About The Song
How might you follow your first gold-selling single, after seven years of striving for that summit? Neil Diamond had the answer: with another gold-selling single. A generation on, each of them went platinum.
That first gold-plated smash, and his enduring theme tune, was “Sweet Caroline,” which went on to take center stage at every Diamond concert for almost half a century and become a singalong anthem at sporting events beyond number. The sequel was the gospel-flavored “Holly Holy,” one of the star’s personal favorites, cut like its predecessor at American Sound Studio in Memphis.
“Sweet Caroline” was a national and international slam-dunk in 1969, certified gold in the U.S. by the RIAA by August. Never one simply to carbon-copy his own success, the versatile Diamond changed the mood completely for “Holly Holy,” a gently-building track with strings and church-y backing vocals.
It was written by frequent collaborator Tom Catalano and soul bassist-producer Tommy Cogbill, with an arrangement was by the ubiquitous and revered Charles Calello. He was known in early years for his work with the Four Seasons and later for greats from Barbra Streisand to Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen to Barry Manilow.
“Holly Holy” entered the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of November 1, 1969 at No.71, below only Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” among that week’s 16 entries. Both were Single of the Week picks in the trade weekly Record World, alongside the Youngbloods’ “Sunlight” and the Grass Roots’ “Heaven Knows.” The magazine declared confidently of Diamond’s release: “Now it will be as famous as its author and constant hitmaker.”
With Christmas not far away, Uni Records saw the potential to capitalize on the song’s spiritual flavor. “Label’s big guns are trained on upcoming holiday traffic,” reported Record World, “based on the single’s inspirational lyric.” The label also produced a four-color newspaper, the Uni Review, based on Diamond’s career achievements to date and available free at record counters across the U.S.
“Holly Holy” took its place on Diamond’s new Touching You…Touching Me album, on which other new originals were joined by his versions of such contemporary numbers as Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’,” Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles,” and Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Until It’s Time For You To Go.”
The Diamond single went on to match the 14-week U.S. chart run of “Sweet Caroline,” peaking two places below it at No.6. “Holly Holy” missed the charts in the U.K., despite its rush-release there by MCA and an enthusiastic Record Mirror review which said: “From a subdued slow opening this builds into a chix-backed typical Diamond beater.” But like “Sweet Caroline,” it was a major hit in South Africa, reaching No.2, and made the Top 10 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
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Lyrics
Holly holy eyes
Dream of only me
Where I am, what I am
What I believe in
Holly holy
Holly holy dream
Wanting only you
And she comes
And I run just like the wind will
Holly holy
sing a song
(Sing) sing a song of songs
(Sing) sing it out
Sing it strong (sing, sing, sing, sing)
Yeah
Yeah
Call the sun in the dead of the night
And the sun’s gonna rise in the sky
Touch a man who can’t walk upright
And that lame man, he’s gonna fly
And I fly
And I fly
Holly holy love
Take the lonely child
And the seed
Let it be filled with tomorrow
Holly holy
Sing it strong (sing, sing, sing, sing)
Yeah
Yeah
Call the sun in the dead of the night
And the sun’s gonna rise in the sky
Touch a man who can’t walk upright
And that lame man, he’s gonna fly
And I fly, yeah
And I fly
Holly holy dream
Dream of only you
Holly holy sun
Holly holy rain
Holly holy love