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.

Puttin' On The Ritz
Neil Diamond Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you're blue
And you don't know
Where to go to
Why don't you go
Where fashion sits
Puttin' on the Ritz
Different types
Who wear a day-coat

Pants with stripes
And cutaway coats
Perfect fits
Puttin' on the Ritz
Strolling up the avenue so happy
All dressed up
Just like an English chappie
Very snappy
Come, let's mix
Where Rockefellers
Walk with sticks
Or "umbrellas"
In their mitts
Puttin' on the Ritz
Dressed up like a million dollar trooper
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper
Super-duper
Come, let's mix
Where Rockefellers
Walk with sticks
Or "umbrellas"
In their mitts
Puttin' on the Ritz
Puttin' on the Ritz
Puttin' on
Puttin' on

Puttin' on
Puttin' on the Ritz

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Neil Diamond's "Puttin' on the Ritz" is about someone who is feeling down and doesn't know where to go. The song suggests going to where fashion sits and putting on one's best attire. The location of choice is a place where people of different types wear day-coats, pants with stripes, and cutaway coats in perfect fits, and put on a show of glamour and sophistication - the Ritz. As the singer strolls up the avenue, he finds happiness in dressing up like an English gentleman, with his attire and demeanor snappy and impressive.

The song calls on the listener to join in the fun and mix with the Rockefellers, who are seen walking around with sticks or "umbrellas" in their mitts. The Ritz represents an upscale lifestyle where one can dress up like a million-dollar trooper and try hard to match the likes of Gary Cooper, who epitomizes the epitome of sophistication and class for any gentleman of the time. The lyrics urge the listener to take part in this celebration of the fake-it-till-you-make-it world and enjoy putting on the Ritz with everyone else.

Line by Line Meaning

If you're blue
If you're feeling down

And you don't know
And you're unsure

Where to go to
Of where to head to

Why don't you go
Why not try going

Where fashion sits
To the place where fashion is present

Puttin' on the Ritz
Where people are dressing fancy and stylish

Different types
There are various people

Who wear a day-coat
Who put on a coat for daywear

Pants with stripes
Pants with stripes on them

And cutaway coats
Also with a coat cut away at the front

Perfect fits
They all fit perfectly