If I Don't See You Again by Neil Diamond

Album: Home Before Dark (2008)

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Neil Diamond (from Q magazine July 2008): "The songs on this album are so new, I'm still trying to understand them myself. 'If I Don't See You again,' I still don't know what it's about intellectually; it's all stream-of-consciousness, emotion and passion. Every once in a while in that song I get struck like a thunderbolt. And that's what music is supposed to do."
Neil Diamond expanded on this song in an interview with Mojo magazine July 2008: "It's five pages of lyrics -I've never written a lyric that long - and it's all stream of consciousness. It's a very intricate and complicated song, and I didn't understand it while I was writing it because it was so…I don't know what you'd call it. When it was half-written I played it for Rick (Rubin, producer) and he loved it, and I said, 'There's only one problem: I have no idea what this song is about'- and usually you know what the song is about when you're writing it. He said, 'Well, you're doing good, so it doesn't matter if you know what it's about, just stay on that wavelength and keep writing,' which is what I did, and it turned out to be a very interesting song. And a very unusual song in that it was purely an emotional expression. I'm maybe being more honest at this point in my life and just letting it all hang out and letting them crucify me or however they will, but I like it. I think it's one of my best albums."

Comments: 2

Shem from OzAgain this song from this album (second one tonight that I haven't heard before) - the words are a revelation of his relationship that's breaking up - very candid . But again, the melody is not that imaginative or moving as some of his other songs. Still Neil is Neil, he's got the voice - and looks.
John from London, United KingdomFor a man who is probably known for more classic songs than any other artist, Neil has made an album here that is heaving with tracks that could justifiably end up on any future compilation disc. However, despite being head and shoulders above anything on the previous album 12 Songs, this particular track doesn't quite fall into that category, although it is perhaps the most intimate song on the album. It sounds like it's about his relationship with his fans, although he says he has no idea of its meaning. I think he tends to make some rather ambiguous claims about the meanings of his songs, at least in the way he describes them in interviews and on album sleeves. Truly great music.

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