“That’s What Friends Are For” – is a song about love for friends. Friendship is there to be celebrated, sure. But it’s also a funny kind of addiction or enablement. Like a co-dependency. In this capacity, the song references Dylan Thomas’ famous poem “To Others Than You” (cited in the coda), a personal, all-time favourite.

Lyrics

That's What Friends Are For

Lend me your ears and stand me a drink, and listen
To my tale of woe
Tell me it’s her, not me
Tell me everything you think I should know
Tell me there’s plenty more fish in the sea

You can choose your friends
Not your family
Though that is not always how it appears to be
Stick to you like glue
As much as for their good
You love them for their faults
As they love you

When you
Can’t take anymore
Need a shoulder
To cry on
That’s what friends are for

When you have things to celebrate
Paint the town red, late
That’s what friends are for

Hear me out, shout a round, and don’t judge
My sad story
I invariably will, but I don’t mean to bore you
In the school of hard knocks, you and I, hard done by
Lots of trash in the can, lots of gems in the mine

Keep an eye on your friends and your enemies close
The big bad wolf is wearing familiar clothes
You’re not even sure
Who you need the most
Is it your friends or
foes?
Or the spectre of ghosts

When you
Can’t take anymore
Need a shoulder
To cry on
That’s what friends are for

When you have things to celebrate
Paint the town red, late
That’s what friends are for

When you
Can’t take anymore
Need a shoulder
To cry on
That’s what friends are for

When you have things to celebrate
Paint the town red, late
That’s what friends are for

(To others than you)
Yeah! What are friends for?

(To others than you)
Yeah! What are friends for?

(To others than you)
Yeah! What are friends for?

(To others than you)
Yeah! What are friends for?

Yeah! Yeah!
What are friends for?