B-side "You Mean More to Me" Length 4:14 Writer(s) Lionel Richie | Genre Soft rock Label Motown | |
Released February 13, 1984 (1984-02-13) | ||
"Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from his second solo album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart (for two weeks), the R&B chart (for three weeks), and the adult contemporary chart (for six weeks). The song also went to number one in the UK Singles Chart for six weeks. The song later inspired a lawsuit by songwriter Marjorie Hoffman White, who accused Richie of plagiarizing her composition "I'm Not Ready to Go".
Contents
Composition
The song is written in the key of A minor. The verses follow the chord progression of Am9—Cmaj7/G—Fmaj7—C6/G—Fmaj7. The chorus features a Neapolitan chord (Bb).
Music video
The music video, directed by Bob Giraldi, features the story of Richie as a theater and acting teacher having a seemingly unrequited love for a blind student (Laura Carrington) until he discovers she shares the feeling as demonstrated by the discovery that she is sculpting a likeness of his head. The famous bust used in the video, which bears little resemblance to Richie, has been parodied in popular culture. Richie himself complained to the video's director, Bob Giraldi, that the bust did not look like him.
Pop culture
The song is memorable for the line "Hello, is it me you're looking for?". That phrase started the song's composition, as James Anthony Carmichael visited Richie, and after the singer greeted him that way, Carmichael replied, "Finish that song." Richie initially felt that the song was "corny" but ultimately "by the time I finished the verse, I fell in love with the song again."
The guitar solo on the song was played by session guitarist Louie Shelton. In pop culture, the song is featured in the films Bitter Moon, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Scary Movie 4, Are We Done Yet?, Shrek Forever After, Hard Boiled, Colour Me Kubrick, Happy Feet, Paddington, Trolls, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. It has also featured in the television shows The Goldbergs, Family Guy, Seinfeld, Community, and Glee as well in commercials for companies like Yahoo! and IKEA.