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.
Secret Love
Neil Diamond Lyrics
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That lived within the heart of me
All too soon my secret love
Became impatient to be free
So I told the friendly star,
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are
And why I'm so in love with you
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my hearts an open door,
And my secret love's no secret anymore
Now I shout it from the highest hills,
Even told the golden daffodils
At last my hearts an open door,
And my secret love's no secret anymore
Neil Diamond's song "Secret Love" explores the theme of unrequited love, secrecy, and eventual liberation from the chains of hidden emotions. The singer once had a secret love that he kept hidden within himself. It was a powerful love that he describes as living within his heart. However, the passion became too much to contain. He grew impatient to express his feelings, and so he confided in a friendly star, telling it how wonderful his love interest is and why he is so in love with them.
The singer's passion for his secret love is so intense that he cannot keep it to himself any longer. He proclaims his love loudly, shouting it from the highest hills, and even telling the golden daffodils. The singer's heart is now an open door, and he is no longer keeping his secret love a secret. He has set it free, and he feels liberated by finally revealing his true feelings. The singer's journey from harboring a secret love to finally being able to scream his love from the highest hills is a powerful one, demonstrating the transformative power of expressing one's emotions.
Overall, the song is about the universal human experience of unrequited love and the emotional toll it can take on a person. It also represents the importance of self-expression and facing one's fears to allow love into one's life, even if it may not be reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I had a secret love
There was a time when I used to have a hidden affection
That lived within the heart of me
It remained buried inside me, in the deepest corner of my heart
All too soon my secret love
But soon, it became unbearable to keep it hidden anymore
Became impatient to be free
It became too restless, too eager to break free from its confinement
So I told the friendly star,
I confided in a star that seemed approachable
The way that dreamers often do
The way people with big dreams usually do
Just how wonderful you are
I told it how amazing you are, how incredible you make me feel
And why I'm so in love with you
I explained why I'm head over heels in love with you
Now I shout it from the highest hills,
Now, I'm not afraid to let the whole world know
Even told the golden daffodils
I even shared my joy with the flowers, which represent new beginnings
At last my heart's an open door,
Finally, I'm open to love, to happiness, to possibilities
And my secret love's no secret anymore
And I'm proud to let everyone know that I'm in love with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER, SAMMY FAIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind