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Shirley Bassey ft Geoff Love & His Orchestra - As Long As He Needs Me (Columbia Records 1960)

2,691 views · Published 27 March 2014 · 3:04 · Indexed 4 November 2026

Channel: RoundMidnightTV · 2014 · Film & Animation

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"As Long as He Needs Me" is a torch song sung by the character of Nancy in the musical film Oliver!, and originally introduced in the 1960 musical by Georgia Brown, who was the first actress to play Nancy. It is a love ballad expressing Nancy's love for her criminal boyfriend Bill Sikes, despite his mistreatment of her.  The song was written by Lionel Bart.

A reprise of this song towards the end of the show expresses Nancy's affection for young Oliver Twist, implying that she now feels that the child also needs her. This reprise was omitted from the film version.

The song has also been sung as "As Long as She Needs Me," when sung by a male singer. Its popularity grew by virtue of renditions by several popular singers, including Lionel Bart and Shirley Bassey who reached number two for 5 weeks on the United Kingdom charts with the song. Bassey's recording became one of the highest sellers of 1960 staying on the UK charts for 30 weeks, and is still heard regularly playing in the background on the TV show "EastEnders". The song was performed by Nadia Turner and Melinda Doolittle on American Idol.

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the mid-1950s and has been called "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century". In the US, in particular, she is best known for recording the theme songs to the James Bond films Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979).  

As long as he needs me
I know where I must be
I'll cling on steadfastly
As long as he needs me

As long as life is long
I'll love him, right or wrong
And somehow I'll be strong
As long as he needs me

If you are lonely then you will know
When someone needs you, you love them so
I won't betray his trust
Though people say I must
I've got to stay true just
As long as he needs me

If you are lonely then you will know
When someone needs you, you love them so
I won't betray his trust
Though people say I must
I've got to stay true just
As long as he needs me

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