Debby Boone, You Light Up My Life | Music Lifts

In the 39^th edition of Music Lifts (2023), we’re uplifted by Debby Boone performing “You Light Up My Life.”

Welcome to Music Lifts , a column that seeks to highlight songs that encourage, inspire, and uplift the spirit; songs that exude fortitude, positivity, and resolve, even in the face of adversity.  Featured songs aren’t genre-specific; songs may or may not be faith-based. The goal is for these songs to make you feel better – be LIFTED to new heights!  So, for the 39^th edition of Music Lifts (2023), we highlight “You Light Up My Life” as performed by Debby Boone.

“So many dreams / I’ve kept deep inside me,” Debby Boone (daughter of Pat Boone, FYI) sings, continuing, “Alone in the dark / But now you’ve come along.” Oh, the feels! Per Boone, on the dominant, no. 1 pop hit, “You Light Up My Life” (1977), she was singing to God .  Fair enough.  The chorus of “You Light Up My Life” is incredibly inspirational, and could parallel walking with God and giving him praise:

“And you

Light up my life

You give me hope

To carry on

You light up my days

And fill my nights

With song.”

That said, the original intent of this song, penned by Joseph Brooks for the movie, You Light Up My Life, wasn’t directed toward God. The power of love, however, is a key whether this uplifting number is viewed religiously or secularly – romance. Unfortunately, this glorious song has darkness due to the damning allegations against its songwriter, who ultimately committed suicide in 2011, aged 73. Refocusing on “You Light Up My Life,” notably, Boone DID NOT originally record her one-hit wonder .  The original vocalist was Kasey Cisyk on the soundtrack for the film (Cisyk sounded incredible, by the way ). Regardless, Boone’s recording earned her 10 weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, two Grammys (Song of The Year and Best New Artist), and the record won the Academy Award for Best Song. Still to this day, the light shines bright when it comes to “You Light Up My Life” particularly the Debby Boone rendition.

Debby Boone • You Light Up My Life • Curb • 1977

Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life”: Music Lifts No. 39 (2023) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; cottonbro studio, Itzel  Sandoval, Neeraj Nagdeve via Pexels]