From the 1960s to the 1980s, Diamond was one of the more successful pop music performers, scoring a number of hits. As critic William Ruhlmann writes, "as of 2001, he claimed worldwide record sales of 115 million copies, and as of 2002 he was ranked third, behind only Elton John and Barbra Streisand, on the list of the most successful adult contemporary artists in the history of the Billboard chart."[1] As of May 2005 he has sold 120 million records worldwide, including 48 million records in the U.S.[2]
Though his record sales declined somewhat after the 1980s, Diamond continues to tour successfully, and maintains a very loyal following. Diamond's songs have been recorded by a vast array of performers from many different musical genres.
Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984, and then in 2000 was given its Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the early part of 2011.
In 2008 Neil Diamond scored his first ever Billboard number one album with "Home Before Dark", the album also became his first studio album to get to number one in the UK.
Desiree
Neil Diamond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On that summer's day
When I became a man
At the hands of a girl almost twice my age
And she came to me
Just like a morning sun
And it wasn't so much her words as such
It was the way they were sung
Desiree
Oh, Desiree
There I was found
By the sweet passion sound
Of your loving song
Time was right, the night was long
Remember, Desiree?
Oh, Desiree
Somehow I knew
I could only have you 'til the morning light
If only for that single night
Sweet Desiree, you made it right
Then came the fourth of June
On that sleepless night
Well, I tossed and I turned
While the thought of her burned up and down my mind
For she was there and gone
Without one regret
But she continues on
Like the words of a song
I could not forget, I could not forget
Desiree
Oh, Desiree
There I was found
By the sweet passion sound
Of your loving song
Time was right, the night was long
Remember, Desiree?
Oh, Desiree
And though somehow I knew
I could only have you 'til the morning light
The night was long, the time was right
Do you remember, Desiree?
Oh, Desiree
Do you remember, Desiree?
The lyrics to Neil Diamond’s song, Desirée, tell the story of a young man’s first experience with love and passion with an older woman who goes by the name Desirée. This experience marks his transition from adolescence to manhood. The song opens on the third of June, a summer’s day when the singer first encounters Desirée. She is almost twice his age and takes him under her wing, showing him the true meaning of passion, love, and intimacy. Desirée is portrayed as the “morning sun” that has come to bring light to his life, her words are sung in a way that awakens his senses and makes him feel alive. Despite the brevity of their time together, the singer feels transformed by the experience.
The second verse takes place on the fourth of June and describes the aftermath of his unforgettable night with Desirée. He cannot get her out of his mind though she is gone without regret. The experience was like a fleeting melody that lingers on, haunting him with memories of what could have been. The chorus repeats throughout the song, serving as a reminder of the sweet passion sound of Desirée’s loving song. Though their time together was brief, the singer remains forever transformed by the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the third of June
The story takes place on June 3rd.
On that summer's day
It was a hot day.
When I became a man
The singer had a significant experience that caused him to mature.
At the hands of a girl almost twice my age
The artist's experience was with an older woman.
And she came to me
The woman approached the artist.
Just like a morning sun
The woman's presence was warm and comforting, like the sun's rays in the morning.
And it wasn't so much her words as such
The woman's words were not as important as the way she spoke.
As the way they were sung
The woman's tone of voice was what made the impact.
Desiree
The woman's name is Desiree.
Oh, Desiree
The artist is addressing Desiree directly.
There I was found
The singer felt lost until encountering Desiree.
By the sweet passion sound
Desiree's voice and presence made the artist feel passionate and alive.
Of your loving song
Desiree's words and actions were loving and caring.
Time was right, the night was long
The moment was perfect for the singer and Desiree to be together, despite the long night ahead.
Remember, Desiree?
The singer wants to know if Desiree remembers their time together.
Somehow I knew
The artist had a feeling that his time with Desiree was temporary.
I could only have you 'til the morning light
The artist realized that his time with Desiree was limited to one night only.
If only for that single night
The singer cherishes the memory of the one night he spent with Desiree.
Sweet Desiree, you made it right
Desiree made everything feel right for the singer.
Then came the fourth of June
The next day after the encounter with Desiree was June 4th.
On that sleepless night
The artist couldn't sleep because he was thinking about Desiree.
Well, I tossed and I turned
The artist was restless in bed.
While the thought of her burned up and down my mind
The singer couldn't stop thinking about Desiree and how she made him feel.
For she was there and gone
Desiree was only with the artist for a short time.
Without one regret
Desiree didn't seem to regret what happened between her and the singer.
But she continues on
Desiree moved on from the singer.
Like the words of a song
Desiree's memory was like a song that kept playing in the singer's head.
I could not forget, I could not forget
The artist couldn't forget about Desiree, even after she was gone.
And though somehow I knew
The artist had a feeling about what was going to happen next.
The night was long, the time was right
Despite knowing that their time together was limited, the time they spent together was perfect.
Do you remember, Desiree?
The singer is still thinking about Desiree and asking if she remembers too.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Neil Diamond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@welllivedlife-desireeg2804
One of my favorite songs and artists. I was named after this song.
@des26104
Me to !!
@ginuferrari
Sei bella come la canzone.
@pre1980cars
Its nice name
@desireemosley7526
Me four!
@devinkaschak9978
Same here mine is spelled desire
@TomField-gq2wn
Neil Diamond gets my vote for best solo male artist ever...
@desireea.thomas2419
Gotta Love Mr Diamond 💎 & Thank You for my song ☺️☺️☺️☺️🥳👏🏼🎉🥳👏🏼🎉🥳👏🏼🥳🎉👏🏼🥳🎉
@jeannemeijer-baets7209
Yes today is the third of June! It's such a lovely love song from Neil Diamond sung with so much passion. I immediately feel very young again!
@frndofbear
God. I remember waiting for WEEKS for this song to come on the radio in the 1970's, ready to push the two buttons on my Sony recorder to capture it (I could not afford to buy records!) LOL