I hope you have a wonderful anniversary! Bread, “Everything I Own”

Bread, the band, not the yummy baked treat, released the single that gave them their fourth top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Today marks the 41st anniversary of the single’s release.

The song “Everything I Own” was written by David Gates, who was one of the founding members of Bread along with Jimmy Griffin and Rob Royer. Gates was also responsible for writing the three other major singles that came along before it. Gates penned the song as a memorial to his father, who passed away quite some time ago. “My success would have been so special to him, as he was my greatest influence,” mentioned Gates in the book 1000 UK #1 Hits. “He was my greatest influence.” “As a result, I set out to compose and record the song ‘Everything I Own’ about him. The words “You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, gave my life to me, and set me free” are extremely powerful and explain everything you need to know about the situation.

In 1972, when “Everything I Own” was first released, it reached the fifth spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.