"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. Originally recorded by

Kelly Gordon Kelly Gordon (November 19, 1932 – August 1, 1981) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Work After recording some unsuccessful solo singles for Mercury Records, Gordon was employed by Capitol Records as a staff producer. One ...

in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for

the Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

later that year and also a hit for

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

in 1970. It has been recorded by many artists in subsequent years. The Hollies' version was re-released in 1988 and again was a major hit in the UK. Scott and Russell were introduced to each other by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallic ...

, at a California nightclub. Although Russell was dying of

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include en ...

and the pair met only three times, they managed to collaborate on the song.

Title

James Wells, Moderator of the

United Free Church of Scotland The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...

, tells the story of a little girl carrying a big baby boy in his 1884 book ''The Parables of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

''. Seeing her struggling, someone asked if she wasn't tired. With surprise she replied: "No, he's not heavy; he's my brother." In a 1918 publication by

Ralph Waldo Trine Ralph Waldo Trine (October 26, 1866 – November 8, 1958) was an American philosopher, author, and teacher. He wrote many books on the New Thought movement. Trine was a close friend of Henry Ford and had several conversations with him about s ...

titled ''The Higher Powers of Mind and Spirit'', Trine 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 first editor of ''

Kiwanis Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizat ...

'' magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column in September 1924 carrying the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", the first use of the phrase exactly as it is rendered in the song title. In the 1940s, the words, adapted as "He ain't heavy, Father, he's my brother", were taken as a slogan for Boys Town children's home by founder Father Edward Flanagan. According to the Boys Town website, the phrase as used by Boys Town was said to Fr. Flanagan in 1918 by one of the residents while carrying another up a set of stairs. The boy being carried is said to have had polio and worn leg braces.

The Hollies version

The Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

' recorded the song in June 1969 at the

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music ...

, with Allan Clarke on lead vocals.

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, who was working as a session musician at the time, played the piano on the song, as well their next single, "

I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top "I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top" is a song by rock group the Hollies, released in April 1970 as a single. It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. Recording and reception "I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top" was recorded at Abbey ...

". The song was released on 26 September 1969 and reached No. 3 in the UK, and No. 7 in the US. The song was re-released in August 1988 in the UK following its use in a television advertisement for

Miller Lite Miller Lite is a 4.2% ABV light American lager beer sold by Molson Coors (previously MillerCoors) of Chicago, Illinois. The company also produces Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. Miller Lite competes mainly with Anheuser-Busch' ...

beer. It reached the No. 1 spot in the UK chart for two weeks in September 1988. Weekly charts Year-end charts

Neil Diamond version

The Neil Diamond version entered at No. 68 on the Hot 100 on November 7, 1970 (UNI Records, 55264, length 4:09). The flip side was "Free Life". The song appears on Diamond's album '' Tap Root Manuscript'', which was released in November 1970. The song was played by KGB-AM 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. ; Track listings 7" single # He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother - 3:59 # Free Life - 3:11 ; Charts

Bill Medley version

Bill Medley recorded a version for the soundtrack of the film ''

Rambo III ''Rambo III'' is a 1988 American action film directed by Peter MacDonald and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also reprises his role as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. A sequel to '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985), it is the third in ...

''. It was released as a single in the UK and peaked at No. 25, being on the chart the same time as the Hollies' version in 1988. It reached No. 49 on ''Billboards AC chart. ;Track listings 7" single # He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - 4:30 # Giorgio Moroder – The Bridge (Instrumental) - 4:00 ;Charts

Gotthard version

In 1996, Gotthard released their version of the song, which was poppier compared to their other songs and the structure was retained as a ballad like the original. In Switzerland, the cover was just as successful as the original. The Asian version of the album '' G'' contains the cover. It also appears on the compilation albums ''One Life One Soul – Best of Ballads'' and ''The Greatest Rock Ballads''. ;Track listings CD-maxi # "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" - 4:37 # "All I Care For" - 3:08 # "One Life, One Soul" - 3:58 ;Charts

The Justice Collective version

In 2012, a version of the song was recorded, and was released on December 17, 2012, by musicians and celebrities going under the name the Justice Collective, for various charities associated with the

Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in ...

. The song went on to take the coveted Christmas number one position for 2012 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. ;Background After the News International phone hacking scandal, members of the Farm along with

Pete Wylie Peter James Wylie (born 22 March 1958) is an English singer/songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of the band variously known as Wah!, Wah! Heat, Shambeko! Say Wah!, JF Wah!, The Mighty Wah! and Wah! The Mongrel. Career Early b ...

, and Mick Jones of

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

performed at an anti-'' The Sun'' concert at the

Liverpool Olympia The Eventim Olympia (originally the Liverpool Olympia) is a venue in Liverpool, England, situated on West Derby Road next to The Grafton Ballroom. History The Liverpool Olympia was built in 1905 For Moss Empires Ltd by architect Frank Match ...

in September 2011. Following this they formed the Justice Tonight Band and toured the United Kingdom and Europe for the next year in order to raise awareness of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign. Initially, the idea was to re-release the 2009 single "

The Fields of Anfield Road ''The Fields of Anfield Road'' is a football song sung by supporters of Liverpool Football Club. It proceeds to the tune of The Fields of Athenry; composed by singer-songwriter Pete St. John in 1979. Before being adapted by Liverpool supporter Edw ...

" by the Liverpool Collective featuring the Kop Choir; however, this idea was rejected by Peter Hooton as only a relatively small number of people would buy it. Inspired by Everton's Hillsborough tribute on September 17, 2012, the song was played at

Goodison Park Goodison Park is a association football, football stadium in the Walton, Liverpool, Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area ...

prior to their match against

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East En ...

. It was then decided that a re-recording of this song by various artists including the Justice Tonight Band would be released as the charity single.

Keith Mullen The Farm are a British band from Liverpool. Their first album, ''Spartacus'', reached the top position on the UK Albums Chart when it was released in March 1991; ''Spartacus 30'' was released in 2021 to commemorate the anniversary. ''Spartacus ...

of the Farm recruited Guy Chambers to produce the single and with Chambers offering free use of his Sleeper Studios to record the song. On October 25, 2012, Steve Rotheram, Guy Chambers and

Kenny Dalglish Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former football player and manager. During his career, he made 338 appearances for Celtic and 515 for Liverpool, playing as a forward, and earned a record 102 full caps for th ...

announced plans of the single to be recorded by various artists such as

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

, Rebecca Ferguson, Paloma Faith,

Beverley Knight Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English recording artist and musical theatre actress. She released her first album, '' The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke and ...

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

, Holly Johnson, Mick Jones,

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

, Peter Hooton, Chris Sharrock, Glenn Tilbrook, Ren Harvieu,

Dave McCabe David Alan McCabe (born 3 January 1981) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, the frontman of The Zutons and a former member of Tramp Attack. History McCabe was a member of Liverpool band Tramp Attack with Brookside actor Kristian ...

Paul Heaton Paul David Heaton (born 9 May 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the frontman of the Housemartins, who had success with the singles " Happy Hour" and the UK number one "Caravan of Love" in 1986 before disbanding in 1988. He then form ...

, Hollie Cook,

Jon McClure Jon McClure (born 22 December 1981), known as The Reverend, is an English musician. He is the lead singer and frontman of Reverend and The Makers, and ex-vocalist of 1984 and Judan Suki. He says that the name "Reverend" became his moniker because ...

, John Power, Gerry Marsden, and two original members of

Bobby Elliott Robert Hartley Elliott (born 8 December 1941) is an English rock drummer, best known for playing with The Hollies. He has been described as "one of the very finest drummers in all of pop/rock". Early life Elliott discovered jazz music when he w ...

and

Tony Hicks Anthony Christopher Hicks (born 16 December 1945) is an English guitarist and singer who has been a member of the British rock/pop band the Hollies since 1963, and as such was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. His main rol ...

. ;Vocalists * Andy Brown (

Lawson Lawson may refer to: Places Australia * Lawson, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Lawson, New South Wales, a town in the Blue Mountains Canada * Lawson, Saskatchewan * Lawson Island, Nunavut United States * Lawson, Arkansas * ...

) * Gerry Marsden ( Gerry and the Pacemakers) *

( The Beautiful South) * Glenn Tilbrook ( Squeeze) * John Power (

Cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

the La's The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from 1983 until 1992. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group are best known for their hit single " There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Bad ...

) *

(

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...

) *

(

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...

) * Rebecca Ferguson * Holly Johnson (

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English synth-pop band formed in Liverpool in 1980. The group's best-known line-up comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (singer), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Peter Gill (FGTH drummer), Peter ...

) * Paloma Faith *

* Eliza Doolittle * Dave McCabe (

The Zutons The Zutons are an English indie rock band, formed in 2001 in Liverpool. The band are currently composed of singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave McCabe, drummer Sean Payne and saxophonist Abi Harding. They released their debut album, '' Who K ...

) * Peter Hooton ( The Farm) * Ren Harvieu *

( Reverend and the Makers) *

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He was also a member of the Nipple Erectors and Shane MacGo ...

(

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...

) *

(

) *

(

) * Hollie Cook (

The Slits The Slits were a punk and post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma ...

) * LIPA Gospel Choir *

Clay Crosse Clay Crosse (born Walter Clayton Crossnoe, February 11, 1967) is a contemporary Christian music artist. He has won four GMA Dove Awards, and is probably best known for the single "I Surrender All." Music career Clay Crosse grew up in Memphis, Te ...

Alan Hansen Alan David Hansen (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former footballer and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, for the successful Liverpool team of the late 1970s and 1980s, and for the Scotla ...

Peter Reid Peter Reid (born 20 June 1956) is an English football manager, pundit and former player. A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career. He built his reputation as one of England's brightest midfield tale ...

John Bishop John Marcus Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former footballer. Bishop formerly played football as a midfielder for Winsford United F.C., Crewe Alexandra F.C., Runcorn F.C., Rhyl F.C., Witton Albi ...

* Neil Fitzmaurice ;Musicians * Chris Sharrock (

Beady Eye Beady Eye were an English rock band formed in London in 2009 by former Oasis members Liam Gallagher (vocals), Gem Archer (guitar), Andy Bell (guitar), and Chris Sharrock (drums). In 2013, former Kasabian guitarist Jay Mehler joined the band ...

) – drums *

David Catlin-Birch David Catlin-Birch is a British musician. He was a bass guitarist for pop/alternative rock band World Party, and was the original "Paul" for the March 1980 launch of The Beatles tribute band, The Bootleg Beatles. With Rowland Rivron and Richar ...

( World Party) – bass * Paul McCartney – lead guitar * Mick Jones (

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

) – electric guitar * Andrew "Davo" Davitt – acoustic guitar * Guy Chambers – piano *

– piano * Will Pound – harmonica * Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra – strings * Richard Blake – trumpet/flugelhorn * Matthew Lewis – trombone/euphonium * Meredith Moore – French horn * Will Roberts – tuba ;Production * Guy Chambers – producer * Richard Flack – producer, engineer * Oliver Som – engineer * Liam Nolan – engineer * Chris Taylor – engineer * Jon Withnall – engineer * Tony Draper – engineer * Alec Brits – engineer ;Charts ;Year-end charts

Other versions

* In 1971,

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

covered the song and released it on his self-titled album. He also published live performances of the song in several live albums. * In 1975,

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

covered the song on her album ''

Clearly Love ''Clearly Love'' is the sixth studio album by Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1975. Commercial performance The album was certified gold in the US. and both of the album's singles were country chart hits, with " Something Better to Do" ...

'' and included it as the B-side on her single from the same album, " Let It Shine", which went to No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

References

{{authority control 1969 songs 1969 singles 1970 singles 1988 singles 1996 singles 2012 singles Songs with lyrics by Bob Russell (songwriter) Songs written by Bobby Scott (musician) The Hollies songs Neil Diamond songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in South Africa Parlophone singles Epic Records singles Uni Records singles Scotti Brothers Records singles Bertelsmann Music Group singles All-star recordings Charity singles Rock ballads Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom Song recordings produced by Tom Catalano 1960s ballads