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)

Stand By Me
The Hollies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Three o'clock in the morning
I got a pain in my heart
Lying awake I see you
Just a shadow in the dark
Why do I fall in love with a girl like you

Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Stand by me and give me tenderness

Want to hold you, want to touch you
Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Stand by me and let the good times roll
I will never let you go
Just stand by me

Looking out at the streetlights
Can they show me the way
To your heart they lead me
Won't you come on back and stay
Why do I fall in love with a girl like you

Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Stand by me and give me tenderness
Want to hold you, want to touch you
Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Stand by me and let the good times roll
I will never let you go
Stand by me

Stand by me
Stand by me
Stand by me
Come on and stand by me

Why do I fall in love with a girl like you
Oh, why do I fall in love with a girl like you

Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Stand by me and give me tenderness
Want to hold you, want to touch you
Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Stand by me and let the good times roll
I'm never gonna let you go
Stand by me and give me all your lovin'

Stand by me and give me tenderness
Want to hold you, want to touch you

Overall Meaning

The Hollies's song "Stand By Me" expresses the yearning of a man who is unable to fall out of love with a woman he adores. The lyrics convey the pain he feels as he lies awake at three o'clock in the morning, unable to sleep due to a pain in his heart. He sees her just as a shadow in the dark, and the streetlights seem to guide him towards her, as he longs for her return.

There is a sense of desperation in the vocalist's tone as he begs her to stand by him and give him all her loving, tenderness, and wanting to hold and touch her. He vows never to let her go and expresses confusion over why he falls in love with a girl like her. The song concludes with another call for her to stand by him, as he seeks to understand the nature of his feelings and reasons behind his attachment.

Overall, the lyrics are an emotional plea for companionship and love, as the singer struggles to come to terms with his feelings and his need for this particular woman.

Line by Line Meaning

Three o'clock in the morning
It's early in the morning and the singer is awake and in pain.

I got a pain in my heart
The singer is experiencing emotional pain.

Lying awake I see you
The singer is picturing the person they love in their mind's eye.

Just a shadow in the dark
The image of the person is not clear or defined, as if they were a shadow in the dark.

Why do I fall in love with a girl like you
The singer is questioning why they can't help falling in love with this person.

Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
The singer is asking for the person's support and love.

Stand by me and give me tenderness
The singer is asking for love and affection.

Want to hold you, want to touch you
The singer desires physical intimacy with the person they love.

Stand by me and let the good times roll
The singer wants the person to be there for them during the good times as well.

I will never let you go
The singer will never abandon the person they love.

Looking out at the streetlights
The singer is looking out of a window at the light posts on the street.

Can they show me the way
The singer is questioning if the streetlights can guide them to the person they love.

To your heart they lead me
The singer believes that the streetlights will guide them to the person they love.

Won't you come on back and stay
The singer is pleading for the person to come back and stay with them.

Stand by me
Reinforcing the request for the person to provide emotional support.

Come on and stand by me
The singer is encouraging the person to stand by them as they need support.

Oh, why do I fall in love with a girl like you
The singer restates their confusion about why they can't help falling for this person.

I'm never gonna let you go
The singer is making a promise to never leave the person they love.

Stand by me and give me all your lovin'
Reinforcing the request for the person to love and support them.

Stand by me and give me tenderness
Reinforcing the request for the person to display love and affection.

Want to hold you, want to touch you
Reinforcing the singer's desire for physical intimacy with the person they love.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KLAUS-DIETER GEBAUER, HANS JUERGEN FRITZ, TONY HENDRIK, JUERGEN BRINCKMANN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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