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)
MAKER
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nights with purple skies
Melting in the sunbeams
From my maker's eyes
In the distant haze
I would like to lie here
Timing all my days
Move past my window
Sunshine is shimmering
Jack-o-lanterns glimmering
Giant moths are flickering around
See, the moon is hiding
Underneath the sea
Pretty soon he'll venture
To take a look at me
So I humbly stand here
Beneath his golden glow
Doesn't he remind me
Of somebody I know?
I must be leaving
Back to reality
Don't you just pity me?
I could so easily stay here
The Hollies's "Maker" is a song that takes listeners on an emotionally and mentally freeing journey. The chorus and verses immerse us in vivid, dreamlike imagery that hints at a surreal, magical landscape. We hear about days of yellow saffron, nights of purple skies melting in the sunbeams from the maker's eyes. As the song continues, we learn about mountain-colored lilac in the distant haze and how the singer wishes to lie here, timing all their days. The figurative language of the lyrics transports the listener to the world of the song, where the sunshine is shimmering, Jack-o-lanterns glimmering, and giant moths are flickering about.
The song takes various turns and, ultimately, leads the listener to the realization that the singer is standing beneath the golden glow of a hidden moon, which reminds them of somebody they know. Throughout "Maker," the singer hints at their desire for escape and release from the mundane reality they must return to. The song encourages listeners to embrace the magic of their inner worlds, even when external circumstances are overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Days of yellow saffron
The bright and happy moments in life
Nights with purple skies
The peaceful and calming times of the day
Melting in the sunbeams
Enjoying life to the fullest
From my maker's eyes
Seeing the beauty of the world created by a higher power
Mountain-colored lilac
The beauty of nature in the distance
In the distant haze
The unknown future lying ahead
I would like to lie here
Wanting to stay in this blissful state forever
Timing all my days
Taking life one day at a time
Move past my window
Watching the outside world go by
Sunshine is shimmering
The beauty of natural light
Jack-o-lanterns glimmering
The magic of the changing seasons
Giant moths are flickering around
The beauty of nature, even in its less glamorous forms
See, the moon is hiding
The cyclical nature of the world
Underneath the sea
The mysteries of the world unknown to us
Pretty soon he'll venture
The inevitability of change and progress
To take a look at me
To experience and learn from the world
So I humbly stand here
Acknowledging the greatness of the world around us
Beneath his golden glow
In the embrace of the world
Doesn't he remind me
The similarities between the moon and someone familiar
Of somebody I know?
Questioning the familiarity of the world around us
I must be leaving
The necessity of returning to reality
Back to reality
The harshness of the actual world
Don't you just pity me?
The longing to stay in a happy place forever
I could so easily stay here
The desire to exist in a happy and content state forever
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ziggy107
Have really come to love this one ... psych music at it's best.
Kahuna Seb
This and "try it" are quite awesome psychedelic songs from them
alicia stef
another classic song.....loved it !!!
Robert Johnson
Extremely underrated
sixtiessyl
yeah that's also a great song...wonderful album in general :D
rvisual
Days of yellow saffron, nights of purple skies...nice lyrics...
sunsets1977
This would be one great cd album to find...those 2 songs are so wow. Thanks for sharing with me Erik @ mission507 & sixtiessyl.
Piggy-218
This is so trippy...COOOOOL
Patrick Ney
The Hollies never got much attention, for whatever reason. One of the better obscure British bands.
alonenjersey
+Patrick Ney Possibility because the band was able to produce plenty of great singles but their LPs never did much.