The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in t… Read Full Bio ↴The Hollies are a well-respected British beat and pop band that formed in the early 60s. Initially they had a squeaky-clean image and were famous for their rich vocal harmonies, rivaling those of The Beach Boys. Between 1964 and 1969, only two Hollies songs failed to reach the UK Top 10. Their most famous member was Graham Nash, who left in 1968 to form the folk supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash. Two of the core members, drummer Bobby Elliott and lead guitarist Tony Hicks, still perform with The Hollies into the new millennium.

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)

Separated
The Hollies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why, why ignore me
And keep me out all of the time
Do you think i don't love you
It's only in your mind

You don't give me your reason
You don't explain all your ways
It must be the change of the season

That's all i can say

Was it something that i said
That made you stop loving me
I only want for the best
Not to see you in my life
Makes me so unimportant
I can't live with myself

Gone, gone is tomorrow
I'm only living for today

I never thought you'd ever leave me
Now you have gone away.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Hollies's song "Separated" convey the emotions of a person who feels neglected and forgotten in a relationship. The opening lines, "Why, why ignore me and keep me out all of the time," reveal a sense of disconnection and isolation from the other person. The singer wonders if their partner believes that they do not love them, but the singer's response is that it's only a misperception in their partner's mind. This suggests that the singer still cares deeply for their partner and is bewildered by the lack of communication and attention they are receiving.

The second verse, "You don't give me your reason, you don't explain all your ways, it must be the change of the season, that's all I can say," indicates that the singer is trying to rationalize the other person's behavior. However, they are still left feeling unsure and confused. The lyric "Was it something that I said that made you stop loving me" suggests that the singer is trying to identify the reason behind the loss of intimacy in their relationship. They may feel personally responsible for the other person's emotional distance.

The chorus, "Gone, gone is tomorrow, I'm only living for today, I never thought you'd ever leave me, now you have gone away," highlights the finality of the relationship. The singer is living in the present moment and reflecting on what could have been. As the bridge states, "Not to see you in my life, makes me so unimportant, I can't live with myself." The singer has come to the realization that the other person has left them and it's left them feeling insignificant and lost without them.

Line by Line Meaning

Why, why ignore me
Asking why the person is ignoring the singer

And keep me out all of the time
Wondering why the person is keeping the singer excluded

Do you think i don't love you
Asking if the person thinks the singer doesn't love them

It's only in your mind
Assuring the person that their thinking is wrong

You don't give me your reason
Not understanding why the person is acting this way

You don't explain all your ways
Wanting the person to explain their actions

It must be the change of the season
Blaming the person's behavior on the season changing

That's all i can say
Admitting that they cannot think of any other reason

Was it something that i said
Questioning if something the singer said caused the person to stop loving them

That made you stop loving me
Asking if the person stopped loving the singer because of something they said

I only want for the best
Saying they only want what is best for the person