He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Encyclopedia
"He Ain't Heavy... He's My Brother" is a popular music
ballad written by Bobby Scott
and Bob Russell
. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for The Hollies
later that year and again for Neil Diamond
in 1970.
, at a California nightclub. Despite the fact that Russell was dying of cancer of the lymph nodes and that the pair met in person only three times, they managed to collaborate on the song. The publishing rights to the song were the subject of a legal battle following Russell's death.
Magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column in September 1924 carrying the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"; variations on the phrase are attested as early as 1884. The phrase is also associated with Father Edward J. Flanagan
, the founder of Boys Town
. Flanagan came across a line drawing of a young boy carrying his brother in the Christmas 1941 edition of the Louis Allis Messenger. The caption read "He ain't heavy Mister — he's m' brother!" It was created by Mr. Van B. Hooper who later became the editor of Ideals magazine. The drawing was reprinted in the first issue of Ideals in December 1944. Flanagan felt that the drawing illustrated the work done at Boys Town and received permission from the company in August 1943 to recreate the drawing in color with the caption "He ain't heavy, Father . . . he's m' brother." The phrase became the motto of Boys Town. In an 1918 publication by Ralph Waldo Trine titled "The Higher Powers of Mind and Spirit" he relates the following anecdote: "Do you know that incident in connection with the little Scottish girl?
She was trudging along, carrying as best she could a boy younger, but it
seemed almost as big as she herself, when one remarked to her how heavy
he must be for her to carry, when instantly came the reply: 'He's na
heavy. He's mi brither.'"
The statement is an (unwitting) use of paraprosdokian
, a figure of speech
in which the second half of the statement causes the hearer to reinterpret the first part. Often used for comedic effect, this is a rare use of the form as pathos
.
on piano, was released in the UK
on 1 September 1969 and on 1 December 1969 in the US. "He Ain't Heavy" reached #3 in the UK and #7 in the US. The song, paired with "Carrie Anne
", was re-released in late 1988 in the UK following its use in a television advertisement for Miller Lite
beer. It reached the #1 spot in the UK chart for two weeks in September 1988.
Neil Diamond's version of the song, recorded for his Tap Root Manuscript
album, went to #20 on the Billboard
"Hot 100 Singles" chart in late 1970.
recorded a version for the end credits of the film Rambo III
. This version, produced by Giorgio Moroder
, was released in the UK as a single around the same time as the re-issued Hollies version, and both featured in the "Top 40" simultaneously, Medley's version reaching #25.
The song has been recorded by many others, including:
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
ballad written by Bobby Scott
Bobby Scott (musician)
Bobby Scott was an American musician, record producer, and songwriter.-Biography:He was born Robert William Scott in Mount Pleasant, New York, and became a pianist, vibraphonist, and singer, and could also play the accordion, cello, clarinet, and double bass...
and Bob Russell
Bob Russell (songwriter)
Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
later that year and again for Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
in 1970.
Origin of the song
Scott and Russell had been introduced to each other by Johnny MercerJohnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, at a California nightclub. Despite the fact that Russell was dying of cancer of the lymph nodes and that the pair met in person only three times, they managed to collaborate on the song. The publishing rights to the song were the subject of a legal battle following Russell's death.
Origin of the title
The first editor of KiwanisKiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
Magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column in September 1924 carrying the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"; variations on the phrase are attested as early as 1884. The phrase is also associated with Father Edward J. Flanagan
Edward J. Flanagan
Father Edward Joseph Flanagan was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He was the founder of what is arguably the most famous orphanage—Boys Town...
, the founder of Boys Town
Girls and Boys Town
Boys Town, formerly Girls and Boys Town and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for its children and families, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska...
. Flanagan came across a line drawing of a young boy carrying his brother in the Christmas 1941 edition of the Louis Allis Messenger. The caption read "He ain't heavy Mister — he's m' brother!" It was created by Mr. Van B. Hooper who later became the editor of Ideals magazine. The drawing was reprinted in the first issue of Ideals in December 1944. Flanagan felt that the drawing illustrated the work done at Boys Town and received permission from the company in August 1943 to recreate the drawing in color with the caption "He ain't heavy, Father . . . he's m' brother." The phrase became the motto of Boys Town. In an 1918 publication by Ralph Waldo Trine titled "The Higher Powers of Mind and Spirit" he relates the following anecdote: "Do you know that incident in connection with the little Scottish girl?
She was trudging along, carrying as best she could a boy younger, but it
seemed almost as big as she herself, when one remarked to her how heavy
he must be for her to carry, when instantly came the reply: 'He's na
heavy. He's mi brither.'"
The statement is an (unwitting) use of paraprosdokian
Paraprosdokian
A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax...
, a figure of speech
Figure of speech
A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
in which the second half of the statement causes the hearer to reinterpret the first part. Often used for comedic effect, this is a rare use of the form as pathos
Pathos
Pathos represents an appeal to the audience's emotions. Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric , and in literature, film and other narrative art....
.
Chart performance
The Hollies' recording, which featured Elton JohnElton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
on piano, was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 1 September 1969 and on 1 December 1969 in the US. "He Ain't Heavy" reached #3 in the UK and #7 in the US. The song, paired with "Carrie Anne
Carrie Anne
"Carrie Anne" is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks and released by British pop rock group The Hollies. The song was recorded on 1 May 1967 and was released as a single in the same month by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and Epic Records in the United States. It...
", was re-released in late 1988 in the UK following its use in a television advertisement for Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
beer. It reached the #1 spot in the UK chart for two weeks in September 1988.
Neil Diamond's version of the song, recorded for his Tap Root Manuscript
Tap Root Manuscript
Tap Root Manuscript is an album by Neil Diamond, released in 1970. It was one of the most experimental albums Diamond ever recorded, featuring prominent African sounds and instruments. The album ended up being a commercial success, with a string of top forty hits...
album, went to #20 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
"Hot 100 Singles" chart in late 1970.
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Singles | 11 |
| Canadian Adult Singles | 35 |
Neil Diamond Version
The Neil Diamond version was released as a single on November 7, 1970 (UNI Records, 55264, length 2:47). The flip side was "Free Life" . The song appears on the Neil Diamond album "Tap Root Manuscript", which was released November 21, 1970 . The song was played by KGB radio, San Diego, California, in late 1970, prior to the then-new Walk for Mankind, in dedication to those who would be walking for donations that day.Cover Versions
In 1988, Bill MedleyBill Medley
William Thomas Medley is an American singer and songwriter, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers....
recorded a version for the end credits of the film Rambo III
Rambo III
Rambo III is an American Action film released on May 25, 1988. It is the third film in the Rambo series following First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
. This version, produced by Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
, was released in the UK as a single around the same time as the re-issued Hollies version, and both featured in the "Top 40" simultaneously, Medley's version reaching #25.
The song has been recorded by many others, including:
- The Ruffin Brothers (DavidDavid RuffinDavis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...
& JimmyJimmy RuffinJimmy Ruffin is an American soul singer, and elder brother of the late David Ruffin of The Temptations. He had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."-Life:...
) on their 1970 album I Am My Brother's Keeper - Bobby Goldsboro on his album "We Gotta Start Lovin'" (1970) United Artists-UAS 6777
- CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
on her 1971 album Gypsies, Tramps and ThievesGypsys, Tramps & Thieves (album)Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves is the seventh studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on September 1971 by Kapp Records. For the realization of this album, Cher left her husband Sonny Bono to produce the album, and for the first time she collabored with Snuff Garrett and with Al Capps for... - Donny HathawayDonny HathawayDonny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
on his eponymous 1971 album - The OsmondsThe OsmondsThe Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers...
in 1971 (and frequently in concert as a finale) - Alex HarveyAlex HarveyAlex Harvey was a Scottish rock musician. With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the 1970s glam rock era.-Biography:...
in 1972 on The Joker Is Wild (album)The Joker is Wild (album)The Joker is Wild was the second album and created by Alex Harvey after the Soul Band. The album was released in 1972. Some time after 1972 the album The Joker Is Wild was reissued and repackaged, the album song listings stayed the same, but the album was credited as being made by "The Sensational... - Brotherhood of ManBrotherhood of ManBrotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
on their 1974 album Good Things HappeningGood Things HappeningGood Things Happening is the first album released by the new lineup of pop group Brotherhood of Man. This lineup consisted of Martin Lee, Lee Sheriden, Nicky Stevens and Sandra Stevens and was to be the main lineup of the group's history and would hold for the next ten albums.- Background :This... - Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
in 1975 (as the B-side of her single "Let It Shine", both songs charted simultaneously and reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Easy ListeningHot Adult Contemporary TracksThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
chart in January 1976) - The HousemartinsThe HousemartinsThe Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...
recorded an a capella version in 1986 as a b-side for the 12" vinyl release of their single "Happy HourHappy Hour (The Housemartins song)"Happy Hour" is a 1986 single by The Housemartins. It was the third single from the album London 0 Hull 4 and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart....
". Their version of the song is also on the compact disc version of their debut album London 0 Hull 4London 0 Hull 4London 0 Hull 4 is a 1986 album by The Housemartins. It was their first album and contains the singles "Flag Day" , "Sheep" , "Happy Hour" and "Think for a Minute" .... - The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
, in 1989 on the album Steppin' to the Shadows (instrumental version) - GotthardGotthard (band)Gotthard is a Swiss hard rock/heavy metal band founded in Lugano by Steve Lee and Leo Leoni. Their last eleven albums have all reached number 1 in the Swiss album charts, making them one of the most successful Swiss acts ever....
, in 1996 BMG Ariola version of their third album G.G. (album)G. is the third studio album released by the hard rock band Gotthard.-Track listing:All songs written by Steve Lee/Leo Leoni/Chris von Rohr except where noted.# "Sister Moon" – 3:55# "Make My Day" – 3:45# "Mighty Quinn" – 3:15... - Rufus WainwrightRufus WainwrightRufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, for the soundtrack to the Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
film ZoolanderZoolanderZoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the... - Clay CrosseClay CrosseClay Crosse is a Dove award winning CCM artist. He is probably best known for the single "I Surrender All."-Music career:...
on his Stained GlassStained glassThe term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
album - The ChoirboysThe Choirboys (boyband)The Choirboys are an English boy band, made up of cathedral choristers. In 2005, a talent search was held to find a young chorister to bring choral music into the then current music scene, however, the judges could not decide which of its three finalists should be given the recording contract and...
- Austria3Austria3Austria3 was a conglomerate of three Austrian quite individualist singer-songwriters Wolfgang Ambros, Georg Danzer and Rainhard Fendrich.The group was initiated by Fendrich in order to give one single charity concert in favour of homeless in 1997...
did version in the Austrian dialect of the German language: "Weusd' mei Freund bist" (literally: "because you are a friend of mine") - Roger WhittakerRoger WhittakerRoger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
on his 1996 album The World of Roger Whittaker. - American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Season 4's Top 12 contestants for a Red Cross charity single - SanchezSanchez (singer)Sanchez is a Jamaican Reggae and dancehall singer-Biography:Jackson was given the nickname 'Sanchez' due to his football skills - a reference to a footballer of that name. After working with several Kingston sound systems he began recording and had his first hit with "Lady In Red", recorded for...
, on his album No More Heartaches (2003). - Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
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, recorded live at the Kongsberg JazzfestivalKongsberg JazzfestivalKongsberg Jazzfestival is an international jazz festival held annually in Kongsberg, Norway since 1964.-Artists:Several worldwide great artists have visited Kongsberg during this festival; international stars including Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Nigel Kennedy and Pat Metheny have...
in 1977, released on Toneff's posthumous album Butterfly (2008). - Glen CampbellGlen CampbellGlen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
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covered the song on his 2010 album 'Great British Songs'. - Tommy EmmanuelTommy EmmanuelWilliam Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
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with Dr. John Knowles CGP, William Robert Scott and Sidney Keith Russell.