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As a teenager, Neil Diamond was quite the little playboy!
Somewhere along the way, he realized that poetry could unlock a woman's heart—among other things. So he became well-versed in the writings of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. According to Neil , it helped him seduce a significantly older woman. Was it “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” that did the trick?
Probably not.
Anyway, His memory of the conquest was the inspiration for today's “Great Song of the '70s.” Now that you know that, the lyrics of “Longfellow Serenade” might take on a slightly different meaning. Or maybe not.
In any event, the song itself was a big hit in 1974: Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 9 countries, including #1 in the US, Canada, South Africa and Switzerland. For the record, It was also #5 and #7 on the US Hot 100 and Canadian Top 40, respectively.
Apparently, Neil was able to successfully seduce radio stations into playing the song, and listeners into buying it. :-)
“Longfellow Serenade:” a “Great Song of the '70s.” Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to memorize the words to “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (another Longfellow poem)!
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