Featured Artist

MICHAEL PETERSON, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”

Jonathan Widran
21 hours ago

Closing in on three decades since Michael Peterson first graced us with his self-titled debut album and its indelible #1 country hit – and fourth most popular wedding country song of all time – “From Here To Eternity,” the multi-faceted singer songwriter, backed by gospel legends The Imperials, brings his passionate vocal flair to an epic, soaring and emphatically inspirational version of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”

Best known for The Hollies’ classic 1969 version (a Top 10 Billboard hit) and Neil Diamond’s Top 20 follow-up a year later, the Bobby Scott-Bob Russell penned Vietnam era anthem’s powerful message of having compassion for, helping and uplifting others seems especially appropriate, hopeful and essential for these modern times where the world feels chaotic and sociopolitical divisions seem ready at any moment to unravel the sense of “brotherhood from sea to shining sea” that we grew up believing in. Fun fact to amuse ourselves while we ponder such things : the Hollies’ version features none other than a pre-stardom Elton John on piano.

The song’s unique title traces back to the 1884 book The Parables of Jesus by James Wells, Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland, who told the story of a little girl carrying a big baby boy. Seeing her struggling, someone asked if she wasn’t tired. She replied, “No he’s not heavy, he’s my brother.” Four decades later, the first editor of Kiwanis magazine, Roe Fulkerson, published a column with the title “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” the first use of the exact phrase as it was later used in the song’s title. So what started as a sweet parable about carrying a literal baby brother gave rise to a metaphor that Peterson now rescues from the realm of classic rock radio, where its familiarity and association with another time and place in American history tends to make us gloss over the message and its meaning.

“This song has always been a beacon of brotherhood,” says Peterson of “He Ain’t Heavy…,” his first single since 2020’s “America at the Crossroads,” a self-penned pandemic era tune also about the need for us to come together despite our differences. Five years and multiple political fractures later, the concept seems even more urgent. “I’m releasing it now because we desperately need reminders that kindness and unity are stronger than fear and division. My hope is that when people hear it, they’ll feel inspired to lift one another up – whether across the street or across the globe.”

Those who know Michael Peterson beyond his decades of extraordinary country artistry will likely also see “He Ain’t Heavy…” as the latest manifestation of his “other life” as an inspirational speaker who has created groundbreaking educational projects delivered around the world, extending back to long before his breakthrough in music. Since 1982, he has spoken to nearly one million people around the world. He received the prestigious National Educator’s Award from the American Legion for his work. He has also created successful communication initiatives for the U.S. Army, the New Holland Association and the International Agri-Center, to name a few.

Beginning with beautiful piano and strings, Peterson’s version caresses our spirit from the moment he gently sings the iconic opening line, “The road is long, with many a winding turn…” Feeling a mix of nostalgia for the earlier versions and anticipation for what the singer will bring to this one, listeners will likely sway along as the singer stays in tender pop-country ballad mode through the poetic first verses. Then the strings swell and he unleashes the full emotional power of his legendary voice on the song’s bridge. When he sings “If I’m laden at all/I’m laden with sadness…” it feels like a very visceral expression of his frustration about these challenging times, followed by the cautious hope that one day everyone’s heart will indeed be filled with “gladness of love for one another.”

It felt idealistic then (in the era of John Lennon’s “Imagine”) and may feel even more elusive now considering the darkening spirals we seem to be caught in – but it speaks to the potential of every generation to transcend what holds us back from such a world. Anyone who calls Peterson’s version a “classic rock cover” should realize just how important this kind of messaging has always been to the artist.

As the track continues, the production booms bigger and evolves into gospel-country territory, with the wonderful Imperials (who sang behind Elvis in his later years) creating the high flying vocal choir energy behind Peterson’s soaring voice as he repeats “And the load doesn’t weigh me down at all/He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” once, then again more intensely (with some improvised notes) for emphasis like a crescendo before the soft piano outro.

As a fan of Peterson for many years, this writer suggests he create an album full of inspirational classics like this and some hopeful originals to carry the momentum of this single to an even more impactful place in our hearts.