When I first started doing music posts back in 2018, I said that I would only play songs I like.  A bit of a selfish wench, wasn’t I?  I still pretty much play my old favourites, but I’ve figured out that it gives me just as much joy playing songs that my friends enjoy as I get from playing my own favourites, so every now and then I step outside my own ‘zone’ and into yours.  On Sunday night, I played a Neil Diamond song, Forever in Blue Jeans … not my favourite, but one that I like.  It was a toss up between it and the one I played last night, I Am … I Said.  With that, I thought I was probably done with Neil Diamond for now, even though I still didn’t play my own favourite, Solitary Man.  But then, in the comments, Clive and rawgod mentioned a song that didn’t ring any bells, so I went in search of.  I found the song easily enough, but upon listening I realized that a) I had never heard it before, and b) I didn’t like it much at all.  And so today, I give you … Soolaimón by Neil Diamond!

Soolaimón was a track from Neil Diamond’s sixth studio album, Tap Root Manuscript, released in 1970. The album was one of the most experimental he ever recorded. It uniquely showcased African sounds and instruments. The album ended up being a commercial success, with Done Too Soon, He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother and Cracklin’ Rosie among his other Top 40 single releases. The B-side to Tap Root Manuscript was titled The African Trilogy (A Folk Ballet). While world music became a genre in the 1980s and 90s, Neil Diamond was way ahead of the most recording artists. Yes, the Beatles had introduced the sitar on Revolver in 1966. But it was not until the 1979 when Peter Gabriel’s third solo  album included tracks like Biko that African and Brazilian sounds were woven into a Western recording artists’ album. Others who helped make world music more mainstream were Paul Simon with Graceland and David Byrne and Brian Eno. Tap Root Manuscript was one of the most novel experimental recording projects of its time. The Uni label was initially hesitant to release the album.

Soolaimón was a word Neil Diamond learned when he studied African culture at the Kenyon Mission, the United Nations and the African Studies department at UCLA. Soolaimón can mean “hello,” “welcome,” “good-bye” and “peace be with you.” The lyrics offer images of the cycles of night and day, and a sense of the sacredness of that cycle: “God of my day… Lord of my night.” There is an abiding trust that the “day shall provide.”

Soolaimón peaked at #1 in Tucson (AZ), Edmonton (AB) and Moscow (ID), #3 in Vancouver (BC) and Columbus (OH), #4 in Manchester (NH), #5 in San Bernardino (CA), Reading (PA) and Calgary (AB), #6 in Ottawa (ON) and Victoria (BC), #7 in Rochester (NY), Hilo (HI), Shreveport (LA) and Holland (MI), #8 in Hamilton (ON), and #9 in Atlanta, Syracuse (NY), Orlando (FL) and Allentown (PA).  It made it to #30 in the U.S., but other than the above, I can find no chart listings for the song.

Soolaimón

Neil Diamond

Come she come say
Ride on the night
Sun becomes day
Day shall provide

Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon
Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon
Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon
Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon

God of my want, want, want
Lord of my need, need, need
Leading me on, on, on
On to the woman, she dance for the sun
God of my day, day, day
Lord of my night, night, night
Seek for the way, way, way
Taking me home
She callin’

Bring home my name
On the wings of a flea
Wind in the plains
Dance once for me

Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon
Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon
Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon
Soo, soolaimon
Soolai, soolai, soolaimon

God of my want, want, want
Lord of my need, need, need
Leading me on, on, on
On to the woman, she dance for the sun
God of my day
Lord of my night
Seek for the way
Taking me home

God of my want, want, want
Lord of my need, need, need
Leading me on, on, on
On to the woman, she dance for the sun

God of my day, day, day
Lord of my night, night, night
Seek for the way, way, way
Taking me home

God of my want, want, want
Lord of my need, need, need
Leading me on, on, on……..

Writer/s: NEIL DIAMOND
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind