The Story and Meaning Behind “Hello,” a Lionel Richie Smash He Had To Be Convinced To Complete

Artists aren’t often the best judge of their own work. Perhaps because they’re too close to it, or perhaps they’re a bit unwilling to embody some of the sentiments of their songs. Many a smash hit might have been lost to history without objective parties around to convince the composers of the worth of those songs.

Such was the case with “Hello” by Lionel Richie. Richie thought the song’s refrain might be on the corny side. After several years of putting the song on the back burner, he got a necessary second opinion and came up with a massive hit in 1984.

The Master Balladeer

Richie made his bones as one of the chief songwriters and singers for The Commodores throughout the ’70s. The band churned out almost an album’s worth of harder-edged funk and R&B each time they settled in to record. Then they’d leave some room for Richie to take over on the ballads.

A bit of a creative tug of war started to ensue. Richie’s slow ones turned out to be The Commodores’ biggest hits by a pretty wide margin. While the other members appreciated the success, it also left them seeming like Richie’s backing band. The problem soon worked itself out, since Richie’s singing, writing, and general air of comfort as a frontman made him a natural for a solo career.

Richie had already churned out two No. 1 singles on his own when it came time to record his 1983 album Can’t Slow Down. He showed his versatility with the first two singles released, as both “All Night Long” (another No. 1) and “Running With the Night” were uptempo tracks. Then it was time to unleash the ballad, which turned out to be a song he nearly kicked to the curb.

A Delayed Greeting

Before he was a worldwide superstar, Lionel Richie, like so many of us when we’re young, felt insecure about himself. He channeled those feelings when he started writing “Hello.” But he put the song on ice, in large part because he wasn’t crazy about the refrain: Hello, is it me you’re looking for?

One day, while the music for Can’t Slow Down was being assembled, his co-producer James Anthony Carmichael came in to find Richie sitting at the piano. As a joke, Richie greeted him with the “Hello” refrain. Carmichael was immediately taken aback, and he suggested Richie finish it because it had hit potential.

Carmichael was right. “Hello” provided just the right balance after the peppier first two singles off the album. Accompanied by a popular, albeit supremely sappy video (which Richie also doubted at first), the song gave him yet another No. 1.

Behind the Lyrics of “Hello”

“Hello” tells the tale of a guy who has to imagine a relationship with the girl he’s addressing because he can’t quite bring himself to speak to her. At least he possesses a rich fantasy life: I’ve been alone with you inside my mind / And in my dreams, I’ve kissed your lips a thousand times. He’s ready to be there for her, if he can just get to the point that he meets her: You’re all I’ve ever wanted / And my arms are open wide.

Unfortunately, he can’t be sure if she’s not already in a relationship: Are you somewhere feeling lonely? / Or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart, he begs. ‘Cause I haven’t got a clue. He just needs to take that first step, even if he does plan to go from zero to 100 with his first words: But let me start by saying / I love you.

When he released this song, there was no bigger pop star in the world than Lionel Richie. That he could tap into the well of uncertainty and shyness that bedevils the character in the song speaks to his writing and performing ability. It turns out the whole world was looking for “Hello.” All Richie needed was a push to give it to them.

Photo by Sherry Rayn Barnett/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images