Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wonderful songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today, Olivia Newton-John reminds us that we’re all “Pearls on a Chain” in her inspirational 2006 song.
She sings, “Every little thing that I am, so you are / And if you look in my eyes / You will see we are souls alike / We are pearls / We are pearls / We are pearls on a chain.”
Since surviving breast cancer in 1992, Newton-John has been a staunch advocate for cancer patients and their families. In fact, in 2008, she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
In describing her motivation for writing “Pearls on a Chain,” Newton-John told an Aussie audience that all of us have been touched in some way by cancer.
“Perhaps it’s someone in our family or someone that we know,” she said. “Twice a week, I’ll get a call from someone who has a friend that’s going through it, and in that way we’re all connected — like pearls on a chain.”
“Pearls on a Chain” is the second track on Newton-John’s Grace and Gratitude album, which she released in 2006 and distributed exclusively through Walgreens pharmacies to benefit various cancer charities. It was re-released with normal distribution in 2010 as Grace and Gratitude Renewed. That version charted in Australia and the U.S., with the album earning the #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard New Age Albums chart and #36 on the U.S. Billboard Christian Albums chart.
The Australian-born Newton-John was a 1970s singing sensation with a flood of #1 hits that included “I Honestly Love You” and “Have You Never Been Mellow.” In 1978, she played Sandy Olsson opposite John Travolta’s Danny Zuko in the wildly popular musical, Grease. She was 29 at the time and her character was a high school senior. The four-time Grammy Award winner continues to tour at age 66.
We invite you to check out the video of Newton-John’s live performance of “Pearls on a Chain.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along.
"Pearls on a Chain"
Written and performed by Olivia Newton-John
Every living thing on this earth has a heart
Every little thing that I am, so you are
And if you look in my eyes
You will see we are souls alike
We are pearls
We are pearls
We are pearls on a chain
Every day my sunrise will dawn where you are
Every night we sleep underneath the same stars
And if we stand face to face
We will see love's amazing grace
We are pearls
We are pearls
We are pearls on a chain
And if you look in my eyes
You will see we are souls alike
We are pearls
We are pearls
We are pearls on a chain
We are pearls
We are pearls
We are pearls on a chain
... on a chain ... on a chain
Images: Facebook/Olivia Newton-John; Grease publicity photo
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