Song for You (Chicago song)

"Song for You"
Solid center variant of the South African 7-inch single
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago XIV
B-side	"The American Dream" (US and South Africa) "I'd Rather Be Rich" (International exc. South Africa)
Released	August 22, 1980 (1980-08-22)
Recorded	1980
Genre	Acoustic rock
Length	3:41
Label	Columbia
Songwriter	Peter Cetera
Producer	Tom Dowd
Chicago singles chronology
"Thunder and Lightning" (1980) "Song for You" (1980) "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (1982)

"Song for You" is a song by the American rock band Chicago. It was included as the third song on their fourteenth album Chicago XIV and released as its second single, which did not chart. "Song for You" was the band's last single to be released on Columbia Records and their last single to feature Brazilian percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who was then replaced by the band's second keyboardist Bill Champlin.

"Song for You" was written and sung by singer-songwriter Peter Cetera and features two B-sides. On American releases, the B-side of "Song for You" is the album's closing track, "The American Dream", while international releases (excluding South Africa) use the song "I'd Rather Be Rich" as the B-side, the same one used for "Thunder and Lightning".

In the liner notes for the band's Group Portrait box set, Cetera commented that he "love[d]" "Song for You" and also expressed interest in re-recording the song. ^[1] Robert Lamm said in the liner notes for the remastered edition of Chicago XIV that "Song for You " was one of the songs that signaled the direction that Cetera would take musically for future releases. ^[2] The song received some airplay on radio stations in the United Kingdom, including BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Clyde. ^[3]

Critical reception

Music Week felt that "Song for You" "lack[ed] the warm feeling of classic single 'If You Leave Me Now'", and believed that the single's best attribute was the instrumental guitar interlude. ^[4] Record World called the song a "pretty ballad" with "intricate guitar work." ^[5]

Track listing

Side A

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Song for You"	Cetera	3:41

Side B

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
2.	"The American Dream"	James Pankow	3:19

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	August 22, 1980	7-inch	[6]
United States	October 1980	7-inch	[7]
South Africa	1981	7-inch	[8]

References

1. Ruhlmann, William James (1991). Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. p. 8. Archived from the original (CD booklet archived online) on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
2. Tomashoff, Craig (2003). Chicago XIV (remastered) (Liner Notes). United States: Rhino Records. R2 76183.
3. "Airplay Action" (PDF). Music Week . August 30, 1980. p. 11. Retrieved November 30, 2025– via World Radio History.
4. Jasper, Tony (September 6, 1980). "Select Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 28. Retrieved November 30, 2025– via World Radio History.
5. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World . October 25, 1980. p. 12. Retrieved November 30, 2025– via World Radio History.
6. "Chicago – Song for You". Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
7. "Song for You / The American Dream" (Web). 45cat. October 1980.
8. "Song for You / The American Dream (SA)" (Web). 45cat. 1981.