My favourite Neil Diamond song! I always liked the tune, but when I heard Neil give his explanation for the lyrics...well it just tugged on my heart strings. Now I almost cry when I hear it over the radio (as I crank up the volume!). You see, Neil Diamond said he was once travelling though a small hick town (forgotten where) which was on the outskirts of a Native American Reserve. The Natives were addicted to alcohol, but didn't have enough money to afford real drink. So they purchased an aftershave lotion from the local drugstore. Neil remembered it was pink in colour, and THIS WAS THE REASON the Natives called it "Cracklin Rosie"... as though it was some fancy sparkling wine or something.
And Neil was there when they sat around drinking this stuff in order to get drunk and forget all of their troubles... If you have EVER had to help get a loved one though the agony of alcohol addiction (like I have)... YOU'LL UNDERSTAND just how lovely... and how SAD, this song really is.
My favourite Neil Diamond song! I always liked the tune, but when I heard Neil give his explanation for the lyrics...well it just tugged on my heart strings. Now I almost cry when I hear it over the radio (as I crank up the volume!). You see, Neil Diamond said he was once travelling though a small hick town (forgotten where) which was on the outskirts of a Native American Reserve. The Natives were addicted to alcohol, but didn't have enough money to afford real drink. So they purchased an aftershave lotion from the local drugstore. Neil remembered it was pink in colour, and THIS WAS THE REASON the Natives called it "Cracklin Rosie"... as though it was some fancy sparkling wine or something.
And Neil was there when they sat around drinking this stuff in order to get drunk and forget all of their troubles... If you have EVER had to help get a loved one though the agony of alcohol addiction (like I have)... YOU'LL UNDERSTAND just how lovely... and how SAD, this song really is.
Yeah, I understand perfectly. My second husband drank himself to death. I managed to keep him alive for 22 years, but finally.
Yeah, I understand perfectly. My second husband drank himself to death. I managed to keep him alive for 22 years, but finally.
This song, like many of Neil's classics is deeply poignant once you understand it,
This song, like many of Neil's classics is deeply poignant once you understand it,