The Association - Cheris
The Association - Cherish


The Association - Cherish Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: And Then... Along Comes The Association
Released: 1966

Cherish Lyrics


Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you

Perish is the word that more than applies
To the hope in my heart each time I realize
That I am not gonna be the one to share your dreams
That I am not gonna be the one to share your schemes
That I am not gonna be the one to share what
Seems to be the life that you could
Cherish as much as I do yours

Oh I'm beginning to think that man has never found
The words that could make you want me
That have the right amount of letters, just the right sound
That could make you hear, make you see
That you are drivin' me out of my mind

Oh I could say I need you but then you'd realize
That I want you just like a thousand other guys
Who'd say they loved you With all the rest of their lies
When all they wanted was to touch your face, your hands
And gaze into your eyes

Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you

And I do cherish you
And I do cherish you

Cherish is the word

Writer/s: KIRKMAN, TERRY
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Cherish Song Chart
  • Despite the title, you don't want to play this song at your wedding. While the singer does cherish the girl, he knows that he can't possibly have her, and comes off a little desperate and obsessive. A far better choice is "Never My Love," which the group released a year later. That one finds our hero declaring his never-ending love.
  • This was the followup to The Association's first hit "Along Comes Mary." The Association was popular in the Los Angeles area, but gained national fame when this was released.
  • The Association's multi-instrumentalist Terry Kirkman wrote this in a half hour and incorporated it into their live act. Mike Whelan, who was in an earlier band with members of The Association, liked the song so much that he persuaded his new group, The New Christy Minstrels, to perform it as well. The Minstrels almost released it as a single before The Association.
  • Curt Boettcher produced this in a garage that was converted into a studio by Gary Paxton (of "Alley Oop" fame), but the recording has only two Association members on their instruments, the rest simply sang vocals. Boettcher used session musicians to play the other instruments.
  • Originally, this was 3:25 long. In an effort to encourage radio play, it was sped up and trimmed to 3:13, then listed on the label as 3:00 to appease stations refusing to play songs longer than 3 minutes.
  • In 1971, this was a #9 US hit for David Cassidy, who played Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family. It was his first hit, and he soon became a teen idol and star of the show.
  • The music licensing organization BMI ranked "Cherish" at #22 on their list of the most-played songs on television and radio of the 20th century in America. Another Association song, "Never My Love," came in at #2.
  • When Terry Kirkman wrote this song, he envisioned it with a far different arrangement. He wanted to record in a far slower tempo to wring out the emotion in the song - similar to how The Righteous Brothers performed "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."

    The Association's next #1, "Windy," was a similar story. That song was written as more of a folk-blues tune, but the group recorded it in a faster tempo, gilded it with slick production, and turned it into a huge hit.