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)

I`m Down
The Hollies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Shook my head out of dreams reality's calling
The early bird's been up all morning
But I've got no notion of moving from where I am
Though my legs won't move I feel disabled
I'm on a shelf an article labeled
Waiting for someone to fetch me from lost and found

I'm down no one to hear me calling

I'm down no one to see me falling

Had my ways with days of sunshine
Life came easy it all fell in line
But then again I didn't realize
When you're used to one thing it's hard to accept
Another like the woman who brought you up
She ain't your mother
How do you cope with a thing like that

I'm down no one to hear me calling...

Always thought it was my dad who went to war
Thought it was my sister who fell off the wall
My pseudo brother Billy emigrated long ago
Someone went through' pain to have me
Someone should know I'm down

Folks who brought me up I'm not ungrateful
Kept the secret from me they thought it was shameful
It hurt me so to be the last one to know
Maybe someone's out there looking for me
Left on their own couldn't afford to clothe me
And I
I don't even know my real name

I'm down no one to hear me calling...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Hollies's song "I'm Down" explore themes of identity and alienation. The singer feels lost and disconnected from their surroundings, unable to move forward despite the passage of time. The line "I'm on a shelf an article labeled / Waiting for someone to fetch me from lost and found" emphasizes this feeling of being lost and in need of rescue. The singer also reveals that they have recently learned a shocking truth about their family, which has further contributed to their sense of disorientation. The line "How do you cope with a thing like that" speaks to the difficulty of accepting new information that challenges one's understanding of themselves and their past.

The repetition of the chorus, "I'm down no one to hear me calling / I'm down no one to see me falling," emphasizes the singer's loneliness and sense of isolation. The use of the word "down" carries a double meaning, both physically and emotionally - the singer feels both physically immobile and emotionally deflated.

Overall, "I'm Down" is a poignant exploration of the human experience of feeling lost and isolated, and the difficulty of grappling with challenging truths about oneself and one's past.

Line by Line Meaning

Shook my head out of dreams reality's calling
I am becoming aware of reality and need to snap out of dreaming.

The early bird's been up all morning
I haven't moved yet while others are already up and about.

But I've got no notion of moving from where I am
I am stuck where I am and feel no desire to move.

Though my legs won't move I feel disabled
I feel paralyzed and unable to move my legs.

I'm on a shelf an article labeled
I feel like an object on a shelf or a label, rather than a person.

Waiting for someone to fetch me from lost and found
I am waiting for someone to come find me and give me a sense of belonging.

I'm down no one to hear me calling
I feel alone and helpless, as though nobody is there to listen to me.

I'm down no one to see me falling
I am struggling without anyone to notice or empathize with my pain.

Had my ways with days of sunshine
I used to have happy, carefree days.

Life came easy it all fell in line
Everything seemed to work out for me without much effort.

But then again I didn't realize
I wasn't aware of the privilege I had until I faced difficult circumstances.

When you're used to one thing it's hard to accept
It's difficult to adjust to new situations when you are accustomed to a certain way of life.

Another like the woman who brought you up
It's hard to accept a new mother figure when you are used to someone else in that role.

She ain't your mother
The woman who raised me is not my biological mother.

How do you cope with a thing like that
It's difficult to know how to handle such a significant change in family dynamics.

Always thought it was my dad who went to war
I was under the impression that my father served in the war.

Thought it was my sister who fell off the wall
I assumed my sister was the one who fell off the wall, but now I am not sure.

My pseudo brother Billy emigrated long ago
My adoptive brother Billy moved to another country a long time ago.

Someone went through' pain to have me
Someone experienced pain or sacrifice in order to bring me into the world, even if it wasn't my biological mother.

Someone should know I'm down
I wish someone could understand how I am feeling and offer support and comfort.

Folks who brought me up I'm not ungrateful
I am grateful for the people who raised me, even though I am struggling with this new information.

Kept the secret from me they thought it was shameful
The fact that I am not their biological child was kept secret because they thought it was shameful or embarrassing.

It hurt me so to be the last one to know
Discovering this information late in life has been painful and difficult for me.

Maybe someone's out there looking for me
I wonder if my biological family is looking for me.

Left on their own couldn't afford to clothe me
Perhaps my birth family was not able to care for me financially and had to give me up for adoption.

And I
I am still struggling to come to terms with my identity and past.

I don't even know my real name
I am not even sure what my birth name is.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN CLARKE, TONY HICKS, TERRY SYLVESTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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