2016-05-16 16:00:32流浪阿狗
老歌亂談(577)Solitary Man
Neil Diamond，1941出生於美國一個猶太家庭。16歲時就對寫歌產生了興趣，後就讀紐約大學醫科，眼看要畢業了，而有一間音樂發行商「Sunbeam」願提供他一個16週的寫歌工作機會，Diamond 因此中斷了學業。事後Diamond 說：『要不是來了這個該死的寫歌的事，我現在可能已經是個醫生了。』
1962，Diamond初試啼聲，和高中同學Jack Parker以二重唱的組合，錄製發行了兩張單曲，但均告失敗。同年稍晚，Diamond與Columbia唱片公司簽約成為獨唱歌手，次年1963發行了一張單曲《At Night》，雖然Billboard給予極佳的評論，但最後仍未能入榜，Columbia也因此與其解約，Diamond只得再回到以寫歌為主的生活。
1965，Diamond所寫的一首《Sunday and Me》，終於打進排行榜前20名，也使他擠進了成功寫歌者的行列。接著他為The Monkees所寫的《I'm a Believer》及《A little Bit Me, A Little Bit You》等，亦成為大熱門曲。之後甚至包含貓王Elvis Presley、Mark Lindsay ( Paul Revere & The Riders樂團的主唱 )、LuLu、Cliff Richard等大牌歌星，都翻唱過他所寫的歌。
1966，Neil Diamond和Bang唱片公司達成交易，發行的首支單曲即是此首之前由他自己所寫的《Solitary Man》( 孤獨的人 )，不僅打進了排行榜 ( # 55 )，也成為了熱門曲，終於使得Neil Diamond由之前的詞曲作家，也擁有了被認可的歌手身份。
此曲曾被多位著名歌手翻唱。2000年，鄉村歌手Johnny Cash的翻唱版，為他奪得了一座「最佳鄉村男歌手」的葛萊美獎。
Melinda was mine 'til the time
That I found her
Holding Jim
And loving him
Then Sue came along, loved me strong
That's what I thought
Ya, me and Sue
But that died too
Don't know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who'll stay
And won't play games behind me
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man
I've had it to here
Bein' where love's a small word
Part-time thing
Paper ring
I know it's been done
Havin' one girl who'll loves you
Right or wrong
Weak or strong
Don't know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who'll stay
And won't play games behind me
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man
Don't know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who'll stay
And won't play games behind me
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man
Solitary man
Solitary man