Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Rat/Ox/Tiger/Rabbit/Dragon/Snake/Horse/Sheep/Monkey/ Rooster/Dog/Pig.”
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This SLS pick doesn’t contain any of this week’s theme words, but it’s about a rat!
Sung by a teenage Michael Jackson, Ben was the theme song of the 1972 movie of the same name, which was the sequel to another killer rat movie, Willard.
Fun Facts:
- Ben was Michael Jackson’s first solo U.S. #1 song.
- Ben spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1972.
- Ben won a Golden Globe for Best Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1973.
- Originally written for Donny Osmond, Ben was offered to Jackson as Osmond was on tour at the time and unavailable for recording.
The video is of Jackson performing the song at the 45th Annual Academy Awards in 1973.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Ben
by Michael Jackson
Songwriters: Don Black / Walter Scharf
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I’ll never be alone, and you, my friend, will see
You’ve got a friend in me
Ben, you’re always running here and there
You feel you’re not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind and don’t like what you find
There’s something you should know, you’ve got a place to go
I used to say I and me, now it’s us, now it’s we
I used to say I and me, now it’s us, now it’s we
Ben most people would turn you away
I don’t listen to a word they say
They don’t see you as I do
I wish they would try to’
I’m sure they’d think again if they had a friend like Ben
A friend like Ben
(Like Ben)
Like Ben
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I’ll never be alone, and you, my friend, will see
You’ve got a friend in me
Ben, you’re always running here and there
You feel you’re not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind and don’t like what you find
There’s something you should know, you’ve got a place to go
I used to say I and me, now it’s us, now it’s we
I used to say I and me, now it’s us, now it’s we
Ben most people would turn you away
I don’t listen to a word they say
They don’t see you as I do
I wish they would try to’
I’m sure they’d think again if they had a friend like Ben
A friend like Ben
(Like Ben)
Like Ben
Compiled from Google, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
Felicia Denise, Author 
Love this song – fantastic choice :O) x
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I love the Charlton Heston introduction and Michael has such a gorgeous voice.
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I had thought about using this, then forgot I had thought about it and used another. Such a pretty song for such a dark movie. Maybe that’s why it worked so well…
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I remember the movie and the song and agree with John, the song is too wonderful for that creepy movie.
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