Recorded on June 25, 1969, and released that September, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by the Hollies was a huge hit for the band all around the world, particularly the U.K., where it went to #1 on the Official Singles Chart (in the U.S., the song was a Top 10 hit, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100). But the Hollies weren't the first to record the song, and they didn't write it.
The first version of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" was recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, but nothing much came of it...except that the demo ended up in the hands of Tony Hicks, lead guitarist of the Hollies. Hicks was looking for songs for the Hollies to record, and initially he thought the song was a bit too slow. After speeding up the tempo, however, Hicks realized the tune was the perfect fit for lead singer Allan Clarke's vocal range — and his expressive style was just right for the heartbreaking lyrics:
But I'm strongStrong enough to carry himHe ain't heavy, he's my brotherSo on we go
Knowing that Russell was dying when he wrote these words makes them all the more touching, but the origins of the phrase that inspired the song's chorus and title can actually be traced all the way back to a religious book from 1884 called The Parables of Jesus.
Written by James Wells, Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland, the book includes a story about a little girl struggling to carry a big baby boy. When she was asked if she was tired of carrying him, she answered, "No, he's not heavy; he's my brother." (The phrase was later adopted by Father Edward Flanagan as the motto for the famous Boys Town children’s home.)
The HolliesPhoto by Mark Hayward Archive on Getty Images
"There'd been this old film called Boys Town about a children's home in America, and the statue outside showed a child being carried aloft and the motto 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.' Bob Russell had been dying of cancer while writing. We never got, or asked for, royalties."
"Elton John, who was still called Reg, played piano on it and got paid 12 pounds," Hicks said, quipping, "It was a worldwide hit twice."
Related: 1972 Hit Ranked Among 'Greatest Songs of All Time' Made a Triumphant Comeback Nearly 30 Years Later
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