Holy Man

Album: Pacific Ocean Blue 30th Anniversary Edition (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was not included on the original Pacific Ocean Blue album as neither Wilson nor co-writer and producer Gregg Jakobson could come up with a lyric. However two versions appear on the 2008 30th anniversary edition, one an instrumental and the other sung by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who also supplied the lyrics. Jakobson explained to Mojo magazine July 2008: "Any song with that title is likely to be contrived or clichéd, and we could never come up with a lyric. But Taylor, who's a big Dennis fan, did a great lyric and vocal, he has that same whisky-smoker-gravelly voice as Dennis. If you're a purist, yes it's strange, but music doesn't work like that, and nor does life. All Dennis's music was collaborations, like his brothers who'd come in and sing to someone he'd grabbed off the street to sing or play. If Dennis was still here, he'd love Holy Man. I don't like the word 'tribute' but to me Holy Man is a tribute to Dennis."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."

Millie Jackson

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In Songs

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In SongsSong Writing

Songs where something goes horribly wrong (literally or metaphorically), and help is needed right away.

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.