Introduction
“Song Sung Blue” is one of Neil Diamond’s most enduring and beloved works. Released in May 1972 on his album Moods, the song became his second solo No. 1 hit in the United States, topping the Billboard Hot 100 in the week of July 1, and spending twelve weeks in the Top 40. In addition, it held the No. 1 spot for seven weeks on the adult contemporary chart. In the UK Singles Chart, it reached No. 14.
What makes “Song Sung Blue” particularly interesting is how Diamond conceived its melody: he drew inspiration from the second movement (the “Andante”) of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467. As critics have noted, the wistful, lyric simplicity of Mozart’s movement translated surprisingly well into pop form — supporting Diamond’s lyrical theme that music itself has the power to transform sadness.
Musically, “Song Sung Blue” is built around a gentle guitar strum, soft Fender Rhodes electric piano, pastoral strings, and harmonica touches. Diamond later said he never wrote a bridge for the song — it was a “very basic message, unadorned.”Despite its apparent simplicity — or perhaps because of it — the song resonated deeply with listeners. In live concerts, it became one of Diamond’s staples, often performed with audience sing-alongs.
“Song Sung Blue” also earned Grammy nominations in 1973 for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year (though both awards went to Roberta Flack’s *“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”). Over time, the song came to symbolize the bittersweet universality of feeling blue: Diamond’s lyric invites us to turn melancholy into melody, suggesting that singing a sad song may itself be a form of solace.