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.
Holiday Inn Blues
Neil Diamond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hurrying to get there
Ninety miles an hour
In two Plymouth wagons
The Avis lady gave us a smile
Tom's getting uptight
Max'll will make it all right
Ken's asleep in back
That's takin' us where we're heading to
We should be there soon
There's a sign up ahead
Wash my face and get fed
And that voice in my head
Keeps sayin' I'm lonely
But I'm only payin' my dues
Holiday Inn Blues
Had a reservation, best accommodations
We get the word, they never heard
We were comin' by at all
See what they can do for me
Only got one room free
Little bit confined
But if you guys don't mind
We'll put you up in our bridal suite
The view can't be beat
And a fine view they got
Of a new parking lot
And I can't repeat what's in my mind
As I lay back resigned
And I kick off my shoes
Holiday Inn blues
Time to put a show on
Gettin' time to go on
People call for more
We do two encores
Take our bows and we're feelin' fine
We got to unwind
Want some coffee, but then
This town closes at ten
Looks like I'm gonna spend
One more night by the light
Of the late show
And Charlie Chan's crew
Holiday Inn blues
Holiday Inn blues
I feel so down
Holiday Inn blues
What am I gonna do?
The first verse of Neil Diamond's "Holiday Inn Blues" describes the experience of a group of men on a road trip, speeding towards a destination in two cars. One man is getting tense, another is sleeping, and one is reading a map. As they approach their motel, the singer hears a voice in his head that says he's lonely, but he insists he's just "payin' his dues." When they arrive, they find out that their reservation was not honored and only one room is available - a bridal suite with a good view of a parking lot. The singer resigns himself to his fate, takes off his shoes, and sings about his "Holiday Inn blues."
The second verse describes the band's performance that night, where they do two encores and feel great about their show. However, when they try to get coffee after the show, they find out that the town closes down at ten and they're stuck at the hotel. The singer laments his situation and the song ends with Diamond repeating the phrase "Holiday Inn blues" twice.
Overall, the song captures the frustration and banality of traveling, and how even in moments of triumph (like a successful performance), we can still feel trapped and isolated.
Line by Line Meaning
Half a day from nowhere
We are far from home without any landmarks or recognizable scenery in sight.
Hurrying to get there
We are anxious to reach our destination as soon as possible.
Ninety miles an hour
We are driving incredibly fast to try and make up time and reach our destination sooner.
In two Plymouth wagons
We are driving two cars from the Plymouth brand.
The Avis lady gave us a smile
The representative from Avis car rental greeted us with a friendly facial expression.
Tom's getting uptight
Tom is becoming worried, anxious or nervous.
Max'll will make it all right
Max assures us that everything will turn out fine in the end.
Ken's asleep in back
Ken is currently resting in the back seat of the car, presumably asleep.
Artie's reading a map
Artie is carefully studying a map to ensure we stay on course and reach our destination properly.
That's takin' us where we're heading to
The map that Artie is reading provides us with the right directions to get to where we need to go.
We should be there soon
Our arrival at our destination is imminent.
There's a sign up ahead
There is some sort of marker or direction signal in the distance.
Wash my face and get fed
I want to refresh myself and eat something.
And that voice in my head
The thoughts or inner voices that I am experiencing privately in my mind.
Keeps sayin' I'm lonely
The inner voice is indicating that I'm feeling alone or isolated.
But I'm only payin' my dues
This feeling of discomfort is simply a necessary step in my journey or experience.
Had a reservation, best accommodations
We booked the top-tier accommodations for our stay.
We get the word, they never heard
The hotel staff inform us that they did not receive any information about our reservation.
We were comin' by at all
It seems we were not expected or planned for.
See what they can do for me
We ask the hotel staff to see how they could accommodate us.
Only got one room free
The hotel has very limited availability and can only offer us one room.
Little bit confined
The available room is quite small and feels cramped or confined.
But if you guys don't mind
If the rest of the group is okay with it, we can make do with the one room.
We'll put you up in our bridal suite
The staff offer us an upgrade to their bridal suite.
The view can't be beat
The room comes with a spectacular view.
And a fine view they got
The view from the room is indeed quite impressive.
Of a new parking lot
The view is of a freshly paved area for parking vehicles.
And I can't repeat what's in my mind
I have some negative or rude thoughts about the view, but I won't say them out loud.
As I lay back resigned
I am lying down and accepting that this is the best we can do for accommodations.
And I kick off my shoes
I remove my shoes to relax and unwind.
Time to put a show on
It's time for us to perform a musical show or similar entertainment event.
Gettin' time to go on
The show is starting soon.
People call for more
The audience is requesting an encore or continuation of the show.
We do two encores
We offer two additional performances following the initial show.
Take our bows and we're feelin' fine
We acknowledge the crowd and are feeling good about our performance.
We got to unwind
We need to relax and destress after the show.
Want some coffee, but then
I have a sudden desire for coffee, but...
This town closes at ten
The nearby establishments will be closed soon, if not already.
Looks like I'm gonna spend
It seems like I will be staying in this location for another night.
One more night by the light
I will spend another night here, likely awake and watching TV.
Of the late show
The only programming available to watch is broadcasted at late hours.
And Charlie Chan's crew
The characters from the classic detective show are shown on TV.
I feel so down
I am feeling sad or depressed.
What am I gonna do?
I am unsure how to proceed or alleviate my negative feelings.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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