'The Power of Love' Is 'Tougher Than Diamonds' in the Smash Hit by Huey Lewis and the News

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today we have Huey Lewis and the News singing their chart-topping hit from 1985, "The Power of Love." In the song, Lewis says the power of love is a curious thing. It's "tougher than diamonds, rich like cream."

Fans of actor Michael J. Fox may remember that "The Power of Love" was featured at the beginning of the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future, as Fox's Marty McFly character is skateboarding to school. Later in the film, the song surfaces again when McFly and his group are auditioning for the Battle of the Bands. Lewis makes a cameo appearance in the film as a faculty member who rejects the band. Says Lewis, "Sorry, fellas... I'm afraid you're just too darn loud."

Lewis and two collaborators wrote the song especially for Back to the Future, which grossed $383 million at the box office. Driven by the film's universal appeal, "The Power of Love" blasted to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for an Academy Award. It was also the band's first #1 hit. 

Enjoy the throwback video at the end of this post (It's a slightly abbreviated version of the song). The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"The Power of Love"

Written by Johnny Colla, Chris Hayes and Huey Lewis. Performed by Huey Lewis and the News.

The power of love is a curious thing
Make a one man weep, make another man sing
Change a hawk to a little white dove
More than a feeling that's the power of love

Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream
Stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream
Make a bad one good make a wrong one right
Power of love that keeps you home at night

You don't need money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That's the power of love
That's the power of love

First time you feel it, it might make you sad
Next time you feel it, it might make you mad
But you'll be glad baby when you've found
That's the power makes the world go'round

And it don't take money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden it can be cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life

They say that all in love is fair
Yeah, but you don't care
But you know what to do
When it gets hold of you
And with a little help from above
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Can you feel it?
Hmmm

It don't take money and it don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
Tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel
You won't feel nothin' till you feel
You feel the power, just the power of love
That's the power, that's the power of love
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Feel the power of love