My Gen X Playlist: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – The Housemartins and The Justice Collective Covers

I’ve always admired my brother. Out of all the siblings, he is the most outgoing of the group. What I especially admire is how he can relate to anyone and make everyone feel at ease immediately when you meet him. He is an executive at his company, but still remains down to earth and doesn’t let it go to his head. Unfortunately, he lives a plane ride away, so we don’t see him that often. His kids are now playing club volleyball and he is down more often so we try to make it to a few games to see the family. Even though we only see him a few times per year, we always pick up where we left off. He really is a good guy.

I think I lucked out having two older brothers pave the way before me. They both have been great role models. I can’t imagine being the oldest. Being the third child is all I know. It seems there are unspoken pressures and responsibilities being the first. I think I’ll make a mental note to ask my oldest brother about this someday. I never thought being number three was a favorable spot growing up, but now in hindsight, I see how good I had it. I always could rely and depend on my older brothers.

The Hollies came out with He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother in 1969. I recognized the song from car rides listening to my mom’s radio station.

The inspiration for the song came from a painting that was on display at an orphanage in Scotland. The painting featured a young boy carrying his disabled brother on his back. The quote “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” was written underneath the painting, which provided the idea for the lyrics of the song.

The phrase “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” is a variation of a famous quote from a poem written by James Wells in 1884. The original quote was “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother; His welfare is my concern; No burden is he to bear; We’ll get there”.

– OldTimeMusic

Later, I’d be reconnected to this song with the Housemartin’s acapella version and then again with The Justice Collective’s collaboration. Both are great versions. The Justice Collective version includes Paul McCartney and musical artists from The Clash, Oasis, Squeeze, The Pogues, The Housemartins, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and more.

The Justice Collective was a collective of musicians and celebrities. The project . . . was originally established in 2012 as a fund-raising record raising money for the various charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster.

– Wikipedia

I like the thought of family carrying family in times of need. I used to think I was strong enough to carry the weight of the world by myself. I learned no one can carry the entire burden all of the time and it eventually catches up to you. It’s good to recognize that it’s OK to lean on family. There will be plenty of time to repay the favor. The lean eventually goes both ways.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.