Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer and songw… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter, born in Brooklyn, NY.

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.

Hooked On The Memory Of You
Neil Diamond Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stay with me, here with me
I want you near with me
I'm a man
That's hooked on the memory
Of you and I, who knows why?
I only know that I'm sure, I am
Hooked on the memory of you

Time, time standing still
I know it's you, I always will
Need you too,
Lay with me, lie with me
Spend your desire with me, if you can
I'm hooked on the memory
Of you and I, who knows why?
I guess I just wanted for you to be
Hooked on the memory of me

Time, time standing still,
I know it's you, I always will
Want you to, be here with me
I want you to stay right here with me
I need you to love with me,
Laugh with me,
Forgive the past with me
I know you can

I'm hooked on the memory
Of you and I, who knows why?
Guess I just wanted for you to be
Hooked on the memory of me
Oh you know that it's true

Not a thing I can do
I'm hooked on the memory of you

Overall Meaning

The song "Hooked on the Memory of You" by Neil Diamond is a song about the intense connection between two people who have been separated. The song is a plea from one person to another to come back to them and to stay with them because they can't live without the memories of the time they shared. The chorus of the song is "I'm hooked on the memory of you" which speaks to the idea that the memories of the time they shared are so strong that they are unable to move on or forget.

The verses of the song describe the intense longing that the singer has for his love. In the first verse, he says "Stay with me, here with me, I want you near with me" which shows his desperation for his love to return to him. He goes on to say "I'm a man that's hooked on the memory of you and I, who knows why?" which expresses his confusion about why he can't forget about this person. In the second verse, he describes the way time seems to stand still when he thinks about his love and how he wants them to stay with him, lay with him, and spend their desire with him.

In conclusion, "Hooked on the Memory of You" is a beautiful song that speaks to the idea of how memories can be so powerful that they consume our thoughts and emotions. The singer of the song is "hooked" on the memories of his love and can't move on without them. It's a passionate plea for his love to return and stay with him, to create new memories and keep the old ones alive.

Line by Line Meaning

Stay with me, here with me
I want you to be by my side and not leave me

I want you near with me
I desire your presence close to me

I'm a man
I am a person with feelings and emotions

That's hooked on the memory
I am addicted to the thought of you

Of you and I, who knows why?
I don't understand how we ended up apart

I only know that I'm sure, I am
I am certain that I can't forget you

Hooked on the memory of you
I am unable to move on from the thought of you

Time, time standing still
Moments feel like they are lasting forever

I know it's you, I always will
I will never forget you and your impact on my life

Need you too,
I crave your company

Lay with me, lie with me
I want to be close to you physically and emotionally