This 1976 Song By Barry Manilow Is His Most Personal — And You Probably Missed It

Barry Manilow scored his first No. 1 hit with "Mandy" in January 1975 and followed it up exactly a year later with "I Write the Songs," which won a Grammy for song of the year. They remain two musical jewels in a back catalog that spans over half a century. But to die-hard Fanilows, 1976 was also the year he released a record that barely made a dent in the charts but was arguably his most personal: "All the Time."

This heartfelt ballad came during a time of upheaval for Manilow, as he explained in the liner notes for the 1992 album "The Complete Collection and Then Some." He wrote that the failure of his first marriage to Susan Deixler and a "suffocating" job were weighing him down, while his meteoric success only compounded an already deep sense of loneliness and made him feel like a "musical misfit."

In 2022, his songwriting partner Marty Panzer explained how letters from fans, many of whom poured out their hearts to the star, helped Manilow realize he wasn't the only one feeling like he was on the outside looking in. Panzer said the singer told him: "You know, when you're on the outside, you eventually begin to think 'maybe there's something not right with me,'" via NAMM. Manilow then suggested writing a song that celebrated being different and standing out from the herd. It would be "the most important song; it would make people feel good" and "reinforce their own sense of self."

Decades later, Marty Panzer's lyrics to "All the Time" still speak to fans. It's no surprise that listeners connect with the song on a profound, emotional level. Yes, it's a beautiful, languid ballad, but there's no missing the message of "All the Time." The opening verses explore the loneliness of individuality and an open yearning for connection: "I would have given everything I own / If someone would have said, you're not alone."

The chorus rips our hearts out, and you can even hear his frustrated sigh in the second reprise as Manilow chides himself for "All the time, all the wasted time / All the years, waiting for a sign." Interestingly, anyone looking to read between the lines and assume Manilow was referring to his sexuality in "All the Time" will be disappointed. He confirmed he was gay in 2017, after his marriage to Garry Kief, but described his coming out as a "non event" in a 2023 edition of "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?" It may not have had the chart impact of arguably Manilow's saddest love song, for example, but "All the Time" is his timeless reminder that no matter how tough things get, we are never alone.