Posted on by LydiaA1614

Song Lyric Sunday – Classic Neil Diamond

Helen Vahdati at This Thing Called Life One Day At A Time made me very happy today when I read this week’s theme for Song Lyric Sunday. The theme is “drink“.

Now I am not a drinker myself but I love me some great drinking songs and I can’t wait to see what other people come up with. You should too, or come up with your own. Just check out the link above!

The first reason the theme made me happy is that I knew I could confidently go into my Neil Diamond collection and find several great candidates – Red Red Wine, Cracklin’ Rosie, Thank The Lord For The Night Time and more. But I knew the one I wanted.

“Soggy Pretzels” was a little ditty Neil put together as part of his 1972 “Hot August Night” tour (which coincidentally was my first ND concert of nine and the first ever where I went with a friend and not a parent!). I think it started as an adlib but I believe he did it throughout the tour and it even made it onto the live album. It has become a bit of a cult favorite for diehard Diamond fans (not that I would know anything about that).

Anyway, as you can guess there are not a lot of videos on this one seeing as they weren’t filming tours as much and it wasn’t a big enough hit to warrant a performance on American Bandstand or (if it were the 1980’s) Solid Gold. I had a choice between a very good acapella cover by a woman in a bar (she even added the legendary guitar riffs) or Neil’s own from Hot August Night with Spanish subtitles. I couldn’t pick so I will let you.

[blogger carefully removes her tongue from her cheek at this point]

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this cute little ditty. It is songs like this that make it even sadder that Neil has had to retire from touring. I love you, Neil, always have, always will.

Lydia!

Soggy Pretzels

You were cryin’ in your pretzels when I met you
You were washing
All the salt away from the dough
You were cryin’ in your pretzels
And I’ll never forget you
But, baby, just why, I’ll ever know

Cryin’ in your pretzels
Cryin’ in your beer
Cryin’ on the table
That’s where I found you dear

[Spoken:]
Yes, my sweet I came into that bar
It was in Mississippi
There you were, sitting in the corner
Crying in your pretzels
You’d already sogged up
A whole plate of potato chips
But the management didn’t mind
Because you were a regular customer

And I saw you sittin’ there and I said
“That person needs a friend,
And I’m gonna be a friend
Ain’t nobody deserves to cry in his pretzels
All night and wash away the salt.”
So I kinda sidled up to you and I said,
“What can I do for you? How can I help you?
What can I do to ease the pain?”

Well, you were cryin’ in your pretzels
Oh, you were cryin’ in your beer
Yes, that was the night I meet you
And I’ll always hold you near

Words & Music by Neil Diamond

16 Replies to “Song Lyric Sunday – Classic Neil Diamond”

  4. How cute is this? You posted some ND I’ve never heard before. Washing the salt off the dough? Oh my! šŸ˜€ Too cute! Thanks for sharing, Lydia!

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    1. It was just a part of his 1972 tour which turned out to be a game-changer for him. I was so glad I was able to be part of it. The song was never recorded separately from the live album and I don’t think he even performed it again after that tour. But those of us who were there and/or bought the album hold a special place in our hearts for “Soggy Pretzels”. Can you believe this is the same person who wrote Sweet Caroline? LOL

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      1. I became a fan with Sweet Caroline and Cracklin’ Rosie – I was 9/10. By the Hot August Night album, I was a full-fledged fan driving my sibs crazy playing ND between Kool and the Gang and Gladys Knight and the Pips. LOL!

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      2. I fell in love when my sister gave me my first ever album “Shilo”. It was a re-working of previous albums and had several hits on it. Hot August Night was my first of 9 concerts and I was hoping to make this summer #10; however, the tour was cancelled due to his diagnosis of Parkinsons. Now I have a 4 CD set with just about everything he has done on it (aside from Soggy Pretzels, You’re So Sweet, and other comedic gems!

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      3. The end of eras are bittersweet. I’d rather he’d retired in good health but am glad for his music and that he’s still with us.

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      4. Yes, me too. He will still write and may even record and make guest appearances, Last year we watched him on the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller square and I found it odd that he was sitting. Then I found out why.

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