The music was written by Aleksandra Pakhmutova, with lyrics by Nikolai Dobronravov and Sergey Grebennikov.
Yevgeny Dolmatovsky recalled in the book "Stories about your songs" (1973):[1] "Tenderness" is like a spell of a woman, a friend of the pilot, who released her beloved to the stars and is waiting for his return.
One of the first to talk ably about the experiences and feelings of a man who has gained wings, this dreamer and warrior, and cosmonauts, including Yuri Gagarin, often told poets: write about Exupéry!In order for a song to be born and turned out, many circumstances, impressions, finds are needed.
"[3] It was covered many times by many artists in Soviet Union and Russia, including versions made by Yuri Gulyayev, Joseph Kobzon, Tamara Sinyavskaya, Lyudmila Zykina, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Maria Codrianu, Latvian singer Olga Pīrāgs.
Also, the song was recorded in 1967 by French singer Frida Boccara in Russian (Soviet album «Поёт Фрида Боккара» / Frida Boccara sings, Melodiya), in 1969 by Cuban singer Lourdes Gil and Francis Goya (as Tenderness — CD album A Tribute... With My Sincere Admiration for Alexandra Pakhmutova, 2002).