One of The Stone Roses’ most uplifting songs, Standing Here is a glorious little number. Packed with brilliant intricacies and with the band at their absolute best, it’s an often forgotten number from their catalogue.
Released as the B-side to the She Bangs the Drums single on 17th July 1989, the fact this wasn’t launched as a single in its own right highlights just how good their songs were.
There are multiple versions! One with and without a beautiful outro, but we’re drawing attention to both in this celebration of the band at its best.
Blending Introspection and Melody in Standing Here’s Classic Pop
Just to note, the 12″ single release for She Bangs the Drums included Standing Here and Mersey Paradise as B-sides. Both just outstanding songs to go with the main number.
Most bands would want to release all three as separate singles, but The Stone Roses were on an absolute roll and didn’t need to.
Their all-time classic eponymous debut album had launched in May 1989. Then they were immediately supporting it with incredible new material they were reeling off like it was a walk in the park.
The result is, over the years, Standing Here was kind of lost amongst the mass of amazing songs the band had by that point.
Which means it does tend to be forgotten amongst more celebrated tracks such as the soaring Waterfall. But we do feel over time the balance has been redressed somewhat and Standing Here is now being appreciated as a classic.
Exploring Standing Here’s Lyrics and Musical Structure
The Stone Roses didn’t write traditional love songs, but a look at the lyrics and they suggest it is one. But the band’s songs are enigmatic and complex, so the real meaning is up for debate.
We’ve seen some music critics argue it’s about the human condition. A journalist on a Singersroom piece about the best Stone Roses songs wrote:
“Lead singer Ian Brown’s distinctive vocals come in, delivering the song’s introspective lyrics about the struggles of life and the search for purpose. The chorus is a soaring and emotional crescendo, with the band’s signature harmonies and dynamic rhythm section creating a powerful and moving atmosphere.”
It’s all open to interpretation, so the lyrics will have different meanings for everyone. It’s really up to you what you make of it!
It was written by Brown and guitarist John Squire (the pair had a kind of Lennon/McCartney partnership going on). On inspection, Standing Here appears to be about a sense of alienation and a search for meaning in life:
I’m standing on a hilltop,
A hundred miles from home,
I can see the light surrounds me,
I want you to show me round.I’m standing here,
I really don’t think you could know,
That I’m in heaven when you smile.
These then advance to:
I’m standing here,
I really don’t think you could know,
That I’m in heaven when you smile,
And I’m everywhere…I really don’t think you could know,
That I’m in heaven when you smile,
But I don’t think you think like I do,
No matter how how hard I try,
I always thought I’d have the answer,
Let me tell you what I’ve got.
Musically, there’s a lot going on in Standing Here. On an instrumental front it’s packed with depth and multi-layered with guitar work, a driving bass line, and drummer Reni’s funky playing.
Merged together it’s a brilliant match. These guys complemented each other fantastically, and with Brown’s upbeat singing over the top you’ve got a classic Stone Roses track.
One uplifting, yet bittersweet and reflective of the problems of identity in youth (keeping in mind the guys were in their early 20s when they wrote these songs).
There’s also a total tonal shift for Standing Here’s close. A beautiful outro, with Squire’s melodic playing allowing for Brown’s yearning vocals. He makes it clear he’s searching for personal safety:
I could park a juggernaut in your mouth,
And I can feel a hurricane when you shout,
I should be safe forever in your arms,
I should be safe forever in your arms.
As with many of the band’s songs, it’s not quite clear when Standing Here was written by Brown and Squire. They had a flurry of creativity around 1987-1989 and wrote many, many songs. This one emerged into the band’s set around 1989.
In John Robb’s The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop he noted:
“Standing Here is one of the last guitar pop anthems the Roses wrote before their tentative swing into the more groove-orientated stuff. For some this single represents the creative high-mark of the Roses. You’ve just had the album and now there’s these four more amazing tracks.”
By the summer of 1989 the band were the biggest newcomer in the UK and seemed destined to be the next Beatles.
They had a musical shift in late 1989, and into 1990, that marked their popular peak with Fools Gold (once credited for officially “starting” the 1990s).
But after that the court cases began with their first record label (Silvertone). The band was blocked from recording between September 1990-May 1991 and then lost another 12 months as Silvertone appealed a court decision.
It’s a real goddamn shame. You listen to tracks like Standing Here and realise what corporate idiots cost the listening world.
Reni’s Funky Drumming on Standing Here
The song is a classic example of Reni’s talents, blending in rock and funk in fine style. Unusually, he used a three-piece kit for the band’s heyday.
For most drummers that’d be restrictive, but Reni is a genius and it just ensured he created a distinctive style for his playing.
The Stone Roses appealed so much to its generation by merging indie and jangle pop with rock and dance beats. Reni’s drumming just makes you want to dance—there are few drummers you can genuinely say that about.
Here he mixes up his beat by switching over to his solitary tom-tom for the propulsive beat (kind of like on Elephant Stone).
And for the outro his subtly as a player is more than evident.
The Official Standing Here Single Video
A music video version of the song was recorded, featuring footage of the famous Blackpool 1989 gig alongside guitarist John Squire’s stop-motion art.
This version has the outro removed, so is a bit shorter.
Although we prefer the full version, it’s a nice little video and interesting to see Squire’s artistic take on his guitar work and lyrics.
The Best Live Performances of Standing Here
Standing Here was a regular part of the band’s set, from the ’80s heyday through to their reformation 2011-2017. But our favourite version is above from a Finnish gig in 1990.
The band was on top form there (also, note someone has brought a bicycle to the gig… like you do). Reni is storming around the kit, too, his dexterity and speed is just phenomenal. As it is on the outro, just incredible ability and feel to slide across the kit.
Away from that one, the band’s celebrated Glasgow Green 1990 gig also features a top notch performance (although the recording quality isn’t quite as good here).
We were very pleased the band brought the song into its 2012 onward live set. This led to some excellent performances and brought it to the attention of more fans.
That revival for the song in 2012 is what’s sparked greater interest in it, we think, as the band were able to demonstrate the sheer number of fantastic songs they had at their disposal.
What emerged from that is Standing Here is very arguably in the fight for a top five Stone Roses songs position. That’s all subjective, of course, but we’ll be standing here should you want to engage in fisticuffs about our opinion.
