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 Alive
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, that was me
Just a lonely, lonely man with no heart
'Til you set me free
Now I can breathe
I can see
I can touch
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss
You give me all the things I've ever missed
I've never felt like this
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
I used to think I was living
Baby, I was wrong
No I never knew a thing about living
'Til you came along
Now I can breathe
I can see
I can touch
I can feel
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss
You give me all the things I've ever missed
I've never felt like this
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
Now I can breathe
I can see
I can touch
I can feel
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss
You give me all the love I've ever missed
I've never felt like this
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive
The lyrics to The Hollies's song "I'm Alive" describe a man who had previously felt dead and empty inside until he met someone who changed everything for him. The first verse portrays this man as someone who had no heart and was lonely, but thanks to the person he's singing to, he's no longer that way. The next verse goes on to describe how he thought he was living before, but he wasn't really living until this person came along.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's newfound sense of being alive. He can breathe, see, touch, feel, and taste all the sweetness in life that he never could before. The other person has given him everything he's ever missed, and he's never felt this way before. The repetition of "I'm alive" emphasizes how powerful this experience has been for him.
The overall meaning of the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the transformative power of love. The singer was once empty, but the love of another person has filled him with a new sense of life and vitality. It's a common theme in pop music, but The Hollies deliver the lyrics with sincerity and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you ever see a man with no heart
Have you ever seen someone who was so emotionally closed off, that person was me
Just a lonely, lonely man with no heart
Feeling lonely, I was without a heart, closed off from love or any type of emotional attachment
'Til you set me free
Until I met you, I was trapped in my loneliness and lack of emotional connection, but you freed me from that
Now I can breathe
I can finally relax and breathe easier without the weight of my previous emotional baggage
I can see
My eyes have been opened to new possibilities, perspectives, and experiences thanks to my newfound emotional connection
I can touch
I can now feel the warmth of human contact that I used to avoid
I can feel
I am able to experience emotions again, and connect with another person on a deep level
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss
When we kiss, I can taste the sweetness in your lips and it's like a new world has opened up to me
You give me all the things I've ever missed
My emotional connection with you has allowed me to experience all of the things I have been missing in life
I've never felt like this
I have never had an emotional connection like this before
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
Being with you has made me feel truly and completely alive
I used to think I was living
I thought I was alive before, but I was wrong
Baby, I was wrong
I was wrong to think that before
No I never knew a thing about living
I never knew what true life was until I met you
'Til you came along
But now that you're in my life, everything is different
You give me all the love I've ever missed
Through our emotional connection, you have given me all of the love and support I never knew I needed
I'm alive
Once again, I am alive thanks to our connection and relationship
I'm alive
My feelings of true aliveness and vitality are constantly present thanks to you
I'm alive
I will always feel alive as long as we are together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, CAROLE BAYER SAGER, NEIL DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Stocks
Did you ever see a man 👨 with no heart 💓
Baby 👶 that was me
Just a lonely ☹️ lonely ☹️ man 👨 with no heart 💖
TIL you set me free
Now I can breathe
I can see
I can touch
I can feel
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss 💋
You give me all the things I’ve ever missed
I’ve never felt like this
I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive
I used to think 💭 I was living
Baby 🍼 I was wrong
No I never knew a thing about living
TIL you came along
Now I can breathe
I can see
I can touch
I can feel
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss 💋
You give me all the things I’ve ever missed
I’ve never felt like this
I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive
Now I can breathe
I can see
I can touch
I can feel
I can taste all the sugar sweetness in your kiss 💋
You give me all the love 💕 I’ve ever missed
I’ve never felt like this
I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive I’m alive
L G
The vocals are sublime , one of Allan Clarke's most powerful recordings and the really tight Nash/Hicks harmonies.
Phil Turner
Tony Hicks was - and still is - a very underrated guitarist.
Marcel Audubon
the obligatory, braindead "underrated" comment ... knew someone would leave it
Rico T
A brilliant tune. A great record. Classic. Pure 1965. 60s music at its best. The Hollies first #1 hit from the summer of 1965. I'm Alive was the UK's fifth best selling single of 1965.
henry willoughby
There were a lot of great songs in 1965
Mike Battaglia
Number 1 on the day I was born 🙂
Colin Dant
@henry willoughby I wholeheartedly agree!
Music4TheSoul
First #1 in the UK. Bus Stop was their first #1 outside the UK (in Canada) and was also their first Top 10 hit in the US.
Edgar Lee
@Mike BattagliaSame here 👍
SPARTA_JKD
One of the best pop songs ever recorded.