Holding Back the Years…

The cover art for Simply Red's 1985 Debut Album, Picture Book

Holding Back the Years is a song by the English soul and pop band Simply Red, from their debut album, 1985’s Picture Book. The song is a soulful ballad about maternal abandonment and broken family. The core elements of the song were written by Simply Red front man Mick Hucknall when he was just seventeen years old. Hucknall’s mother abandoned him as a child, leaving him to live under a strict father. The song’s lyrics borrow heavily from his own experiences: “Strangled by the wishes of pater, hoping for the arms of mater, get to me the sooner or later.” In 1986, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one in the UK. Holding Back the Years was nominated for Best Performance by a Pop Duo or Group at the 29th Grammy Awards.

Why this song is important to me…

I first heard this song on the radio, to be honest. I didn’t think much of it at first, since I was in the car. Either way, I looked it up later that same day and gave it another listen. On that second listening, the song just blossomed in my mind. The lyrics, the composition, the emotion of the song, it all became so clear in that moment. Since then, it’s been a regular fixture in my top five favorite songs.