John Keaton

The title of this song actually has a religious origin. And along those lines, there is a spiritual element to the track also, specifically the latter half of the tune. Here the singer’s concern extends past the welfare of his brother. In fact he questions why everyone doesn’t have “love for one another”. And the overall implication is that one day we will all transcend the mortal plane and be judged by a pious, Higher Power. And with this in mind, the singer advises that it is better to “share” than not to. So even though there aren’t any overt-religious references in this song, you can say that “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” is at least founded on moral ideologies. And such dictate that when you come across someone in need, especially an individual as close as a brother/sibling, then all effort should be made to alleviate their suffering. In fact behaving in such a manner is presented as a basic responsibility which ultimately leads to self-edification, which transcends onto the spiritual plane.

Interesting Fact: Elton John played the piano on the original recording made famous by The Hollies ! At the time he was know as " Reg " !

Here Are The Lyrics:

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy he's my brother
He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother, he ain't heavy
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bob Russell / Bobby Scott
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother lyrics © Music Sales Corporation