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.
I'm Sayin' I'm Sorry
Neil Diamond Lyrics
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She's sittin' down there and thinkin'
Got on her tape of Evita Perona
And my Smith Corona
Keeps saying I'm sorry
I'm saying I'm sorry
And then I'm saying goodnight
She's sittin' up there and fumin'
She'd rather be with Paul Newman
I know her
And my Smith Corona
Keeps saying I'm sorry
I'm saying I'm sorry
And then I'm saying goodnight
Good night
Good night
Baby, you know that I love you
All right
Gonna be alright
Let's call it a lesson we've learned
She's not an easy forgiver
Could throw myself in the river
She send me back do it once more
An encore and what's more
Use the back door
Well, I'm saying I'm sorry
I'm saying I'm sorry
And then I'm saying goodnight
Good night
Good night
Baby, you know that I love you
All right
Gonna be alright
Just call it a lesson we've learned
She's sitting up there and waitin'
Hey dummy quit hesitating
Take off that tape of Evita Perona
Turn off that corona
And tell her you're sorry
I'm saying I'm sorry
And then I'm saying goodnight
And then I'm saying goodnight
And then I'm saying goodnight
The song I'm Sayin' I'm Sorry by Neil Diamond is about a couple who are having a fight with one another. The singer, Diamond, is sitting upstairs and drinking, while his partner is downstairs sulking and listening to music. Diamond mentions the music she is listening to, 'Evita Perona', and his typing machine, 'Smith Corona', which he keeps saying sorry to her through. He knows his partner well enough to know that she would rather be with Paul Newman than him. However, Diamond admits that he loves her, and although she may not forgive him easily, they should call it a lesson learned and move on. He ends the song by saying sorry and goodnight.
The song is an introspective piece on the complexities and difficulties of navigating relationships. Sometimes love is not enough to sustain a relationship, as both partners have their own vulnerabilities and insecurities to deal with. Diamond acknowledges that it is important to apologize and learn from one's mistakes to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting up here and drinkin'
I'm drinking alone and feeling regretful
She's sittin' down there and thinkin'
My partner is thinking about our problems
Got on her tape of Evita Perona
She's listening to music to pass the time
And my Smith Corona
I'm using my typewriter to express my emotions
Keeps saying I'm sorry
I keep typing 'I'm sorry' repeatedly
I'm saying I'm sorry
I'm admitting my fault and expressing remorse
And then I'm saying goodnight
I'm ending the conversation for the night
She's sittin' up there and fumin'
My partner is angry and upset
She thinks I'm something inhuman
She sees me as cruel or insensitive
She'd rather be with Paul Newman
She prefers the company of someone else
I know her
I understand her feelings and desires
Keeps saying I'm sorry
I keep typing 'I'm sorry' repeatedly
I'm saying I'm sorry
I'm admitting my fault and expressing remorse
And then I'm saying goodnight
I'm ending the conversation for the night
Good night
I'm ending our interaction for the night
Baby, you know that I love you
I'm reaffirming my love for my partner
All right
Everything will be okay in the end
Gonna be alright
We will survive this rough patch
Let's call it a lesson we've learned
We can view this experience as a learning opportunity
She's not an easy forgiver
My partner has a hard time forgiving me
Could throw myself in the river
I feel so guilty that I want to harm myself
She send me back do it once more
My partner wants me to apologize again
An encore and what's more
She wants me to apologize again, with added effort
Use the back door
She wants me to leave discreetly
Well, I'm saying I'm sorry
I'm admitting my fault and expressing remorse
And then I'm saying goodnight
I'm ending the conversation for the night
Good night
I'm ending our interaction for the night
Baby, you know that I love you
I'm reaffirming my love for my partner
All right
Everything will be okay in the end
Gonna be alright
We will survive this rough patch
Just call it a lesson we've learned
We can view this experience as a learning opportunity
She's sitting up there and waitin'
My partner is waiting for me to make amends
Hey dummy quit hesitating
I'm telling myself to stop stalling and apologize
Take off that tape of Evita Perona
I'm asking my partner to stop listening to music and talk to me
Turn off that corona
I'm done typing my apologies
And tell her you're sorry
I'm admitting fault and expressing remorse once again
I'm saying I'm sorry
I'm admitting my fault and expressing remorse
And then I'm saying goodnight
I'm ending the conversation for the night
And then I'm saying goodnight
I'm ending the interaction for the night
And then I'm saying goodnight
I'm ending the conversation on a peaceful note
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind