3 Songs You Didn’t Know Sheryl Crow Wrote for Other Artists

In 2023, the talented songwriter and performer Sheryl Crow was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She was part of the class that included Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, and many more. Her friend, the actress Laura Dern, gave the speech honoring Crow, known for songs like “All I Wanna Do” and “If It Makes You Happy.”

ABC is set to broadcast the Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight (January 1) from 8-11 p.m. ET, during which fans can see Crow and the other honorees get their flowers, so to speak. Bright and lively, Crow rose to fame in the 1990s and has since enjoyed a distinguished career. But many fans of the 61-year-year-old artist may not know that Crow has helped write songs for other performers as well. Here below, we wanted to shine a light on three such offerings.

“Father Sun,” Wynonna Judd

Written by Sheryl Crow, Jay Oliver

Appearing on Wynonna Judd’s 1993 solo album Tell Me Why, this song was originally written by Crow for her own solo debut album. Written around 1992, the record remains both untitled and unreleased. Over the years, some cassette copies have leaked, but nothing official. (And Crow’s official debut was the 1993 album, Tuesday Night Music Club.) In the wake of all that, the Judd recorded her own version of the song, penned by Crow and Jay Oliver, and made it her own. On the acoustic-driven song, Judd sings of redemption,

Strange imaginations, children hide your secrets well
Is it not temptation makes you kiss and makes you tell?
There’s a traveler on the airwaves and he’s pleading for my heart
Light up all the candles, I’m still in the dark

Hurry operator, get redemption on the line
Pull back the curtains, I think I recognize those eyes
If love is so criminal, then my penance due
‘Cause I’m still holdin’ on to letters written straight to you

“Somebody Stand by Me,” Stevie Nicks

Written by Sheryl Crow, Todd Wolfe

This song from former Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks was written by Crow and Todd Wolfe for the soundtrack to the 1996 movie Boys on the Side. The song became a hit for singer Faith Hill in 1998. A piano-driven number, the song is about needing friendship and support. On the track, Nicks sings,

I stood at the door
And watched while you drove away
Driving my car,
In the rain, in the dark
Well, every dog seems to have her day

I’ve been in this, alone so long
And I’m beginning to wonder why I stand in one place,
A different name
A different face
No ones gonna see me cry

“All Kinds of People,” Anita Hegerland

Written by Sheryl Crow, Kevin Gilbert, Eric Pressly

Released on Anita Hegerland’s 1994 record Voices, this song was co-written by Crow with Kevin Gilbert and Eric Pressly. This was another track that was originally from Crow’s unreleased 1992 untitled debut LP. Crow did release a version of this song for a charity album in 2004. But it was Hegerland who got to the work first. On the song, rich with lush production, Hegerland sings,

There’s a time for love and a time for healing
You can’t go back and undo what’s been done
The word of mouth, time is revealing
Just how far we’ve let this kingdom come

Hand in hand, we’re finding our way
And today is just tomorrow’s yesterday

Some will die for you, some will lie to you
There’s all kinds of people in this world
Turn the world around, tear the borders down
There’s all kinds of people in this world, yeah

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