
You keep your rights, I'll take your nights
No one can lose when we turn the lights out
Tastin' defeat, lovin' that sweet surrender
I'm givin' up myself to you but I didn't really lose at all
I gave the only love I've known and it never hurt me to fall
Now that it's done, so glad you won
I know our lives have only begun now
No more retreat, only my sweet surrender
Umm Babe, I may be beat, but oh what a sweet surrender
surrender...
And you, sweet thing in my life
I surrender to you
Make It By Yourself
You say you're down and out and need some help to get you through each day
Well, here's a thought or two I've used and like to pass them on your way
I found them lying there, the answers that you say you're looking for
Make what you will of them and you can change the way it was before
You got to make it by yourself
You know you got to make it by yourself
I'll be your friend and I'll lend a helping hand
But you got to try and help yourself before I can
I hear you talk of all the happiness and emptiness you've known
Well, let me reassure you, never were you really all alone
They say in quiet desperation many people cannot see
They cannot see the simple truth that's not the way it has to be
You got to find it for yourself
God helps the man who helps himself, amen
I am your friend and I'll lend a helping hand
But you got to try and help yourself before I can
We got to help (we got to help) each other (each other)
You got to help (you to help) your brother when you can
When you can
Now don't you think that I was preaching, I'm just reaching out for you
'Cause that's the only way that I know how to get the message through
Then you, in turn, have got to learn and teach it to somebody who
Who felt the happiness, the emptiness the same as you
You got to make it by yourself
You know you got to make it by yourself
I'll be your friend and I'll lend a helping hand
But you got to try and help yourself before I can
Sources
