Bette Midler, From a Distance | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 17th edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “From a Distance” by iconic singer and actress Bette Midler.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 17^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2025), we recollect and reflect on “From a Distance” performed by Bette Midler.

“From a distance, there is harmony / And it echoes through the land / It’s the voice of hope, it’s the voice of peace / It’s the voice of every man.” Grammy-winning singer and actress Bette Midler struck gold with the brilliant “From a Distance”. “Distance” is the seventh track from her 1990 double platinum album, Some People’s Lives. One of her biggest hits peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1990.  Notably, it only spent one week at its peak position, spending several weeks at number three. Julie Gold composed “From a Distance” while Arif Mardin (1932 – 2006) produced it. “From A Distance” was certified platinum by the RIAA.  Midler herself was nominated for two Grammys at the 33^rd Annual GRAMMY Awards: Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.  Although Bette didn’t win, Gold won the Grammy for Song Of The Year.

“From a Distance” is a big deal.  Bette Midler sounds amazing bringing Julie Gold’s songwriting, music, and lyrics to life.  The lyrics are quite poetic, with the titular lyric appearing regularly throughout the song.  “From a distance, the world looks blue and green,” Midler sings in the first verse, continuing, “And the snow-capped mountains white.” In the second verse, the lyricism continues to impress, as Midler sings of harmony: “From a distance we all have enough / And no one is in need / And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease / No hungry mouths to feed.” In the varied choruses, the keywords are harmony, hope, love, and peace:

“From a distance, there is harmony

And it echoes through the land

And it’s the hope of hopes, it’s the love of loves

It’s the heart of every man.”

Who is watching us from a distance? God, of course, which is highlighted in the refrain. The musical backdrop and production are idiomatic of the early 1990s with its adult contemporary vibes.  The sound works sensationally for Midler, highlighting her epic instrument. No deep analysis is necessary, however. “From A Distance” is a once-in-a-lifetime song.  The musicianship from the singing, production, and songwriting is elite.

Bette Midler // Some People’s Lives // Atlantic Recording Corporation // 1990

Bette Midler, From a Distance: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 17 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic Recording Corporation; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]