About The Song
“Here We Are” is a song by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released in November 1989 in the United States and in February 1990 in the United Kingdom as the third single of her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways (1989). It was released with the B-side song “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, that was included on the European version, later to appear on the Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me album. A Portuguese version of the song, “Toda Pra Você,” is included on the compilation Exitos De Gloria Estefan as well as the Brazilian edition of the Cuts Both Ways album. As a duet for her special television concert All The Way Concert, Celine Dion performed this song, while Estefan sang Dion’s song, “Because You Loved Me”. A new Spanish version called “Tu y yo” was released in July 2019 on Estefan’s official YouTube channel, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the song. This version was also included on her 2020 album Brazil305. The intro sequence mirrors the song “Under Wraps #2” by Jethro Tull.
“Here We Are” continued Estefan’s success, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Cash Box Top 100 charts. It also went to #1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart for five weeks. Overseas, the song peaked at #23 on the UK Singles Chart, #7 in Ireland and #13 in the Netherlands.
Upon the release, Bill Coleman from Billboard remarked that the song’s “beautifully etched acoustic guitar strumming frames Estefan’s warm and inviting vocals”. A reviewer from Entertainment Weekly felt it “croon along smoothly”. British Lennox Herald described it as a “ballad of heartbreaking lament”, where Estefan demonstrates her “glorious feel for a ballad.” The reviewer concluded that the Carpenters “would have been proud of you”. Ian McCann from NME felt that Estefan “does her best Carpenters impression.”
In a 2019 retrospective review, Matthew Hocter from Albumism said “Here We Are” is the “epitome of what ‘80s ballads executed with pure perfection were all about”. He named it a “highlight” of the Cuts Both Ways album. AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier declared it as a “super” song. Maryann Scheufele from AXS featured it in her ranking of 10 Best Gloria Estefan Songs in 2014, calling it a “beautiful love song”. She added that it “suggests how quickly time passes and love happens. Gloria Estefan has a powerful voice in this love song as she sings that there is “nothing I can do to keep from loving you” believably. Be reassured by love as you listen.” In a 2016 review, Pop Rescue noted that acoustic guitars “gently strum in the background, and a scattering of piano help this song step back and let Gloria’s vocals shine.”
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Lyrics
Here we are
Face to face
We forget, time and place
Hold me now
Don’t let go
Though it hurts and we both know
The time we spend together’s gonna fly
And everything you do to me
Is gonna feel so right
Baby when you’re loving me
I feel like I could cry
‘Cause there’s nothing I can do
To keep from loving you, no no no
Here we are
All alone
Trembling hearts, beating strong
Reaching out, a breathless kiss
I never thought could feel like this
I want to stop the time from passing by
I want to close my eyes and feel
Your lips are touching mine
Baby when you’re close to me
I want you more each time
And there’s nothing I can do
To keep from loving you
There’s nothing I can do
I’m helpless in your arms
Oh baby what you do
I’m in love, this is it
There’s no turning back this time
No no no
Here we are
Once again
But this time we’re only friends
Funny world
Sometimes lies
Become the game, when loves the prize
And though no one knows what’s going on inside
And all the love I feel for you
Is something I should hide
When I have you close to me
The feelings so sublime
That there’s nothing I can do
To keep from loving you, no no no
Can’t keep from loving you baby
No no no
That there’s nothing I can do my baby
To keep from loving you