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)
Postcard
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sea is touching me
I feel much happier than I've ever felt
And I'm floating in the sky
And I wish you could be
Wish you could be here
And if you're free, follow me
Throw a pebble in my sea
The sun will wrap you up in a pool of gold
And lights in the night, in the night
Reaching neon waves of sight
But I wish you could be
Wish you could be
Wish you could be here
The sun, the sand, the sea are waiting
On the corner, take a trip out here
Hustle, bustle, shove and fuss
Will greet you if you stay there
I'm without a care
Fresh fruit and sea fish
Are in abundance here
But they don't allow
The natives at your door selling booze
Smuggled from another shore
And I wish you could be
Wish you could be
Wish you could be here
The sun, the sand, the sea are waiting
On the corner, take a trip out here
Hustle, bustle, shove and fuss
Will greet you if you stay there
I'm without a care
Fresh fruit and sea fish
Are in abundance here
But they don't allow
The natives at your door selling booze
Smuggled from another shore
And I wish you could be
Wish you could be
Wish you could be here
Postcard, postcard, postcard
The Hollies' song Postcard is a vibrant celebration of escape and freedom, and an invitation to experience the joys of sand, sea, and sun. The lyrics speak of the singer's unbridled happiness when surrounded by the natural beauty of the beach and the ocean. The repetition of the line "And I wish you could be / Wish you could be here" conveys a sense of longing for someone who is absent and a desire to share the experience with them.
The second verse introduces the idea of inviting someone to join the singer, "And if you're free, follow me / Throw a pebble in my sea". The imagery of the "sun...wrap[ping] you up in a pool of gold / And lights in the night, in the night / Reaching neon waves of sight" paints a vivid picture of the sensory overload of the beach at night. The final verse contrasts the hustle and bustle of daily life with the carefree existence at the beach, advocating for escape to a place where "Fresh fruit and sea fish / Are in abundance here", and liquor is not smuggled from another shore.
Overall, The Hollies' Postcard is a charming, evocative celebration of the life-affirming power of nature and the escape it offers from the daily grind.
Line by Line Meaning
When sand's close at hand
Whenever I am close to the sand
And the sea is touching me
And the sea waves are washing over me
I feel much happier than I've ever felt
I feel an immense sense of happiness that I've never experienced before
And a long time goes by
As time passes by
And I'm floating in the sky
I feel like I am floating in the air
And I wish you could be
And it makes me wish that you were here
Wish you could be here
I really wish you could be here with me
And if you're free, follow me
If you happen to be free, come follow me
Throw a pebble in my sea
Come and join me in the water by throwing a pebble in the sea
The sun will wrap you up in a pool of gold
The warm sunshine will make you feel like you are wrapped in a pool of gold
And lights in the night, in the night
The lights at night, oh the lights at night
Reaching neon waves of sight
Are like neon waves of sight reaching out to us
The sun, the sand, the sea are waiting
The warmth of the sun, the softness of the sand and the vastness of the sea are all waiting for us
On the corner, take a trip out here
Just around the corner, come take a trip out here
Hustle, bustle, shove and fuss
If you chose to stay where you are, you will only find chaos and confusion
Will greet you if you stay there
That's what awaits you if you decide to stay there
I'm without a care
But here, I am without a care in the world
Fresh fruit and sea fish
You can enjoy fresh fruit and seafood here
Are in abundance here
They are plentiful here
But they don't allow
However, they don't allow
The natives at your door selling booze
The locals selling alcohol that may have been smuggled from overseas
Smuggled from another shore
That has been illegally brought from another place
Postcard, postcard, postcard
This is the message that I want to convey through this postcard
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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ManzannaSaotome43
Amo ésta canción :) es muy bonita
MeloLand
Maravilloso
Paulo Gama
linda canção
adm712
It is a shame that throughout his career Graham Nash has totally ignored his Hollies contributions especially a great track like this.
BritainsBestGuitar
I much prefer the Hollies to CSN.
James Phillips
Love it and the hollies
Poopaloo55
Very poetic...you have a beautiful way with words. Many thanks for sharing, maipu.
JediSith Ewok
Had to re find this. After 2 weeks of constant search I finally have. Thankyou god
soundenvision
How is that possible? Butterfly and Forever Changes were both released in November of '67.
RL C
Just curious as to what performance the picture in 0:25 is from