The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in t… Read Full Bio ↴The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in the early 60s. Initially they had a squeaky-clean image and were famous for their rich vocal harmonies, rivaling those of The Beach Boys. Between 1964 and 1969, only two Hollies songs failed to reach the UK Top 10. Their most famous member was Graham Nash, who left in 1968 to form the folk supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Two of the core members, drummer Bobby Elliott and lead guitarist Tony Hicks, still perform with The Hollies into the new millennium.

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)

Hope
The Hollies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When nothin goes your way
Your heart begins to pay
However hard you try the problems seem endless

It's your own bed you make
Not gonna go away
You just break down and cry must be a way out of this

No use feelin sorry for yourself
Cos you've got something else

Hope
There's gotta be a little bit of you and me
Hope
The only way we're gonna keep our sanity
Hope
There's gotta be a little bit of you and me
Whatever it takes hold on
Keep ridin through the storm

Don't dream of giving up
Don't dream of givin in
Just gotta keep your head the answers all within you

Don't think of losin heart
It's tearin you apart
Just gotta carry on you know you can get through

No use feelin sorry for yourself
Cos you've got something else

Hope
There's gotta be a little bit of you and me
Hope
The only way we're gonna keep our sanity
Hope
There's gotta be a little bit of you and me
Whatever it takes hold on
Keep ridin through the storm

Well I want what you want that's right
So baby don't give up the fight

Hope
There's gotta be a little bit of you and me
Hope
The only way we're gonna keep our sanity x3
Hope
There's gotta be a little bit of you and me

Whatever it takes hold on
Keep ridin through the storm

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Hollies's song Hope are about the struggles of life and the necessity of maintaining hope even in the face of overwhelming adversity. The opening lines talk about how the heart begins to pay when things don't go your way, and how problems can seem never-ending. However, the song encourages the listener to realize that they are responsible for their own situation and that they should not feel sorry for themselves. Instead, they should hold on, keep riding through the storm, and maintain hope that things will get better.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of hope in maintaining one's sanity. The repetition of the word "hope" underscores the significance of the concept. There is a recognition that hope is something that is shared between people, as the chorus states that "there's gotta be a little bit of you and me." This idea is reinforced later in the song when it says "Well I want what you want that's right / So baby don't give up the fight."

The message of Hope is one of perseverance and encouragement. It acknowledges that life can be tough, but it also recognizes the importance of maintaining hope and not giving up. The song encourages the listener to push through adversity and believe in the possibility of a positive outcome.

Line by Line Meaning

When nothin goes your way
When things don't go as planned

Your heart begins to pay
You start to feel sad or frustrated

However hard you try the problems seem endless
No matter how much effort you put in, the issues don't seem to go away

It's your own bed you make
You are responsible for your actions and decisions

Not gonna go away
The issue won't just disappear on its own

You just break down and cry must be a way out of this
Emotions overwhelm you and you feel like there must be a solution to this problem

No use feelin sorry for yourself
Self-pity won't solve anything

Cos you've got something else
Because there's something else to hold on to

Hope
Believing that things will get better

There's gotta be a little bit of you and me
Together, we can make it through

The only way we're gonna keep our sanity
Hope is the only thing that keeps us from going insane