"Holly Holy" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. Released as a single in October 1969, it was quite successful as the follow-on to "Sweet Caroline", reaching number 6 on the U.S. pop singles chart by December. It became a gold record and then eventually platinum.
A work with a spiritual focus, "Holly Holy" was influenced by gospel music and was Diamond's favorite of the songs he had written to that point. It begins quietly with acoustic guitar against a bass line, with the sparse lyric stretched with elongated vowels. Gradually the arrangement builds up with a tempo shift in the bridge and a backing choir against strings lasting throughout.
"Holly Holy" was later included on Diamond's November 1969 album Touching You, Touching Me. It has been included in live versions on Diamond's Hot August Night (from 1972) and Greatest Hits: 1966–1992 (from 1992), as well as in various compilations.
A treatment of "Holly Holy" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars was a modest R&B hit in 1971.
Nancy Sinatra covered the song for her second TV special, "Movin' with Nancy on Stage" in 1971.
"Holly Holy" was covered in 1998 by UB40.
"Holly Holy" was a key soundtrack song in "Holy Smoke!"
In Here Comes the Boom, it is sung by Charice.
Famous quotes containing the words holly and/or holy:
“in the holly prickles
You can plainly see
The crown of thorns our Saviour wore”
—Unknown. The Holly and the Ivy (l. 13–15)
“...your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...”
—Bible: New Testament, 1 Corinthians 6:19.