Song #410: "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)" by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.

Date: Jan 8, 1977
Weeks: 1

Ugh, another soft, 70s, disco-sounding, slow love song. This one sounds particularly generic, too. It's filled with all the same string and horn sounds you've heard in every other song of the era, and includes twee little flute accents on top of it. The music doesn't progress very much throughout the song.

The singers have nice enough voices. They're not setting a new standard for impressive vocals, but they're all right.

The lyrics are... Wait a minute... The lyrics are actually really good! In an otherwise forgettable soft 70s love song. Who would have guessed?

The general gist of the lyrics is that the singers love each other for who they are. Not who they think the other person could become, or anything the least bit superficial, but who they are currently. "To me you're worth what you have within." "I don't need no superstar, 'cause I'll accept you as you are." These are two people who love and respect each other without reservation.

It turns out Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. are married. Are still married, and have been for over 40 years. I found this video of them giving tips on how to have a successful marriage. Their central thesis is that people need to make sure they actually like the person they love. That's one of those things that seems obvious but not enough people seem to actually understand. And that exact message comes through in this song.

I've complained before about generic love songs. But this one is universal. That's an important distinction, and one that I hope is obvious because I'm not sure I can explain it.

My verdict: Don't like it. While I'm impressed by the lyrics, that 70s soft disco sound is too much to make me want to listen to it a lot.