Frequent releases during the mid-60s included many cover versions of popular songs, as well as a few group-penned hits and many songs written especially for them by professional songwriters.
The Hollies were formed in 1962 in Lancashire, England. By 1965,the group had been established as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands. As part of the British Invasion, they enjoyed huge chart success in many countries in the mid-Sixties, releasing a string of classic harmony-pop hits including Bus Stop I'm Alive, a UK No. 1, I Can't Let Go, Stop Stop Stop, Carrie Anne, On A Carousel, Look Through Any Window, and Jennifer Eccles.
In 1972, the hit Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress reached #2 in the US. Their last mega hit was He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, hitting #1 in the UK in 1988 (albeit 19 years after its first release).
The band are noted for their longevity, with their 2006 tour chalking up 45 years. Despite numerous changes in line-up, Tony Hicks & Bobby Elliott have been with the band almost from its inception.
Lead singer Allan Clarke left The Hollies in 1971, though he rejoined the band at later times. He was eventually replaced by Carl Wayne, ex lead singer of The Move, who passed away in 2004. Wayne was replaced by Peter Howarth. The 2007 line up is, Ian Parker on keyboards, Ray Stiles (Ex Mud, remember 'Tiger Feet') on bass guitar and Alan Coates on guitar and vocals by Steve Lauri.
Original bass player Eric Haydock died in January 2018.
The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2010.
Allan Clarke (vocals, 1962-71, 1973-99), Graham Nash (guitar, vocals, 1962-68, 1983), Eric Haydock (bass, 1962-66), Vick Farrell (guitar, 1962), Don Rathbone (drums, 1962-63), Tony Hicks (guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric sitar, vocals, 1963-present), Bobby Elliott (drums, percussion, 1963-present), Bernie Calvert (bass, 1966-81), Terry Sylvester (guitar, vocals, 1969-81), Mikael Rickfors (vocals, 1971-73), Denis Haines (bass, 1981-86), Alan Coates (guitar, 1981-2004), Ray Stiles (bass, vocals, 1986-present), Ian Parker (keyboards, vocals, 1991-present), Carl Wayne (vocals, 2000-04), Peter Howarth (vocals, acoustic guitar, 2004-present), Steve Lauri (guitar, vocals, 2004-present)
Give Me Time
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't lean too hard
I'll come 'round when I'm ready
I ain't finished my playing 'round
Don't want to go steady
You gotta give me time
Give me time, give me time
Give me time, give me time
The feeling in me ain't the same as yours
I'm still first-class flying
You've gotta wait till I reach the ground
No need to be lying
Give me time, give me time, give me time
Give me time, give me time, give me time
To think it over
Don't try so hard
Don't spoil your chance
Don't try so hard
Don't spoil your chance
Back off, baby
Don't lean too hard
I'll come 'round when I'm ready
I ain't finished my playing 'round
Don't want to go steady
You gotta give me time
Give me time, give me time
You gotta give me time
Give me time, give me time
To think it over
Give me time, give me time, give me time
You gotta give me time
Give me time, give me time
Give me time, give me time, give me time
You gotta give me time
Give me time, give me time
In The Hollies song Give Me Time, the singer is asking their romantic interest to slow down and give them time to figure out their own feelings. The opening line "Back off, baby, don't lean too hard" sets the tone for the song, as the singer acknowledges the other person's eagerness but asks for space. The phrase "I ain't finished my playing round, don't want to go steady" implies that the singer isn't ready to commit to a serious relationship and wants to continue exploring before settling down.
The repeated chorus "give me time" emphasizes the singer's need for patience and understanding. The lines "the feeling in me ain't the same as yours" and "you've gotta wait till I reach the ground" suggest that the other person may be more invested in the relationship than the singer is, and the singer needs time to catch up. The second verse echoes the first, reminding the other person not to try too hard or spoil their chance, again emphasizing the singer's desire for a slower pace.
Overall, the lyrics of Give Me Time convey a common theme in relationships - the need to take things slowly and ensure that both parties are on the same page before committing to something serious.
Line by Line Meaning
Back off, baby
Please don't be clingy or pushy with me
Don't lean too hard
Please don't pressure me to commit before I'm ready
I'll come 'round when I'm ready
I will let you know when I am ready for something more serious
I ain't finished my playing 'round
I'm not ready to settle down yet
Don't want to go steady
I'm not interested in a committed relationship right now
You gotta give me time
Please give me some space and time to figure things out
To think it over
I need to spend some time reflecting and contemplating
The feeling in me ain't the same as yours
I don't share the same level of emotional attachment as you do
I'm still first-class flying
I'm still enjoying my freedom and independence
You've gotta wait till I reach the ground
You need to be patient until I'm ready to come back down to earth
No need to be lying
Please don't pretend or deceive, just be honest with your feelings
Don't try so hard
Please don't force things or try to make it happen too quickly
Don't spoil your chance
Don't ruin your chances by being too pushy or desperate
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN CLARKE, TERRY SYLVESTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Carrie Anne
A nice and catchy song by The Hollies.
Philip Kassabian
on Bus Stop
Yet another great Hollies song.
Philip Kassabian
on Stop Stop Stop
One of the best bands from the 60's no doubt.