'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' by The Hollies: The making of the soaring classic

22 July 2026, 09:18

When The Hollies closed out the decade with one of its greatest songs.

The Hollies had their roots in the 1950s skiffle craze and kicked off properly in Manchester in 1962, around the time The Beatles were releasing their first music.

But unlike many of their British Invasion peers, they had real staying power, too.

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They had a string of massive hits int he 1960s (and with 'The Air That I Breathe', just as big a hit in the 1970s), and have continued to this day with founding members Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott still present and correct.

One of The Hollies' very biggest hits came at the end of their first stellar decade, not long after the departure of founding member Graham Nash, who jumped ship to form Crosby, Stills and Nash in 1968.

'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' is an enduring classic, and below we round up all the fast facts you need to know about the song – including the identity of a a very special performer on the piano.

Who wrote 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' and who recorded it before The Hollies?

Kelly Gordon - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (1969)

On their albums The Hollies recorded a combination of covers, self-penned numbers and songs written for them.

'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' was written by Bobby Scott ('A Taste of Honey' co-writer) and lyricist Bob Russell.

It was actually first recorded by Kelly Gordon, who had produced Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode to Billie Joe'. Kelly's version appeared on his album Defunked, but his version failed to chart.

The Hollies: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (2019 Remaster Video)

Scott and Russell were introduced to each other by Johnny Mercer when Russell was dying of lymphoma. They only had three meetings, but manage to create this masterpiece.

The Hollies' Tony Hicks was given a demo of the song by Scott and Russell, and the band recorded it at Abbey Road on June 25, 1969, three months after Gordon's flop release.

Where did the title of 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' come from and what do the lyrics mean?

It's not clear where Bob Russell got the inspiration from, but the phrase goes back to Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland James Wells's 1884 book The Parables of Jesus.

The parable in question tells the story of a small girl carrying her baby brother. It was repeated in Ralph Waldo Trine's The Higher Powers of Mind and Spirit in 1918, and again by Roe Fulkerson in Kiwanis magazine in 1924.

Father Edward Flanagan used the phrase (as "He ain't heavy, Father, he's my brother") as the slogan for the Boys Town children's home.

The lyrics themselves are as straightforward as they are beautiful.

A long and winding road, a man being carried... and he ain't heavy, cos well, he's my brother.

Who performs on 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'?

By 1969, Graham Nash had left The Hollies, but they still had plenty of talent in their ranks.

Allan Clarke took lead vocals on the song, and is backed by Tony Hicks and Terry Sylvester on guitar, Bernie Calvert on bass and Bobby Elliott on drums.

And on piano was a session man by the name of... Elton John.

The future Sir Elton was apparently paid the princely sum of £12 for his work on the track.

When did The Hollies release 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' and where did it get in the charts?

The Hollies released 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' on September 26, 1969, with ''Cos You Like to Love Me' on B-side.

On its initial release the song rose to number three in the UK singles charts and go to number seven in the States.

And in August 1988 it was re-released after it was used in a Miller Lite beer advert, helping propel the song all the way to number one in the UK.

Who has covered 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'?

He Ain't Heavy ... He's My Brother

After The Hollies scored their initial success with 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother', a number of artists put their spin on the song.

Neil Diamond was quick out the traps, scoring a top 100 hit with his take in 1970, with the song also featuring on his Tap Root Manuscript album, while Bill Medley recorded a charting version for the soundtrack of Rambo III in 1988.

In 2012, the song topped the charts once more in the UK in a very special version.

The Justice Collective - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (Official Video)

The Justice Collective - a group of celebrities and musicians – scored the Christmas Number 1 with their cover recorded to support a number of charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster.

As well as original Hollies Bobby Elliott and Tony Hicks, the song featured Robbie Williams, Holly Johnson, Glen Campbell, Gerry Marsden, Mel C, Mick Jones and Beverley Knight.