August 23, 2024

Music Friday: Journey’s Steve Perry Sings About a ‘Band of Gold That Shines’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you some of our all-time favorite songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we feature Journey’s romantic, Grammy-nominated anthem, “When You Love a Woman.” In the memorable refrain, lead vocalist and songwriter Steve Perry sings, “When you love a woman, you can see your world inside her eyes,” and compares a joy that lasts forever to “a band of gold that shines.”

Originally released in 1996 as the third track and lead single from the group’s Trial by Fire album, “When You Love a Woman” quickly ascended to #1 on the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and topped out at #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1997, the song earned a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

Former members of Santana and a 1960s psychedelic rock band called Frumious Bandersnatch formed Journey in San Francisco in 1973. After a long string of hits, which included “Don’t Stop Believin'” (18-times platinum, 1981), the group disbanded in 1987 only to reunite in 1995. When lead singer Steve “The Voice” Perry went down with a hip injury and was unable to tour in 1998, the group made numerous — and mostly unsuccessful — attempts to fill Perry’s formidable shoes.

In 2007, original band member Neal Schon was viewing Journey covers on YouTube when a video by Filipino Arnel Pineda caught his attention. Pineda had a golden voice similar to Perry’s and Journey had their man. He has been singing lead vocals for Journey ever since.

In April of 2017, Perry rejoined his bandmates for a special celebration that saw the group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Journey is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales of more than 100 million albums. The group is currently touring with dates scheduled through the beginning of September in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Colorado.

We invite you to be entranced by Perry’s soaring vocals in the official video of “When You Love a Woman.” The video has been viewed more than 94 million times. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“When You Love a Woman”
Written by Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain. Performed by Journey.

In my life I see where I’ve been
I said that I’d never fall again
Within myself I was wrong
My searchin’ ain’t over… over
I know that…

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she’s standin’ by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There’s a band of gold that shines waiting somewhere…oh yeah

If I can’t believe that someone is true
To fall in love is so hard to do
I hope and pray tonight
Somewhere you’re thinkin’ of me girl
Yes I know…I know that

It’s enough to make you cry
When you see her walkin’ by
And you look into her eyes

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
Well you know she’s standin’ by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There’s a band of gold that shines
When you love a woman…
When you love, love, love, love
When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes