Album: Love Song For Jeffrey (1974)

Charted: 9

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Songfacts®:

• This song is written from the perspective of a single mother telling her child they'll get through whatever life throws at them together. There will be some tough times, but they know they can always count on each other.
• This was the first song Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams wrote together. They teamed up again to write the Oscar nominated score for the movie A Star Is Born, and the song "Rainbow Connection" for The Muppet Movie. Williams told the story in a Songfacts interview: "We went to England to do a television show, Kenny was a member of my band. And when we got there there was a problem with the work permits, so the guys in my band couldn't play. I had to use local musicians. So Kenny's sitting around with nothing to do in a hotel in London. So we're sitting there, and we're having a few drinks, because that's what I did in those days. I'm 17 years sober (2007), in those days I drank. We're sitting around and we're talking about writers, and we all love Cole Porter and a certain kind of writer and all. And we started talking about Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman. I loved Harry, but every time I tried to tell Harry how much I loved his songs, he would always tell me, 'No, here's the great writer,' and he'd play me Randy Newman, who I also loved.
  
  So Kenny and I wrote this little song, 'Do you love me, babe, do you love me not? Let's decide in the morning, not now. Boy, you don't like Shuman, or Randy Newman, Nilsson ain't your cup of tea. You think Van Heusen is a shirt worth choosin', but you're still undecided 'bout me. Bo-wo do you love me, babe, do you love me not, let's decide in the morning, not now.' It was really kind of a cute little song.
  
  And Kenny's sitting at the piano, turned to me, and he said, 'If that was on an album...' and he played, 'bomp bomp bomp bomp bomp.' He played the intro to what became 'You And Me Against The World.' And I just looked at him when he finished the intro and sang, 'You and me against the world,' and he hit another chord, and I went, 'Sometimes it feels like you and me against the world.' And we went on from there. It's the first song we ever recorded, and God bless Helen Reddy, she had a big hit with it."
• Williams mentions this as a song that gives him a great deal of "heart payment" as a songwriter. The song has had a profound impact on many single mothers.
• The song features the speaking voice of Reddy's then-10-year-old daughter, Traci, speaking to "Mommy" at the beginning and end of the track. Traci later married Lucas Donat, the CEO of the advertising agency Donat/Wald Co.

Comments: 8

• Eddiec from New JerseyAs a single Dad, this song certainly resonates. There was some tough days early on, thank God for looking out for us.
• Debkins from Shady ShoresMy all time favorite Helen Reddy song. In 1974 I was in 11 th grade. My mom had been a single working woman for many years. At times it was difficult because she worked so many hours and it was hard on my younger brother and myself. She was successful, provided for us and loved us. When you were a young child, you don’t understand why your mom is not at home as many hours as you would like her to be. Years later, there was a period of estrangement Which I have always regretted, but we came back together again. I love my mother deeply. She had a sudden death from a heart attack in 2017 -she was a young 78 yr. Old. It crushed me and took me quite a few years to come to terms with it. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her and miss her. Helen Reddy’s song was our song. As it is for so many others. I love Helen Reddy and her Strength and drive to become successful as a single mother. Thank you, Helen for this song and thank you to the writers.
• Dawn from Valdosta GeorgiaThis song came out when I was 5 years old I am 53 years old now and my aunt play this song for me and my brother all the time all the time especially when we would get into a squabble she would say you are all you two have it's y'all against the world . I will always remember and love this song . I'm getting ready to send this song to my brother and I know he is going to smile or cry or maybe both because we're the last two living in our family besides our kids and theirs , not counting cousins. I will pass this song on to my grandkids.
• Arthur Malkin from New JerseyOf course, 10-year old Traci joined her mother when she performed the song on "The Midnight Special."
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 19th 1974, Helen Reddy performed "You and Me Against the World" on the NBC-TV program 'The Midnight Special', she was also the show's host...
  At the time of this appearance on 'Special' the song was at #37 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, and seven weeks later on September 1st, 1974 it would peak at #9 (for 2 weeks)...
  Between 1974 and 1981 she had twenty-one Top 100 records, six made the Top 10 with three reaching #1, "I Am Woman" (for 1 week in 1972), "Delta Dawn" (for 1 week in 1973), and "Angie Baby" (for 1 week in 1974).
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 9th 1974, "You and Me Against the World" by Helen Reddy entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #87; and on September 1st it peaked at #9 (for 2 weeks) and spent 20 weeks on the Top 100...
  And on July 21st it reached #1 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
  It was the 4th in a string of 6 straight #1 records on the Adult Contemporary chart; started with "Delta Dawn", "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)", "Keep On Singing", this one, "Angie baby", and finally "Emotion"...
  Ms. Reddy will celebrated her 73rd birthday this coming October 25th, 2014.
• Sandy from Enterprise, FlI know this is a mommy-kid type song, but I relate it to a tight, wonderful love affair. You know, "when one of us is gone," and "remembering will have to do."
• Kathy from New Orleans, LaWow! I get to make the first comment! This song always makes my cry! I love it. Makes me think about how I felt as a young mother with my children. The dreams you have for them and how you'd die for them.

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