He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
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| "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" | ||
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| Single by The Hollies | ||
| B-side(s) | "'Cos You Like To Love Me" | |
| Released | 1969-09-01 (UK) 1969-12-01 (U.S.) |
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| Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | 1969 | |
| Genre | Pop music | |
| Label | Parlophone R 5806 (UK) | |
| Writer(s) | Bob Russell and Bobby Scott | |
| Producer(s) | ?? | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Hollies singles chronology | ||
| Jennifer Eccles (1968) |
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (1969) |
"Sorry Suzanne" (1969) |
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a song by The Hollies. Becoming one of their biggest hits, "He Ain't Heavy" became one of the most defining and enduring tunes of the 1960s.
The song was originally released as a single with "'Cos You Like To Love Me" on the B side.
The UK release was on 1 September 1969, and the song hit the United States on the 1 December, later that year. "He Ain't Heavy" shot up the charts reaching #3 in the UK and #7 in the United States. The song was also re-released in late 1988 in the UK following its use in a television advertisement for Miller Lite Beer, it was paired with "Carrie" on the re-release. "He Ain't Heavy" finally reached the #1 spot in the charts for two weeks in September 1988 with this re-release.
"He Ain't Heavy" was composed by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. The pair were introduced to each other by Johnny Mercer at a California nightclub. Despite the fact that Russell was dying of cancer and that the pair met in person only three times, they managed to turn out "He Ain't Heavy".
The Hollies soon recorded the emotional ballad, featuring the piano talents of Elton John, and with Allan Clarke providing a heartfelt rendition of the lyrics.
The origin of the title of the song has caused great speculation. In 1924, the first editor of Kiwanis Magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column carrying the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Dated September 1924, the article speaks of Fulkerson's encounter with "a spindly and physically weak lad" carrying a baby and "staggering towards a neighboring park".
" 'Pretty big load for such a small kid' I said as I met him. 'Why, mister,' he smiled, 'He ain't heavy; he's my brother.' "
Fulkerson goes on to examine his profound regard for that statement and how it could perhaps help us to view life in a better way.
The phrase is also associated with Father Edward J. Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town. Father Flanagan came across a line drawing in the Christmas 1941 edition of the Louis Allis Messenger, a company publication. The "Two Brothers" line drawing of a young boy carrying his brother featured on Page 44, in gold & black ink. 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 subsequently repeated in the first issue of Ideals in December of 1944.
The Girls and Boys Town website recounts the subsequent story: "Over the years, Father Flanagan had seen numerous examples of boys helping each other in a fashion similar to the one depicted in the publication. He thought the drawing would be a perfect example to illustrate the work done at Girls and Boys Town. Father Flanagan contacted the company in August of 1943 for permission to reproduce the two boys in full color and to change the caption to 'He ain't heavy, Father . . . he's m' brother.'" Consequently, the phrase became the motto of Girls and Boys Town, and the image became the universal, enduring image of the organisation. The story of Father Flanagan was told in the 1938 movie Boys Town starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.
Another explanation for the origin of the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is that of a Vietnam War photo. Supposedly, the image depicted a GI carrying a Vietnamese man on his back. The journalist had asked if he'd been carrying him far, and the soldier had smiled at the camera and said, "He ain't heavy, he's my brother."
The song was covered by Neil Diamond in 1970, by The Osmonds in 1971, and again in 1975 by Olivia Newton-John. The Osmonds consider it a theme song, and regularly perform it in concert as a show closer.
In 1988 Bill Medley recorded "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" to be featured during the end credits for the film Rambo III, starring Sylvester Stallone. The song was produced by Giorgio Moroder and is available on one of the versions of the Rambo III soundtrack as well as the album The Best of Bill Medley.
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" was covered by singer Rufus Wainwright for the soundtrack to the Ben Stiller film "Zoolander".
In "Austin Powers In Goldmember", Austin Powers states, "He ain't heavy, he's my brother," when learning that Dr. Evil is indeed his long lost sibling.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins |
UK number one single "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies September 18, 1988 |
Succeeded by "Desire" by U2 |
