Neil Diamond : “Cracklin’ Rosie”

Cracklin’ Rosie” is a bottle of wine. Diamond got the idea for the song from a folk story of an Indian tribe in Northern Canada who had more men than women. He told David Wild at Rolling Stone: “On Saturday nights when they go out, the guys all get their girl; the guys without girls get a bottle of Cracklin’ Rosie, that’s their girl for the weekend.”

This was Neil Diamond’s first American #1 hit, although he had previously written a number of hits for other artists including “I’m A Believer,” which was a 1966 #1 for The Monkees. Two years after “Cracklin’ Rosie,” he topped the American charts again with “Song Song Blue” and in 1978 his duet with Barbara Streisand, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” became his third and last US #1.

Cracklin’ Rosie, get on board

We’re gonna ride till there ain’t no more to go

Taking it slow

Lord, don’t you know

Have made me a time with a poor man’s lady

Hitchin’ on a twilight train

Ain’t nothing there that I care to take along

Maybe a song

To sing when I want

Don’t need to say please to no man for a happy tune

Oh, I love my Rosie child

She got the way to make me happy

You and me, we go in style

Cracklin’ Rose, you’re a store bought woman

You make me sing like a guitar hummin’

So hang on to me, girl

Our song keeps runnin’ on

Play it now

Play it now, my baby

Cracklin’ Rosie, make me a smile

Girl if it lasts for an hour, that’s all right

We got all night

To set the world right

Find us a dream that don’t ask no questions, yeah

Oh, I love my Rosie child

You got the way to make me happy

You and me, we go in style

Cracklin’ Rose, you’re a store-baught woman

You make me sing like a guitar hummin’

So hang on to me, girl

Our song keeps runnin’ on

Play it now

Play it now

Play it now, my baby

Cracklin’ Rosie, make me a smile

God if it lasts for an hour, that’s all right

We got all night

To set the world right

Find us a dream that don’t ask no question, yeah

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