He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

"He Ain't Heavy... He's My Brother" is a popular music ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for The Hollies later that year and again for Neil Diamond in 1970.

Origin of the song

Scott and Russell had been introduced to each other by Johnny Mercer, at a California nightclub. Despite the fact that Russell was dying of cancer of the lymph nodes and that the pair met in person only three times, they managed to collaborate on the song. The publishing rights to the song were the subject of a legal battle following Russell's death.

Origin of the title

The first editor of Kiwanis magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column in September 1924 carrying the title "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"; variations on the phrase are attested as early as 1884.^[3] The phrase is also associated with Father Edward J. Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town. Flanagan came across a line drawing of a young boy carrying his brother in the Christmas 1941 edition of the Louis Allis Messenger. 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 reprinted in the first issue of Ideals in December 1944. Flanagan felt that the drawing illustrated the work done at Boys Town and received permission from the company in August 1943 to recreate the drawing in color with the caption "He ain't heavy, Father . . . he's m' brother." The phrase became the motto of Boys Town. In an 1918 publication by Ralph Waldo Trine titled "The Higher Powers of Mind and Spirit" he 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.'"

It was also reported through the media at the time that the song was written by a Vietnam veteran. He and his company was approaching a town after it had been bombed. A little boy was carrying the dead body of a younger boy away from the burning village. One of the soldiers ask the boy if the dead child was heavy? The child responded, "He's not heavy, he's my brother."

The statement is an (unwitting) use of paraprosdokian, a figure of speech in which the second half of the statement causes the hearer to reinterpret the first part. Often used for comedic effect, this is a rare use of the form as pathos.

Chart performance

The Hollies' recording, which featured Elton John on piano, was released in the UK on 1 September 1969 and on 1 December 1969 in the US. "He Ain't Heavy" reached #3 in the UK^[4] and #7 in the US. The song, paired with "Carrie Anne", was re-released in late 1988 in the UK following its use in a television advertisement for Miller Lite beer. It reached the #1 spot in the UK chart for two weeks in September 1988.

Neil Diamond's version of the song, recorded for his Tap Root Manuscript album, went to #20 on the Billboard "Hot 100 Singles" chart in late 1970.

Neil Diamond version

The Neil Diamond version was released as a single on November 7, 1970 ^[14] (UNI Records, 55264, length 2:47). The flip side was "Free Life" ^[15]. The song appears on the Neil Diamond album "Tap Root Manuscript", which was released November 21, 1970 ^[16]. The song was played by KGB 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.

Cover versions

In 1988, Bill Medley recorded a version for the end credits of the film Rambo III. This version, produced by Giorgio Moroder, was released in the UK as a single around the same time as the re-issued Hollies version, and both featured in the "Top 40" simultaneously, Medley's version reaching #25.

The song has been recorded by many others, including:

• The Ruffin Brothers (David & Jimmy) on their 1970 album I Am My Brother's Keeper
• Bobby Goldsboro on his album We Gotta Start Lovin' (1970) United Artists-UAS 6777
• Cher on her 1971 album Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
• Donny Hathaway on his eponymous 1971 album
• The Osmonds in 1971 (and frequently in concert as a finale)
• Alex Harvey in 1972 on The Joker Is Wild
• Brotherhood of Man on their 1974 album Good Things Happening
• Olivia Newton-John in 1975 (as the B-side of her single "Let It Shine", both songs charted simultaneously and reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart in January 1976)^[17][18]
• The Housemartins recorded an a capella version in 1986 as a b-side for the 12" vinyl release of their single "Happy Hour". Their version of the song is also on the compact disc version of their debut album London 0 Hull 4
• The Shadows, in 1989 on the album Steppin' to the Shadows (instrumental version)
• Gotthard, in 1996 BMG Ariola version of their third album G.
• Rufus Wainwright, for the soundtrack to the Ben Stiller film Zoolander
• Clay Crosse on his Stained Glass album
• The Choirboys
• Austria3 did version in the Austrian dialect of the German language: "Weusd' mei Freund bist" (literally: "because you are a friend of mine")
• Roger Whittaker on his 1996 album The World of Roger Whittaker.
• American Idol Season 4's Top 12 contestants for a Red Cross charity single
• Sanchez, on his album No More Heartaches (2003).
• Barry Manilow in his 2007 album The Greatest Songs of the Seventies
• Radka Toneff, recorded live at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival in 1977, released on Toneff's posthumous album Butterfly (2008).
• Glen Campbell
• Ali Campbell covered the song on his 2010 album Great British Songs.
• Tommy Emmanuel made an instrumental cover on 2010 Little by Little with Dr. John Knowles CGP, William Robert Scott and Sidney Keith Russell.

References