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.
Red
Neil Diamond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go to my head
Make me forget that I
Still need her so
Red, red wine
It's up to you
All I can do, I've done
No, memories won't go
I'd have sworn
That with time
Thoughts of you
Would leave my head
I was wrong
And I find
Just one thing
Makes me forget
Red, red wine
Stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart
My blue, blue heart
I'd have sworn
That with time
Thoughts of you
Would leave my head
I was wrong
And I find
Just one thing
Makes me forget
Red, red wine
Stay close to me
Don't let me be alone
It's tearing apart
My blue, blue heart
Neil Diamond's "Red, Red Wine" is a passionate and soulful track about drinking away the pain of lost love. The song starts off with a vivid description of how red wine affects the singer, saying it "goes to my head" and makes him forget that he still needs the one he loves. He then implores the wine to do its job and make his memories of her disappear, but they won't seem to go away.
The chorus is the plea of a desperate man, begging the wine to stay close to him so he's not alone in his anguish. He then describes how it's tearing apart his blue heart, a poignant and powerful image that drives home the pain he's feeling. The second verse reiterates his despair and how he thought he'd be over her with time, but the memories continue to haunt him.
Overall, "Red, Red Wine" is a heartbreaking and relatable song about the power of love and the pain of loss. Neil Diamond's emotive vocals and poignant lyricism make this song a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Red, red wine
The singer is referencing the consumption of red wine, and how it affects him.
Go to my head
The singer is saying that the wine affects his thinking and mental state.
Make me forget that I
The wine allows the singer to temporarily forget about something important.
Still need her so
The artist is still longing for someone despite trying to forget them with the aid of wine.
It's up to you
The artist is acknowledging that the wine has control over him.
All I can do, I've done
The singer has done everything in his power except forget the person he desires.
But memories won't go
Despite his efforts to forget, memories of the desired person remain.
No, memories won't go
Reiterating that the memories won't fade.
I'd have sworn
The artist thought he would be able to forget the desired person eventually.
That with time
The artist believed that time would aid in the process of forgetting.
Thoughts of you
The desired person is always on the singer's mind.
Would leave my head
The artist believed that the thoughts of the desired person would eventually fade away.
I was wrong
The singer admits to being incorrect in his assumption about his ability to forget the desired person.
And I find
The singer has discovered something unexpected.
Just one thing
The only thing that can make the singer forget the desired person is red wine.
Makes me forget
The red wine is the only thing that can make the artist forget the desired person.
Stay close to me
The artist wants to keep the red wine near him so that he can continue to forget the desired person.
Don't let me be alone
The singer is depending on the red wine to keep him company and help him forget the desired person.
It's tearing apart
The longing for the desired person is having a negative effect on the singer's emotional state.
My blue, blue heart
The artist's heart is sad and in pain due to the unrequited love he experiences.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Neil Diamond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leslieabrassart4236
I will never be able to discribe what I feel every time I hear that voice but all I can tell is that I feel so good ...
@dianagaitan989
A mi también, me gusta esta versión la original la de Neil, es bella!
@byrdpalmer
Beautiful song….great to listen on a Sunday 😊
@kristimeeder7561
One of my favorites, I have every album of his
@briansetpente1019
Lucky enough to have this album CD cassette tape and record saw him in concert in Philadelphia spectrum what a show what a concert what a preformer thank you Mr diamond 👍
@kathrynjones6328
Beautiful song.
@stevecannon1774
I love both this and UB40’s versions
@sergeiangulo
i was in romania, oriental europe in the medicine school, and i take some cassettes with music of neil diamond, was my music years and years, tanks neil, nice moments, nice remembers.
@mohammedmurtaza3257
One of my favorite song...
@intuitivediane
God bless you Neil & your beautiful wife