Oct 10, 1970
Weeks: 1
Ah, the vagaries of the pop charts. I've never heard this song before, but here it is at No. 1 in 1970. On the same album Neil Diamond also released "Sweet Caroline," which peaked at No. 4, but that song has endured the test of time.
This song has some musical similarities to "Sweet Caroline," especially in the transition to the chorus, but is different enough that I can't say it's a copy. Of course, Neil Diamond's voice is unique, and a lot of his songs sound kind of the same to me because the thing that grabs my attention most of all is his gravelly, Neil-Diamond-voice.
The strings-and-horn instrumentation that seemed to be so popular in the 70s doesn't even bother me here. Ultimately, the music is little more than background accents for Diamond's voice, which is the featured part of this song.
The lyrics seem to be about the singer's affection for a woman, but apparently the song is actually about a man who doesn't have a woman, but is in love with a bottle of wine. This makes lyrics like "You're a store-bought woman" and "Have me a time with a poor man's lady" make sense in a way that's not as insulting as it appears to be on first glance. I'm glad I found that description out there on the Internet, or else I might think less of Neil Diamond for those comments.
My verdict: Like it. I don't think it's a great song, and I agree with popular culture that "Sweet Caroline" is a better song. But it's pleasant enough and I there's nothing objectionable enough to make me dislike it.
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