"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 were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

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. His input on Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" catapulted the song to fame and led to a collaboration and lasting friendship. He also co ...

in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for

the Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester 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. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

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 List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...

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 Wallichs Music Cit ...

, 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). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...

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

Title

In his 1884 book ''The Parables of Jesus'', James Wells, Moderator of the

United Free Church of Scotland The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; , ) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and the Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900), majority of the 19th-cen ...

, tells the story of a little girl carrying a big baby boy. 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 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. In 1987, the organization ...

'' 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 an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester 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. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

recorded the song in June 1969 at the EMI Studios (now

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

), with Allan Clarke on lead vocals. According to

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 ...

, he was given a demo recorded by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell when he was looking for songs to record, but found it too slow. The band sped up the song, and added an orchestra when they recorded the song.

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

, who was working as a session musician at the time, played piano on the song, as well their next single, " I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top". Elton John was paid £12 for his work on the song. 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 reduced calorie light American lager beer produced by Molson Coors. It was introduced in 1973 in limited markets by the Miller Brewing Company (then owned by Philip Morris, Inc.) and began being distributed nationa ...

beer. It reached the No. 1 spot in the UK chart for two weeks in September 1988. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said, "This beautiful ballad features he Hollies'usual fine vocals." Weekly charts Year-end charts

Certifications

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 William Thomas Medley (born September 19, 1940) is an American singer best known as one-half of the Righteous Brothers. He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Medley produced a n ...

recorded a version for the soundtrack of the film ''

Rambo III ''Rambo III'' is a 1988 American action film starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Directed by Peter MacDonald, the script was co-written by Stallone and Sheldon Lettich. It is a sequel to '' Rambo: First Blood Part I ...

''. 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 crowd crush at 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 tw ...

. The song went on to take the coveted Christmas number one position for 2012 on the UK Singles Chart. ;Background After the

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, 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 ba ...

, and Mick Jones of

the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

performed at an anti-''

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'' concert at the

Liverpool Olympia The Liverpool Olympia (Known for sponsorship reasons as the Eventim 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 ...

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" by the Liverpool Collective featuring the Kop Choir; however, this idea was rejected by

Peter Hooton Peter Joseph Hooton (born 28 September 1962 ) is the vocalist of Liverpool-based band (music), group The Farm (British band), the Farm. He was also its sole founder member in 1983, overseeing its rise to prominence with two top 10 singles in 199 ...

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 Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...

prior to their match against

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

. It was then decided that a re-recording of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by various artists including the Justice Tonight Band would be released as the charity single. Keith Mullen of the Farm recruited

Guy Chambers Guy Antony Chambers (born 12 January 1963) is an English songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for his work with Robbie Williams. Education Chambers attended Quarry Bank Comprehensive School sixth form in Liverpool. From 18, ...

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

Steve Rotheram Steven Philip Rotheram (born 4 November 1961) is a British politician serving as Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region since 2017. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, he was Member of Parliame ...

and

Kenny Dalglish Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former association football, football player and manager (association football), manager. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time as well as one of Celtic's, Liv ...

announced plans for 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, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

Rebecca Ferguson Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. Ferguson began her television acting career in 1999 with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' and made her motion picture acting debut in 2004 with the Swedish slash ...

Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. After signing with Epic Records in 2008, Faith released her debut album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?'' (2009), which produced the UK ...

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

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...

, Holly Johnson, Mick Jones,

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

, Chris Sharrock,

Glenn Tilbrook Glenn Martin Tilbrook (born 31 August 1957, in Woolwich, London) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is the lead singer and guitarist of the English new wave band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid-1970s who broke through in th ...

, Ren Harvieu, Dave McCabe,

Paul Heaton Paul David Heaton (born 9 May 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and main lyricist of the Housemartins, who had commercial success in the UK and other European countries between 1985 and 1988, releasing several singl ...

, Hollie Cook, Jon McClure, John Power,

Gerry Marsden Gerard Marsden MBE (24 September 1942 – 3 January 2021) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and television personality, best known for being leader of the Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers. He was the younger brother of fellow ...

, and two original members of

, Bobby Elliott and

. Vocalists * Andy Brown ( Lawson) *

(

Gerry and the Pacemakers Gerry and the Pacemakers were an English beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. Their early successes helped make ...

) *

(

The Beautiful South The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Kingston upon Hull, Hull group the Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members stayin ...

) *

( 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 ...

) *

(

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 an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...

) *

* Holly Johnson (

Frankie Goes to Hollywood Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). Johnson and Ruther ...

) *

Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play '' Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''. Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower seller, who comes to Prof ...

* Dave McCabe (

The Zutons The Zutons are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool, in 2002. The band currently consists of Dave McCabe (vocals, guitar), Abi Harding (saxophone), Jay Lewis (guitar), Neil Bradley (keyboards) and Tim Cunningham (bass). The band's ...

) *

( The Farm) * Ren Harvieu * Jon McClure ( Reverend and the Makers) *

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

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (25 December 195730 November 2023) was a British-born Irish singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He won acclaim for his lyrics, whic ...

(

The Pogues The Pogues are an English Celtic punk band founded in King's Cross, London, in 1982, by Shane MacGowan, Spider Stacy and Jem Finer. Originally named Pogue Mahone—an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish phrase :wikt:póg mo thóin, ''p� ...

) * Bobby Elliott (

) *

(

) * Hollie Cook (

The Slits The Slits were a punk/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 Rom ...

) * LIPA Gospel Choir * Clay Crosse *

Alan Hansen Alan David Hansen MBE (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former footballer and BBC television football pundit. Regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time and one of Liverpool's best ever centre-backs, he enjoyed a highly decorated ...

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 *

Neil Fitzmaurice Neil Simon Fitzmaurice (born 20 August 1969) is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Jeff, the love rival of protagonist Mark Corrigan, in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Peep Show (British TV series), Peep Show''. He ...

Musicians * Chris Sharrock ( Beady Eye,

) – drums *

David Catlin-Birch David Catlin-Birch is a British musician. He was a guitarist for pop music, pop/alternative rock band World Party, and was the original "Paul" for the March 1980 launch of The Beatles Tribute act, tribute band, The Bootleg Beatles. In the 1990s ...

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

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

) – electric guitar * Andrew "Davo" Davitt – acoustic guitar *

– 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 Weekly 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, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...

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 and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...

covered the song on her album '' Clearly Love'' 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. ''

'' said that "Olivia covers the tune with a wispy vocal and understated instrumentation, making the song all her own." * In 1986, British 80s band The Housemartins published an a capella version of the song on their debut album London 0 Hull 4. * In 2007,

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...

covered the song on his album '' The Greatest Songs of the Seventies'' which debuted at #4 on the U.S.

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

chart, selling about 113,000 copies in its first week.

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 Capitol Records singles 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 UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles