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)
It's Only Make Believe
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My hopes, my dreams come true, my one and only you
No one will ever know how much I love you so
My only prayer will be some day you'll care for me
But it's only make believe
My hopes, my dreams come true, my life I give for you
My heart, a wedding ring, my all, my everything
My hopes, my prayers, my schemes
You are my everything, but it's only make believe
My one and only prayer is that some day you'll care
My hopes, my dreams come true, my one and only you
No one will ever know how much I love you so
My only prayer will be some day you'll care for me
But it's only make believe
The Hollies's song It's Only Make Believe is a love ballad that expresses the singer's feelings of hope and longing for their ideal partner. The lyrics reveal the singer's one and only prayer that someday the person they love will care for them in a similar way. The singer's hopes and dreams are focused on this romantic ideal, with the lyrics emphasizing that no one will ever know how much they love this person. The singer expresses their willingness to devote their life, their heart, and everything they have to this person, but they realize that their love is only make believe.
The song captures the essence of unrequited love, where the singer is trapped in a world of fantasy and cannot deal with the reality of their situation. The verse structure will only help emphasize the bittersweetness of the song. The verse's repetitive nature reinforces the singer's inner struggle while showcasing the depth of their feelings. The chorus emphasizes the gap between the singer's dreams and reality, where the object of their affection is only make believe. The song is a poignant depiction of human emotional vulnerability that many will and have related to.
Line by Line Meaning
My one and only prayer is that some day you'll care
The only thing I wish for is that one day you will reciprocate my feelings and care about me.
My hopes, my dreams come true, my one and only you
You are the only one I dream of and want to be with, and my deepest wish is that we can be together.
No one will ever know how much I love you so
No one can truly understand how profound my love for you is.
My only prayer will be some day you'll care for me
My singular hope is that someday you will start to care for me in the way that I care for you.
But it's only make believe
However, I recognize that these are only wishes and dreams, not yet realized in reality.
My hopes, my dreams come true, my life I give for you
I would do anything for you, even giving my life, if it meant we could be together.
My heart, a wedding ring, my all, my everything
My heart belongs to you and I want to give you everything, including a future together.
My heart I can't control, you ruin my very soul
My heart beats uncontrollably for you, and when you don't reciprocate my feelings, it causes me immense pain and agony.
My hopes, my prayers, my schemes
I have devoted all of my thoughts and energy towards hoping, praying and planning a future with you.
You are my everything, but it's only make believe
Despite my feelings that you are everything to me, I am aware that this is not yet a reality and may only exist in my imagination.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Conway Twitty, Jack Nance
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.