“I’ll Stand By You”
Taking a closer look at Chrissie Hynde’s declaration of love and loyalty — to the animals, if you’re so inclined
During a recent Glee rewatch I was struck by their glossily competent rendition of a song called I’ll Stand By You. Though unfamiliar to me outside of the show, the song sounded so confidently established that I felt as though I should have known it. Perhaps it was a Roxette number? Maybe even one of Elton John’s? The answer was not what I expected: it belongs to the Pretenders, and was a huge hit for them in 1994. It also transpires that Chrissie Hynde, the Pretenders lead singer and co-writer of I’ll Stand By You, is a very staunch vegan. According to several vegan websites this song has become something of an animal rights anthem; there’s certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence that Hynde has repeatedly dedicated it to the animals when performing on tour. And so, I was compelled to explore this song further.
Without knowing about Hynde’s pro-animal views you wouldn’t immediately pick it from the lyrics — but that’s the beauty of I’ll…
