Dr. Leo Marvin: Are you married?
Bob Wiley: I'm divorced.
Dr. Leo Marvin: Would you like to talk about that?
Bob Wiley: There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him.
Dr. Leo Marvin: [pause] I see. So, what you're saying is that even though you are an almost-paralyzed, multiphobic personality who is in a constant state of panic, your wife did not leave you, you left her because she... liked Neil Diamond?
This is a very small scene from a very, very funny, very, very dark movie called What About Bob, starring Bill Murrayand Richard Dreyfuss, directed by Frank Oz. Personally, I’m with Bob’s ex-wife—I love Neil Diamond.
Diamond began writing songs in high school, finally ending up, as so many songwriters of the era did, at the Brill building, churning out the hits for others. The Monkees recorded a number of Diamond’s songs, including “I’m a Believer,” which became the most popular song of 1966.
The story goes that Diamond had been writing for others until he heard Bob Dylan singing. He thought, If he can get recorded with that voice, then I have a chance. (I could not find documentation for this. So, it’s probably apocryphal.)
As the years passed, Diamond’s music lost some of its roughness and its energy. Thus, came “September Morn.” I do love this song, but I can also see how reviewers would be able to say, “On September Morn, Neil Diamond began to push the borders of easy listening, concentrating more on immaculately polished studiocraft than songcraft.” (I mean, the song even has a Barry Manilow key change.)
Bob Wiley: I'm divorced.
Dr. Leo Marvin: Would you like to talk about that?
Bob Wiley: There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him.
Dr. Leo Marvin: [pause] I see. So, what you're saying is that even though you are an almost-paralyzed, multiphobic personality who is in a constant state of panic, your wife did not leave you, you left her because she... liked Neil Diamond?
This is a very small scene from a very, very funny, very, very dark movie called What About Bob, starring Bill Murrayand Richard Dreyfuss, directed by Frank Oz. Personally, I’m with Bob’s ex-wife—I love Neil Diamond.
Diamond began writing songs in high school, finally ending up, as so many songwriters of the era did, at the Brill building, churning out the hits for others. The Monkees recorded a number of Diamond’s songs, including “I’m a Believer,” which became the most popular song of 1966.
The story goes that Diamond had been writing for others until he heard Bob Dylan singing. He thought, If he can get recorded with that voice, then I have a chance. (I could not find documentation for this. So, it’s probably apocryphal.)
As the years passed, Diamond’s music lost some of its roughness and its energy. Thus, came “September Morn.” I do love this song, but I can also see how reviewers would be able to say, “On September Morn, Neil Diamond began to push the borders of easy listening, concentrating more on immaculately polished studiocraft than songcraft.” (I mean, the song even has a Barry Manilow key change.)
Stay for just a while
Stay and let me look at you
It's been so long, I hardly knew you
Standing in the door
Stay with me a while
I only wanna talk to you
We've traveled halfway 'round the world
To find ourselves again
September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
Look at what you've done
Why, you've become a grown-up girl
I still can hear you crying
In a corner of your room
And look how far we've come
So far from where we used to be
But not so far that we've forgotten
How it was before
September morn
Do you remember
How we danced that night away
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
Stay and let me look at you
It's been so long, I hardly knew you
Standing in the door
Stay with me a while
I only wanna talk to you
We've traveled halfway 'round the world
To find ourselves again
September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
Look at what you've done
Why, you've become a grown-up girl
I still can hear you crying
In a corner of your room
And look how far we've come
So far from where we used to be
But not so far that we've forgotten
How it was before
September morn
Do you remember
How we danced that night away
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
September morning
Still can make me feel that way
My husband says that Diamond songs are always filled with angst, and this one is no different. A song about two lovers who have grown apart, but perhaps, have come full circle and found one another again.
An interesting bit of trivia: this song is from 1979. In 2011, a nursing student named Holly Bobo vanished from her home in Tennessee. Psychics called in to the police with clues as to her whereabouts. One of them claimed that the location of Holly was imbedded in this song. They gave no indication as to what these clues were. Sadly, Bobo’s remains were found in 2014. The song, naturally, had nothing to do with it.
Are you one of those people who like Neil Diamond or one who doesn’t? Do you have a favorite Neil Diamond song? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be posting some on my favorites on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so be sure to check them out.
Until next time!
An interesting bit of trivia: this song is from 1979. In 2011, a nursing student named Holly Bobo vanished from her home in Tennessee. Psychics called in to the police with clues as to her whereabouts. One of them claimed that the location of Holly was imbedded in this song. They gave no indication as to what these clues were. Sadly, Bobo’s remains were found in 2014. The song, naturally, had nothing to do with it.
Are you one of those people who like Neil Diamond or one who doesn’t? Do you have a favorite Neil Diamond song? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be posting some on my favorites on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so be sure to check them out.
Until next time!
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