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)
Put Yourself In My Place
The Hollies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don`t want to lose face
People talking `round town
Telling me that you've been putting it round
That your love for me
So they say
It`s hard to realize
So you gotta put yourself in my place
Don`t want to lose face
'Coz you`re telling these lies
Everyone will think it`s no surprise
That you`re leaving me today
I never thought that I`d see you walking away
So you gotta put yourself in my place
Don`t want to lose face
So your friends turn their backs
And laugh at me
Well you just tell them
That our love could never be
And so you gotta now
Put yourself in my place
So you gotta now
Put yourself in my place
Don`t want to lose face
Why don`t we both take a chance
I`m sure that if we tried we could save our romance
I`ll never understand what you did to me
Why don`t you realize that I`ll never be free
And so you gotta
Put yourself in my place
Don`t want to lose face
No no no no no no (lose face)
Listen to me baby (lose face)
Come on come on
You gotta try
Lose face
The Hollies' song "Put Yourself in My Place" is a melancholic tune about a man feeling betrayed by his significant other. The lyrics express the singer's frustration with the constant rumors spreading in town about his partner's unfaithfulness. He pleads with her to empathize with his situation and not drag him down with her dishonesty.
The song's opening lines "So you gotta put yourself in my place, I don't want to lose face" set the tone of the song. The singer is asking his partner to imagine how he feels and how her behavior is harming their relationship. He doesn't want to be embarrassed by her actions or lose his dignity in front of others.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more desperate, asking his partner to stand up for their love and not let others tear them apart. He implores her to take a chance and save their romance, but ultimately resigns himself to the fact that she may never truly understand the hurt she has caused him.
The lyrics are simple yet effective, and the melancholic melody adds to the emotional weight of the song. Overall, "Put Yourself in My Place" is a lamentation of love lost due to dishonesty and a desperate plea for understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
So you gotta put yourself in my place
The singer wants the listener to empathize with their situation
I don`t want to lose face
The singer is worried about losing their reputation
People talking `round town
There are rumors about the singer's relationship circulating in town
Telling me that you've been putting it round
The rumors suggest that the singer's partner has been unfaithful
That your love for me
The singer's partner's love for them is being questioned
So they say
The rumors claim something about the singer's relationship
It`s hard to realize
The singer finds it difficult to accept the rumors
That I love you this way
The singer is still deeply in love with their partner despite the rumors
'Coz you`re telling these lies
The singer believes that their partner is lying to them
Everyone will think it`s no surprise
The singer is worried about being seen as foolish for believing their partner
That you`re leaving me today
The singer's partner is leaving them
I never thought that I`d see you walking away
The singer is surprised and hurt by their partner's decision to leave
So your friends turn their backs
The singer's partner's friends are no longer supportive of the relationship
And laugh at me
The singer feels humiliated by the situation
Well you just tell them
The singer wants their partner to defend their relationship to their friends
That our love could never be
The singer's partner should tell their friends that their love is real
And so you gotta now
The singer wants their partner to take action
Why don`t we both take a chance
The singer wants to save their relationship and suggests working on it together
I`m sure that if we tried we could save our romance
The singer is optimistic that their relationship can be saved
I`ll never understand what you did to me
The singer is hurt and confused by their partner's behavior
Why don`t you realize that I`ll never be free
The singer is still emotionally attached to their partner
No no no no no no (lose face)
The singer is desperate to avoid losing face
Listen to me baby (lose face)
The singer wants their partner to listen to them and take their concerns seriously
Come on come on
The singer is urging their partner to act
You gotta try
The singer is encouraging their partner to put in effort to save their relationship
Lose face
The singer reiterates their fear of losing face
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN CLARKE, GRAHAM NASH, TONY HICKS
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.