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.
Stones
Neil Diamond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And where she slept, they made her bed.
And she would ache for love and get
But stones.
La la la la la la la la la la home.
Lordy child a good days comin',
And I'll be there to let the sun in,
And bein' lost is worth the comin' home.
You and me a time for planting,
You and me a harvest granting,
The every prayer ever prayed,
We're just two wild flowers that grow.
La la la la la la la la la on stones.
The lyrics of the song Stones by Neil Diamond have a deep and metaphoric meaning that talks about the emotional struggle of a woman who craves love, but all she has is coldness, represented by stones. The opening lines "Stones would play inside her head, and where she slept, they made her bed," create an image of the heavy emotional burden that she carries with her all the time. The stones represent the hard feelings that keep playing inside her head and keep her from finding peace and happiness. The mention of "where she slept, they made her bed" reinforces the idea that these feelings follow her even to the place where she should be most relaxed.
The chorus, "Lordy child, a good day's comin' and I'll be there to let the sun in, and bein' lost is worth the comin' home" creates an anticipation of hope, as if Diamond's character is assuring the woman that soon, her emotional burden will be gone, and a better day is coming. The phrase "being lost is worth the coming home" can be interpreted as meaning that despite the struggles and pain, the reward of finding love and overcoming difficulties is worth the hardship.
The final stanza, "You and me a time for planting, you, and me a harvest granting, the every prayer ever prayed, we're just two wildflowers that grow" shows Diamond's character, expressing a commitment to become a partner with the woman and grow together. The phrase "the every prayer ever prayed" implies that they are working on a higher purpose and aligning their goals with what is intended for them. And despite their struggles, they will bloom and grow like two wildflowers that overcome the hard ground.
Line by Line Meaning
Stones would play inside her head,
She had a lot on her mind that she couldn't shake off and it kept bothering her.
And where she slept, they made her bed.
Even in her sleep, she couldn't escape from the thoughts and worries that were weighing her down.
And she would ache for love and get But stones.
She desired and craved love and affection, but instead she only received hurt and emotional pain.
La la la la la la la la la la home.
She longed for a peaceful and comfortable place to call home.
Lordy child a good days comin', And I'll be there to let the sun in, And bein' lost is worth the comin' home.
A good day will come soon and there will be someone there to cheer her up and brighten her day. Even though she's lost and feeling helpless, it'll be worth it when she finally comes home.
La la la la la la la la la on stones.
Despite everything, she is singing and trying to find a way to be happy amidst all the difficulties.
You and me a time for planting, You and me a harvest granting,The every prayer ever prayed,We're just two wild flowers that grow.
Together, we can make a new start and receive the rewards of our hard work. All our prayers will be answered and we will blossom together.
La la la la la la la la la on stones.
No matter what obstacles arise, she's still singing and holding on to hope.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CHECK PLEASE MUSIC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JIMEAU HINSON, JON MICHAELS, KIM TRIBBLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donnadaisy333
Stones
Song by Neil Diamond
Stones would play inside her head,
And where she slept, they made her bed.
And she would ache for love and get
But stones.
La la la la la la la la la la home.
Lordy child a good days comin',
And I'll be there to let the sun in,
And bein' lost is worth the comin' home.
La la la la la la la la la on stones.
You and me a time for planting,
You and me a harvest granting,
The every prayer ever prayed,
We're just two wild flowers that grow.
La la la la la la la la la on stones.
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Jimeau Hinson / Jon Michaels / Kim Tribble
@alassinsane1588
I'm 58 now. .My Dad took me aged 12 to see Neil at the Sydney Showground in Australia. I thought I was too cool to be at his concert 😄 yet im so grateful I got to witness Neil Diamond. What a master-class in pure emotion 👏. The lyrics in his songs have had me in tears for years. This song was very underrated 💎.
@user-oe7lm7vh7l
Same here.
@kimlaking71
The voice, the melody, the lyrics still have the power to wrap around my heart and nourish my soul.
@ronaldtrottier9358
probably one of diamond's under-rated hits but very much valid in today's me-too world-worth a few listens!
@raularmas317
Would you please expand on how you connect the song with the (female?) me-too movement.
@anitahuie1145
God bless all who were fortunate enough to hear and see one of The true gems in our lives . Thank you, Neil.
@davidplante2620
He wrote some of the most beautiful melodies. His voice is still as strong as ever.
@nobodysbaby5048
He didn't write this one, although he sings it beautifully. Kristofferson did.
@thatfullmoonguy2330
@nobodys baby Wow, I didn't know that! But it makes sense. It sounds like the writer of Loving her was easier (and so many other gems).
@nobodysbaby5048
@Thatfullmoonguy2 Also Kristofferson.There was a tenderness to his ballads that was really distinctive. At the risk of sounding like an old broad- they don't make em like that anymore. And mores the pity.