The Meaning of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother 

Thank you for this beautiful story! I love the Hollies and especially this song.

Makes me cry every time I listen to it.

I only Love the way The Hollies sing it . That song is wonderful by them . They really know how to sing it . When hearing it, you think it’s meanly means about the soldiers that are fighting for us (America) carry another soldier who was hurt to a med doctor. You set down and really listen to it you’ll hear it.

One of the greatest songs of All Time barnone

love,love ,love.I'm learning it tonight.

Loved the Hollies. Played their songs over and over.

My brother recently died, he had a long ailment with nerve/immune issues (M.S) Also beat Cancer. He constantly feared being a burden to others even not calling a ambulance his last night when suffocating on mucus thinking he will deal with it & in the morning he will get looked at.

A couple of corrections here: I published the song in the UK. My office was in Baker Street, not Denmark Street. We had been given the song at 2am by the American publisher. The "slurring " version Tony mentions was, in fact, Kelly Gordon from his album "Defunked". I had the publishing company with my father who had previously had a hit with The Hollies called "I'm Alive". He was the one who tried to talk Tony out of recording the song, but on my insistence we played it to him. The rest, as they say, is history.

In our city Liverpool, the song has been passionately played during the sad times associated with tragedy and the recognition of a closeness. Everton FC & Liverpool FC have played this song in recent years following the Hillsborough tragedy and the death of our Everton Chairman Big Bill Kenwright as a recognition of closeness during attrociately sad times. Great song.

I love this but never knew it was a real life stoy now that i know i even appreciate it more yes it shows how many good brothers and sisters could appreciate one another speicly when they loose their parents that's the way families should thank you for sharing much appreciated thank you very much may you be blessed

I absolutely love this song it sends shivers down my spine when I hear it and it was also my uncles funeral song chosen from my dad 💔 and the Hollies definitely have the best version ! Xx

I agree Hollies have best version, tbh!!!😊

really nicely done great commentary

Nice song love it ❤❤

The quote was also in the film Boys Town 1938,, but was slightly altered. Whitey Marsh (Mickey Rooney): "He's not heavy, he's my brother." My Grandmother always donated to Boys Town every Christmas. Probably because my Dad got sent there as a kid.. lol

I love the song so much I listened to it untill I knew the words! ❤

Thank You, always wanted to understand it better :)

Shared.

Great story, important message

Kool song on A Night at the Roxbury

Neil Diamond version on Taproot album is classis.

1:33 My understanding was that the song was based on Boys Town and Father Flanagan not knowing that it was from a much older story. Either way it makes me cry when listening to the song that I didn’t carry my younger brother.

Man that was a good one

Thank you for this. Odd fact: Bobby Scott also composed 'A taste of honey,' which was originally an instrumental tune.

❤

Played at my brothers funeral

Glad you reported on "He Aint Heavy". I put this song in my personal top 10 greatest of all time songs, in the R & R category, though it is not so much a rock song. "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" may edge it out if I had to pick between the two. I think Alan Clarke got shafted when he was sued by John Fogerty, and Clarke probably would have been better off to not have mentioned he got the idea for "Long Cool Woman" from "Green River". "Long Cool Woman" is the better song, and bears little if any resemblance to "Green River". I never knew until your video that Elton John played piano on this song. The piano really makes this song. I want to pass 3 songs on to you, that should have been charted nationally. These are on youtube. 1. Harlem Shuffle by The Fabulous Flippers (on Cameo records). The song got back to back air play in Lincoln NE. 2. Jezebel by The Rumbles 3. Save That Planet, Live at the Apollo Threater by Edgar Winter and the White Trash. The live version is the only good version, far better than several studio attempts. This is a long song, which may be why it got almost no air play, even on FM. The vocals at the end IMO are the greatest of R & R singing duo's of all time. Features Rick Derringer on guitar. The rest of the album is very good too.

Hollies sang the best version!

Everyone talking about where the expression came from, but what does it mean???

Oh wow this is interesting

👀👍👍💯💯💯👍👍👍✌

I was told this song was about Vietnam

Thanks for the good information but I also carried all my family's and so heavy for my pockets waaaa 😅😅😅😅

The song is a classic, but this explanation of the lyrics is inaccurate. These are the words of a little Scottish girl who was carrying her rather large baby brother. When asked by a man who saw them if the little one was too heavy, she replied in her Scottish accent " Ee ain't 'eavy, Ee's me brither".

I heard it originally came from Africa? From a comment by a young boy carrying his brother out from a war zone?

I'm gonna be honest: When I first heard the song title, I thought it was gonna be about somebody sticking up for their bullied obese sibling.

Unfortunately your information is incorrect this came.about in the Vietnamese war when a small boy was carrying his brother who was critically injured a solider asked the question and the rest is history

Yes but that is not the truth history. In the war of Vietnam,was a boy carrying his ded brother on his back. someone asked him, is he heavy,?, and he say ,no he isn't heavy ,he is my brother.

Why are you playing stupid music in the background

I always shears this story with others and they nogal appreciate it amazing story it actually remind me of my own brothers we were 4 I'm the only 1 with 3 sisters left like family ties always be there for oneanother thanks for sharing very much appreciated ameen

People always listen to the singers and listen to the song