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)
Isn't It Nice
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone you dream that you are?
Isn't it such a nice feeling
The feeling you wished on a star?
You have slipped down a rainbow
Discovered your own pot of gold
You are living your wildest dreams
Use them, you'll never grow old
Just like Cinderella
But your clock will never strike twelve
You have something to envy
That everyone wants for themselves
You have slipped down a rainbow
Discovered your own pot of gold
Chasing moonbeams and catching the wind
And living stories you've been told
You have slipped down a rainbow
Discovered your own pot of gold
You are living your wildest dreams
Use them, you'll never grow old
Isn't it nice to be somewhere
In places you've dreamed that you've seen
Isn't it such a nice feeling
Being where you've never been
Isn't it nice to be someone
Someone you dream that you are?
Isn't it such a nice feeling
The feeling you wished on a star?
Isn't it nice to be someone
Someone you dream that you are?
Isn't it such a nice feeling
The feeling you wished on a star?
The Hollies' song "Isn't It Nice" is an uplifting and optimistic track about the joys of living your dreams and being the person you've always imagined yourself to be. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, as singer Tony Hicks croons, "Isn't it nice to be someone, someone you dream that you are?" The song then goes on to describe the thrill of discovering your own "pot of gold" and living out your wildest fantasies, as if you were a fairytale character like Cinderella.
One of the standout lines of the track is "Chasing moonbeams and catching the wind," which perfectly encapsulates the sense of freedom and adventure that the song celebrates. The chorus then repeats the opening lines and drives home the message that there's nothing quite like the feeling of being true to yourself and living your best life.
Overall, "Isn't It Nice" is a catchy and sentimental track that perfectly captures the spirit of the 1960s, a time when anything seemed possible and dreams were meant to be chased.
Line by Line Meaning
Isn't it nice to be someone
It's such a wonderful feeling to be the person you have always dreamt of becoming
Someone you dream that you are?
The person you always imagined yourself to be in your dreams
Isn't it such a nice feeling
It's an incredible sensation that brings about great pleasure
The feeling you wished on a star?
The same feeling you've always wished to experience, like making a wish upon a star
You have slipped down a rainbow
You've stumbled upon your pot of gold and have found something truly valuable
Discovered your own pot of gold
You've discovered something truly priceless and valuable to you
You are living your wildest dreams
You are living out the most extraordinary dreams you've ever had
Use them, you'll never grow old
Enjoy your dreams to the fullest, and you'll always feel young and alive
Just like Cinderella
Just like the fairy tale of Cinderella, where she found her happiness and true love
But your clock will never strike twelve
You won't be limited by a certain time or deadline, unlike Cinderella who had to leave the ball before it struck twelve
You have something to envy
Your amazing experiences and lifestyle make others envious and want the same things for themselves
That everyone wants for themselves
Your dream lifestyle is so amazing that anyone would want to have it for themselves
Chasing moonbeams and catching the wind
You're pursuing and experiencing wonderful things that are usually considered impossible
And living stories you've been told
You're living out the fables and stories that have always fascinated you
Being where you've never been
It's such a great feeling to be in a place you've never visited and experience something new
In places you've dreamed that you've seen
In places you've always imagined in your dreams that now seem to exist in reality
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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.