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And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind

Rating:
4.4 / 5

Words & Music: Neil Diamond

Listen easy, you can hear God calling
Walking barefoot by the stream
Come on to me, Your hair's softly falling
On my face as in a dream
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind

Saying nothing, lying where the sun is
Baking down upon our sides
My lips touch you, with their soft wet kisses
Your hands gentle in reply
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind

Child, touch my soul with your cries
And the music will know what we've found
I, hear a hundred good-byes
But today I hear only one sound
The moment we're living is now
Now now now now now now now

Young bird flying, and a soft wind blowing
Cools the sweat inside my palms
Close my eyes, hear the flowers growing
As you lay sleeping in my arms
And the time will be our time
And the grass won't pay no mind
No the grass won't pay no mind

Recordingdate: 1969/02/17, first released on: Back in Memphis (From Memphis to Vegas) (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind:

(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)

Others*

(steel guitar)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(french horn)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind.

bastiaanvinke wrote on February 26, 2009
A sublime song writen by Neil Diamond. 69 great
derekd wrote on June 20, 2009
Great recording, would have been a big big hit had it been released as a single. But then so would most of the Memphis recordings around this time.
Deke Rivers 6 wrote on October 15, 2009
Very good song,I haven't heard Neil Diamonds version maily because I'm not an admirer of his. Even if was issued as a single I boubt if it would have been a hit,it's not single material,imo.
JLpResLey wrote on October 15, 2009
Very good, like most of the Memphis recordings. In a way, they all had hit potential with some exceptions. The Back in Memphis album, is great as well, and not so far behind From Elvis In Memphis
My boy, my boy wrote on October 15, 2009
Refreshing melody !...THX Elvis and Neil !
pasa-ryu wrote on October 15, 2009
Great Elvis song and one he clearly 'made is own'!!(i happen to think that it's actualy better than the Neil Diamond version)and it sounds even better on "memphis sessions RCA/FTD cd as an undubbed version,aswell as sounding raw and taken back on the import cd from 1996 "American Crown Jewles"(bilko).
Steve V wrote on October 15, 2009
Very good song. There is a special feel & quality to these 1969 recordings that was lost in the 70's somehow. Probably could have been a hit single. Diamond's version is also very good but not quite as good.
old shep wrote on October 15, 2009
One of the many great tracks from the 1969 session that could have been hit singles in their own right.
Marty_TCE wrote on October 15, 2009
Absolutley quality recording, took me a little while to get into this song but when you do...wow! Wonderful in headphones in the dark.
JerryNodak wrote on October 15, 2009
Love Elvis' version of this Neil Diamond song.
Deano1 wrote on March 05, 2010
I am stunned by the comments I am reading about this one. I see several people who put down Elvis singing songs like "The Last Farewell" raving about this "fruity" tune. Elvis does sing it well, but he doesn't really sound like himself on the verses. Thank goodness, Elvis only covered a few of Neil's tunes, because I can't take this one. I guess several of you are upset that Elvis never recorded the awful "I Am, I Said" or the equally dopey "Song, Sung Blue". If only Elvis had lived until at least 1979 so he could have covered "Forever In Blue Jeans". And some of you have the never to say Elvis' 70's ballads were sappy and/or over the top. 2 1/2 stars for this song.
dgirl wrote on September 21, 2011
Didnt care for Elvis' version of Caroline, but this is great. What a delivery and great mature lyrics. Fruity? This is sublime, period. I think it had hit single potential also. Blows away most 70's ballads for several reasons. A more soulful and not over the top vocal , a simpler arrangement , and a Chips Moman production!
Lpool kid wrote on September 21, 2011
love the song and agree that the memphis sessions version's on ftd are brilliant.this is the one neil diamond song that elvis does better than him.great stuff five stars.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on September 21, 2011
Love this song ! Elvis, at his best !! I like Neil's version, but I love Elvis version.
Great Dane wrote on September 21, 2011
Love it, I like "sweet caroline" better, but this is also very good. I prefer al the masters on the "back in memphis" above the FTD versions, i miss something on those. 4 stars.
TCB1974 wrote on September 21, 2011
The story is that Elvis wanted studio time and musicians from Neil Diamond and promised to record a song of him in return for the favor. This is a pretty recording but not at the same standard as the really great Memphis recordings. Neil Diamond and Elvis are not a natural match in my opinion. Nevertheless, pretty song and three stars from me.
RobIreland wrote on September 22, 2011
This is an over looked slice of top drawer quality material from Elvis. He sounds quite different in this tune. Different for the better, very relaxed and interested. This song as sang but Elvis makes me think of a hot summer day by a stream in the country side with a beautiful girl in the long grass ........
Gorse wrote on September 16, 2012
A song that suited his voice just perfectly. This despite fierce competition from other 1969 Memphis recordings has always been one of my favourites from those sessions. He had a smoothness and feeling in his voice that other pretenders could never match, and this song displays that gift to perfection.
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
This is such a beautiful, relaxing and soothing song and it's my favorite Neil Diamond song that Elvis recorded.
sugartummy wrote on February 23, 2013
An ok song sung perfectly. Never cared too much for Neil Daimond.
Cruiser621 wrote on October 07, 2017
This song and "Do You Know Who I Am" are real Elvis classics from the Memphis Sessions. 5-star rating easy.
GEORGE (GK) wrote on October 07, 2017
This song should have been released as a single. It would have charted well.
atomic powered poste wrote on April 05, 2018
Beautiful, poetif song about outdoor sex, wonderful sung by our man. I like this recording a lot, even if it isn't exactly single material.
DerekH wrote on September 23, 2019
This song, along with 'A little bit of Green, imo would have been a double sided hit in the Uk if released in 1970.
Milky White Way wrote on September 24, 2019
I truly love this track and it certainly would have been a hit had it been released as a single. It’s also the only track IMO that the recent Royal Phil Orch did a beautiful job on and I often listen to it.
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