“Valerie” (1982/1987) by Steve Winwood

VALERIE

STEVE WINWOOD

written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings

1982 version produced by Steve Winwood

1987 version produced by Steve Winwood and Tom Lord-Alge

By the time I’d gotten well acquainted and enamored with this

song, something about it made Valerie my favorite female name

(with this spelling). It also didn’t hurt when the Zutons trotted out

their song about the ginger-haired beauty, also named and entitled

“Valerie” (like many, I did not become familiar with the Zutons

song until later, by the time the Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse

cover version exploded with popularity). As to Steve’s classic here,

from back in the ’80s... in decades past, Steve was a member of the

Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, before embarking on

an especially successful ’80s solo career, ringing in the decade with

Arc Of A Diver (spawning the beautiful “While You See A Chance” as well as the album’s title track).

On ’82’s Talking Back To The Night, the original and somewhat... ordinary-sounding (in comparison) “Valerie” appeared. Steve scored huge hits as well on ’86’s Back In The High Life with “Higher Love”, “The Finer Things” and its own title song, before releasing his greatest hits celebration Chronicles the following year, complete with an updated—and superior—new version of “Valerie,” mixed by Tom Lord-Alge. Long live 1987.

Have notes to add? Let me know!

YT:

Steve’s official website

1982

1987

· List #1

Lyrics

So wild, standing there / With her hands in her hair / I can’t help remember / Just where she touched me / There’s still no face / Here in her place / So cool, she was like / Jazz on a summer’s day / Music, high and sweet / Then she just blew away / Now she can’t be that warm / With the wind in her arms / Valerie, call on me / Call on me, Valerie / Come and see me / I’m the same boy I used to be / Love songs fill the night / But they don’t tell it all / Not how lovers cry out / Just like they’re dying / Her cries hang there / In time somewhere / Someday, some good wind / May blow her back to me / Some night I may hear / Her like she used to be / No, it can’t be that warm / With the wind in her arms / x1 / x1 / x1 / x1 / I’m the same boy I used to be

Note: as you’ll notice in the List, I’ve included the two versions of this song: the original from 1982, and the new Chronicles version from 1987. The lyrics and arrangement thereof are exactly the same in both versions.

1982 version first release: Talking Back To The Night (1982/08/02)

1982 version second release: single (1982/10)

TALKING%20BACK%20TO%20THE%20NIGHT%E2%80%

VALERIE (1982 Version) {Single}—Steve Winwood.png

audio treated sample

1987 version first release: Valerie (single) (1987/09/05)

1987 version second/album release: Chronicles (1987/10/26)

VALERIE (1987 Version) {Single}—Steve Wi

CHRONICLES%E2%80%94Steve%20Winwood_edite

sample

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This page was originally created on May 23rd, 2021 and last edited on October 12th, 2025