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)
Mighty Quinn
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn
Everybody's building ships and boats
Some are building monuments, others jotting down notes
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
everybody's gonna jump for joy
chorus
I like to go just like the rest, I like my sugar sweet
But jumping queues and making haste
just ain't my cup of meat
Everyone's beneath the trees feeding pigeons on a limb
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
all the pigeons gonna run to him
chorus
Let me do what I want to do, I can't decide 'em all
Just tell me where to put 'em, and I'll tell you who call
Nobody can get no sleep, there's someone on everyone's toes
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
everybody's gonna want to doze
chorus
The Hollies's song Mighty Quinn is a cover of Bob Dylan's original song released in 1967. The song is about a mythical character named Quinn the Eskimo who enters a community and brings joy and excitement to the people. The lyrics suggest that Quinn has magical powers that can change the world around him. The chorus refers to this magical quality when it says that "you'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn." Dylan's writing style in this song is enigmatic, making it difficult to pin down with certainty the meaning behind each line.
The song speaks to the power of community and the way in which one person can bring hope and happiness to others. The lines "everybody's building ships and boats, some are building monuments, others jotting down notes" speak to people's tendency to create something that will outlast them or to document their existence, but ultimately, it's the arrival of a strange and magical figure that brings real joy. The line "everyone's beneath the trees feeding pigeons on a limb, but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here all the pigeons gonna run to him" further emphasizes this idea.
Line by Line Meaning
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn
Everyone is invited to come and see the Mighty Quinn because there is no one like him in the world.
Everybody's building ships and boats
Some are building monuments, others jotting down notes
Everybody's in despair, every girl and boy
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
everybody's gonna jump for joy
People are busy with various activities, some are creating things while others are just feeling sad. But when Quinn arrives, everyone will be happy and excited to see him.
chorus
The chorus repeats the message that the Mighty Quinn is a unique and special person that everyone is looking forward to seeing.
I like to go just like the rest, I like my sugar sweet
But jumping queues and making haste
just ain't my cup of meat
Everyone's beneath the trees feeding pigeons on a limb
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
all the pigeons gonna run to him
The singer describes his own preferences, but acknowledges that not everyone feels the same way. He notes that everyone is currently preoccupied with feeding pigeons, but when Quinn comes, the pigeons will all flock to him instead.
Let me do what I want to do, I can't decide 'em all
Just tell me where to put 'em, and I'll tell you who call
Nobody can get no sleep, there's someone on everyone's toes
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
everybody's gonna want to doze
The singer expresses a desire to make his own decisions, but is willing to take direction from others. He notes that everyone is currently feeling crowded and unable to rest, but when Quinn comes, everyone will want to sleep peacefully.
Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.