Pop Song 436 of 500 'Holding Back the Years' Simply Red 1985

Pop Song 436 of 500 'Holding Back the Years' Simply Red 1985

Thanks to the channel The Professor of Rock for this meaningful song.

The group's frontman Mick Hucknall wrote the song when he was 17, while living at his father's house. In a 2018 interview, Hucknall said the song was inspired by a member of the teaching staff at Manchester School of Art, where Hucknall was a fine-art student: the lecturer suggested the greatest paintings are produced when the artist is working in a stream of consciousness, which Hucknall then tried to apply to songwriting – "Holding Back the Years" was the second song he wrote using this method.

The song's writing credits are shared between Hucknall and Neil Moss, a friend and member of Hucknall's first group, the Frantic Elevators. However, according to Hucknall, Moss did not co-write the song, but the credit was added "to remember the great times we had" as the pair had written so many other songs together.[4] The song was first performed by the Frantic Elevators. The song's "I'll keep holding on" chorus was not added until many years later, after the band had split and Hucknall had formed Simply Red.

Hucknall's mother left the family when he was three: the upheaval caused by this event inspired him to write the song.[8] However, according to Hucknall, he did not realize what the song was about until it was finished: he characterized it as a song "about that moment where you know you have to leave home and make your mark, but the outside world is scary. So you’re holding back the years". He said that the line "Strangled by the wishes of pater" was inspired by arguments he had with his father: according to Hucknall, the two clashed often during his teenage years "because there was no woman to act as referee".

Holdin' back the years
Thinkin' of the fear I've had so long
When somebody hears
Listen to the fear that's gone
Strangled by the wishes of pater
Hopin' for the arms of mater
Get to me the sooner or later
Oh-oh
Holdin' back the years
Chance for me to escape from all I've known
Holdin' back the tears
'Cause nothing here has grown
I've wasted all my tears
Wasted all those years
Nothing had the chance to be good
Nothing ever could, yeah
Oh-oh, well
I'll keep holdin' on
I'll keep holdin' on
I'll keep holdin' on
I'll keep holdin' on
So tight
Alright
Oh, now
Well, I've wasted all my tears
Wasted all of those years
And nothing had the chance to be good
'Cause nothing ever could, oh yeah
Oh
I'll keep holdin' on
I'll keep holdin' on
I'll keep holdin' on
I'll keep holdin' on
Holdin', holdin, holdin' on
La-la-la-la-la-la
I said, "Ooh, yeah"
That's all I have today
It's all I have to say