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.
The Windmills Of Your Mind
Neil Diamond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind!
In Neil Diamond's song, The Windmills of Your Mind, the lyrics describe a series of circular and recurring thoughts that swirl through our minds, like a spiral or a wheel within a wheel. The imagery used highlights the cyclical nature of life, where events and emotions, like a snowball rolling down a mountain or a carousel turning, repeat themselves but also move forward, never-ending or beginning. The song speaks to the human experience of thinking about past memories, lost loves, and lost time, as well as the recurring thoughts that keep us up at night, such as the sound of distant drumming being just the fingers of our own hand.
The song is also about the cyclical nature of human emotion, where feelings and memories, like a door that keeps revolving in a half-forgotten dream, can resurface unexpectedly, bringing up half-remembered names and faces. As the seasons change and autumn leaves turn to the color of a lost love's hair, we are reminded that time is constantly moving, yet also repeating itself. The song's chorus, "Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind," reinforces this idea of circular thinking, where memories and emotions continue to spin around in our heads.
Overall, The Windmills of Your Mind is a powerful and introspective song that encourages listeners to reflect on the cyclical nature of life and the recurring thoughts that we all experience at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Life is a complex system of overlapping cycles and patterns
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Time is infinite and constantly revolving
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Life is unpredictable and can take unexpected turns
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Life is a cycle, repeating itself endlessly
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
Time is constantly moving and can't be stopped or controlled
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
The universe is complex and full of mysteries
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
These patterns and cycles are not necessarily visible, but they exist within the mind
Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own
Life can feel like a journey with no clear destination or purpose
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
There are dark and unknown parts of life that can be frightening
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Memories can be confusing and unclear
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Small actions can have big consequences
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
The sensory details of life are constant and overwhelming
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Time passes quickly and it's impossible to know or control why
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Love leaves a lasting impression, even as time passes by
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
It's hard to tell what's real and what's imagined in life
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Memories can be triggered by small details like pictures or sounds
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
Memories can be fragmentary and incomplete, leaving us with questions
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
Sometimes major changes in life can come with a sudden realization
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Small details can evoke powerful emotions and memories
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
The mind is constantly processing and organizing memories and experiences
In the windmills of your mind!
These mental processes are complex and difficult to fully understand
Lyrics © EUROPEAN AMERICAN MUSIC DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY
Written by: BERTHOLD BRECHT, KURT WEILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind