"Words" is a song by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The song reached No. 1 in West Germany, Canada, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. It was the Bee Gees' third top-10 song in the UK, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart. In a UK television special on ITV in December 2011, the song was voted fourth in "The Nation's Favourite Bee Gees Song." The song has been recorded by many other artists, including popular versions by Rita Coolidge from her album Anytime…Anywhere in 1978 and Boyzone from their album A Different Beat in 1996. It was Boyzone's fifth single and their first number-one song in the UK.

Writing

In 1996, Barry Gibb said on the VH1 Storytellers television show that a song was written for their manager, Robert Stigwood.

Recording

The song "Words" was recorded on October 3, 1967, along with "World" and the track "Maccleby's Secret," which was never finished or released. The recording took place at IBC Studios in London. Only Barry Gibb sang on "Words," and he performed it alone during Bee Gees concerts for the rest of the group's career.

Barry Gibb said the recording sessions for "Words" were very special for two members of the group.

Maurice Gibb explained that "Words" highlighted a new piano sound.

Damon Lyon-Shaw, a sound engineer, shared his thoughts about the recording.

John Pantry, another sound engineer, also provided his perspective on the event.

Release

The B-side for "Words" was "Sinking Ships," one of the few Bee Gees songs with all three brothers singing lead vocals: Barry and Robin Gibb on the verses, and Maurice Gibb on the chorus. The group performed this song on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1968. During the performance, Barry Gibb sang, Maurice Gibb played bass, Robin Gibb played piano, Vince Melouney played guitar, and Colin Petersen played drums. Melouney used a Gibson ES-335 guitar, and Maurice used a Rickenbacker 4001 bass. Some backing vocals near the end of the song were only included in the mono mix used on the single, some compilations, and the Studio Albums 1967–1968 box set.

Mixes for "Words" had many issues. The song was originally only released as a single, so no stereo mix was made until 1969, when Atlantic Records created one for the Best of Bee Gees album. This stereo mix, which included piano, bass, and drums mixed down with vocals emphasized, was not well received by fans. In the UK, Polydor Records used the mono mix instead for their version of the album. In 1990, Bill Inglot made an improved stereo mix. During this process, he noticed that two short sections of backing vocals near the end of the song were only on the mono mix, not the original four-track master, suggesting Barry Gibb added them during the mono mix. The Studio Albums 1967–1968 box set used the original mono mix. As noted on the original single, the song was featured in the 1968 film The Mini-Affair (originally titled The Mini-Mob), where it was performed by Georgie Fame in an arrangement by Bill Shepherd.

"Words" first appeared at No. 67 on the Cashbox chart in the United States during the week of January 20, 1968. It was the Bee Gees' second UK Top 10 single after "Massachusetts." Cashbox described the song as a "beautiful ballad line with a semi-soft, somewhat-rock sound" achieved through the use of classic piano, soaring strings, and pop-style percussion, and praised it as a "brilliant vocal lead."

Personnel

• Barry Gibb – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Maurice Gibb – bass, piano, Mellotron
• Robin Gibb – harmony vocals
• Vince Melouney – rhythm guitar
• Colin Petersen – drums
• Bill Shepherd – orchestral arrangement

Boyzone version

Irish boyband Boyzone performed a version of the song "Words" and released it as the first single from their second studio album, A Different Beat (1996). This single was their seventh overall and became their first number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart. It also received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry.

The British music magazine Music Week gave Boyzone's version of "Words" a rating of three out of five. The reviewer wrote, "Just when everyone has readied themselves for Boyzone's ascent to big fame, they go and release their worst single to date. It will still be a massive hit, but this cover of The Bee Gees' 1968 hit is terribly uninspired."

• UK CD1
• "Words" (radio edit) – 3:55
• "The Price of Love" – 3:11
• "Words" (alternative mix) – 3:53

• UK CD2
• "Words" (radio edit) – 3:55
• "The Price of Love" – 3:11
• "What Can You Do for Me" – 2:59
• "Words" (alternative mix) – 3:53

• UK cassette single
• "Words" (radio edit) – 3:55
• "The Price of Love" – 3:11

Other versions

The song was recorded by Glen Campbell on the Wichita Lineman album, which was released in 1968. It was also recorded and performed live by Elvis Presley in 1969. The song appeared in the 1970 concert film Elvis: That's the Way It Is and in the 2000 special edition of the album That's the Way It Is.

Lynn Anderson recorded the song on her 1970 album Stay There 'Til I Get There.

Cliff Richard performed "Words" live in Berlin in 1970, accompanied by the SFB orchestra, which was directed by Paul Kuhn. This performance was later released under the title Live in Berlin (The Broadcast Archives). In a 2010 television interview, Cliff mentioned that Barry Gibb had written "Words" specifically for him. However, Barry did not know how to send the song to Cliff, so the Bee Gees recorded it instead. The Bee Gees were unaware that Cliff had already performed the song multiple times live because he loved it.

Rita Coolidge covered the song and performed it on the BBC's weekly pop show Top of the Pops on March 2, 1978.

In 1979, country singer Susie Allanson covered "Words" for her album Heart to Heart, which was released that year. Her version reached number eight on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1979.

In 1989, the group Tropical Panamá released a Spanish-language version of the song, titled Palabras, on their album Ana María.

In 2021, Barry Gibb and Dolly Parton recorded "Words" for Barry's 2021 album Greenfields.