Comments: 26

• Sam A Burkes Lll from Philadelphia, Miss.Hi, I'm an erstwhile prof. musician, have played this gem of a Hollies/Graham Gouldman song in a couple of cover bands..It's imoeccable! Cannot believe they recorded it in that short span of time. The vocals, both lead, Allan Clarke, and the harmonies, by stalwarts Graham Nash and Tony Hicks are the epitome of excellent "part crossings", opening up at times..The mystery to me, good ear I used to have figuring material out aurally, is how they played that rounddelay/call-and-answer acoustical lead part!! I STILL can't figure it out after 56 years!! Sounds partly Indian, partly Greek, Slovakian, that I'll of motif!! A quintessential gem of a mid-sixties British hit by a great bunch of Manchester gents!!#
• Ian Spencer from SolihullAs a bass player, the main bass riff and song structure is almost identical to Things We Said Today, so there is a verse, then a chorus that returns to the verse pattern and then a bridge. Although the chords of the chorus and bridge are a different progression, add in identical tempo and emphasis changes, the feel of Bus Stop is closer to Things We Said than an even a Ed Sheeran original composition ;)
• Ed from Philadelphia, Pa UsThere is a resemblance to Things We Said Today but it's not a total steal. That would be like accusing John Lennon of stealing the first few bars of Merry Month Of May and turning it into I'm Happy Just To Dance With You.
• Poppi from The New England Point of obvious fact, Mike Douglas was a moron.
• Spoiler from HeeThe Beatles recorded this song before it was written. It was called "Things We Said Today."
• Lisa from North CarolinaThere is a device in the song called a contraction of time, where months pass in the description, but it sounds like only a few days or weeks have gone by. From my perspective (and therefore, not worth much :) ), the song starts on a rainy, late spring day, and goes through to early spring the next year. It’s not the whole story told, just enough to make it sweet and romantic.
• Torq2 from UkThis song doesn't make a lot of sense. It implies that it is winter, "came the sun the ice was melting" but then it clearly states by August, so it is summer. Even in England it doesn't rain all summer. He then says that she shows him what she bought. In the morning? Shops weren't open that early in England in the sixties. But who cares, its a great song.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 10th 1966, the Hollies performed "Bus Stop" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  At the time the song was at #9 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; the very next day on Sept. 11th it would peak at #5 {for 3 weeks}...
  On the same 'Bandstand' show they also performed "I Can't Let Go"; earlier in the year on May 1st, 1966 it peaked at #42...
  {See next post below}.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 17th 1966, "Bus Stop" by the Hollies entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #98; and on September 11th, 1966 it peaked at #5 (for 3 weeks) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
  And on September 5th, 1966 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on the Canadian RPM 100 Single chart...
  Between 1964 and 1983 the group had twenty-four Top 100 records; six made the Top 10 with "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)" being their biggest hit, it peaked at #2 (for 2 weeks) in 1972...
  The two weeks that "Long Cool Woman" was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxSome people think even the squeaky-cleanest songs have drug references in them. :-(
• Brendan from Dublin, IrelandBears more than a passing resemblance to 'Things We Said Today'.... Great song but obviously a total steal
• Steve from Great Wakering, United KingdomGreat song, wonderful harmonies. A song about falling in love with someone at a bus stop, which is a great idea because in England you can wait ages for a bus, then three will turn up at once! Definitely no drug references- in England it's advisable to carry an umbrella at times even in the summer as you just never know when it's going to rain here! I never tire of hearing this song.
• Ted from Phoenix, AzTo Fyodor in Denver: While "Bus Stop's" instrumentation may have been recorded in one take, the lead vocals certainly were not. If you listen closely to the verses you can hear the lead voice is being double-tracked.
• Trina from New York, NyThis song is totally not a drug song. It's a love song. I happen to love it, it's one of my fave oldies :)
• John from San Diego, CaRegarding the "drug reference," I saw a guest on the Mike Douglas show not long after this was a hit, warning parents about the dangers of drug references in song lyrics. He said "umbrella" was a synonym for a popular barbiturate, what we called "downers" in those days. No idea whether there is any truth in it. He also mentioned Donovan's "Mellow Yellow" and the alleged lesbian reference.
• Ed from Houston, Txclassic song writing genius , move over Beethoven.
  E
• Kurt from Dallas, TxI have always heard it was banned because "we shared my umbrella" was a drug reference.
• Rodney from Toronto, Canada"Bus Stop" has always been one of my favorite records by the Hollies and one of my favorite songs, period.
  
  The same goes for Herman's Hermits' "No Milk Today" by the same songwriter.
• Fyodor from Denver, CoI heard they recorded this live (as in no overdubs) and it was just part of their set which they just ran through in its entirety in the studio. The fact that it wasn't written by a bandmember (nor a cover, right?) makes me wonder about that, though.
• Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScBanned by the BBC? You have to be kidding me! This is a great song!
• Tom from Washington, DcSongwriter,Graham Gouldman,also wrote and recorded a minor hit ,"Sausalito" ,attributed to bubblegum group Ohio Express in 1969.
• Teresa from Mechelen, Belgium"Every morning I can see her waiting at the stop"
  this is my favorite song of the Hollies. It must me great waiting at the bus stop and falling in love.
• Jerry from Brooklyn, NyI have heard this this sweet, simple, tender song was once banned by the BBC. I can't for the life of me see why. Anybody know about this?
• Victor from San Diego, CaGraham Gouldman also wrote "For Your Love" (The Yardbirds), "No Milk Today", "Listen People" and "East, West" (Herman's Hermits) and others.
• Nessie from Sapporo, JapanThey had uneven songs. This one is awesome.
• Mike from Mountlake Terrace, WashingtonProbably one of the very first rock songs I could not hear enough of.
  This and "Stop, Stop, Stop" also by the Hollies!

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