Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles perform a stunning rendition of the classic song “’He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.” This touching song was originally written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell and made famous by The Hollies in 1969.
“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”
Many people have speculated the origins of the phrase, but most give credit to James Wells the Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland. In 1884, Wells wrote a book called The Parables of Jesus. One of the stories recalls a little girl struggling to carry her big baby brother. When someone asks if she was tired, she stunned everyone by saying “No, he’s not heavy; he’s my brother.”
“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”
Over the years, many artists have covered this special song. Today, we are hearing a beautiful rendition from Tommy Emmanuel featuring John Knowles. Hearing these words stripped down truly gives this iconic song an entirely new feel. These two gentlemen definitely have a talent for performing and their voices combine perfectly for this tune. You can find this song and many others on their album ‘Heart Songs.’ Who else remembers hearing this one when it was first released?