Simply Red, founded in 1985 by lead singer Mick Hucknall, rose to popularity with their debut album “Picture Book”. The album contains the British soul band’s international hit “Holding Back the Years”. The soulful song was written by Mick Hucknall and released as a single in November 1985. But what’s the story and meaning behind the song? Let’s find out!
The Origin Behind the Song
Did you know Mick Hucknall wrote “Holding Back the Years” when he was only 17? At the time, Mick was still part of the punk formation “The Frantic Elevators”.
The surf-ballad-sounding original of “Holding Back the Years” sounds vastly different from “Simply Red’s” soulful version of the song. The “I’ll keep holding on” chorus didn’t feature in the original version and was added years later.
The Meaning of the Song
“Holding Back the Years” is a song about leaving your home and facing the scary outside world. At the time of writing the song Hucknall lived with his father, whom he described as a “working class bloke”. Hucknall’s mother left the family when he was three.
The song delves into the difficulties of being raised by a single father and the absence of a mother figure. In “Holding Back the Years” Hucknall refers to his father and mother as pater and mater.
Mick wrote the song after an art teacher told him the best art pieces were created in a stream of consciousness. In an interview with the Guardian Hucknall said: “I didn’t realize what it was about until I’d finished it. It’s about that moment where you know you have to leave home and make your mark, but the outside world is scary. So you’re holding back the years.”
Mick Hucknall’s Favorite Song
Mick Hucknall admitted “Holding Back the Years” is his favorite song to perform live. In an interview with Essential Surrey Hucknall said: “It’s the first song I ever wrote and just such a key song on so many levels.”
The Song’s Legacy
“Holding Back the Years” was an international hit for Simply Red. The song reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was a top-10 hit in several European countries. It’s also Simply Red’s most performed live song, having it played over 500 times.
“Picture Book”, the album “Holding Back the Years” was released on, laid the foundation for the success of Simply Red. Their third album “A New Flame” gave Simpy Red another US #1 hit with the cover “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”. “A New Flame” was followed by the successful releases “Stars” and “Fairground”.
