Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedLovely Day
See all Bill Withers in the catalogue →
Soul1970s98BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Bill Withers & Skip Scarborough), no dispute found — same artist as “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Use Me” in this catalogue.
Quick Facts
Released1977
AlbumMenagerie
GenreSoul, R&B, Funk
LabelColumbia Records
ProducerBill Withers & Clarence McDonald
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Bill Withers & Skip Scarborough
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Columbia; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
An enduring standard — it passed one billion Spotify streams 49 years after release; same artist as “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Use Me” here.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
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Same artist (this batch)
Same artist (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Bill Withers & Skip Scarborough (died 2003)
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The co-writer’s personality inspired the lyric
Withers has explained that co-writer Skip Scarborough’s own gentle, optimistic personality directly inspired the song’s lyrics — he described Scarborough as “a very nice, gentle man” for whom “every day was just a lovely day,” noting a different collaborator would have taken him somewhere else, since “we’re all sponges in a sense.” No lyrics reproduced.
Songfacts · read it →
An 18-second sustained note
Withers holds a sustained high E toward the end for roughly 18 seconds — widely cited (including by Guinness World Records) as one of the longest sustained notes in American pop history, the longest of any US Top 40 hit.
Parade · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A billion-stream enduring standard
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
LD
Bill Withers & Skip Scarborough (Columbia)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 14)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass