They’re Coming to America: a Neil Diamond Song for 4th of July

I remember when I first heard this song at the beginning of Diamond’s movie The Jazz Singer.  It has a driving rhythm and a sing-along quality, a great way to start a film. It made me appreciate this country and what it has offered to immigrants.

 The movie had mixed reviews, but the soundtrack was Diamond’s most successful album.

 The slow ballads “Love on the Rocks” and “Hello Again” are also included.

 I downloaded onto my phone today, with the Freegal app. I think it makes nice 4^th of July music.

Forever in Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond

Photo: Lion Hirth

Neil Diamond has about a gazillion songs on Freegal.

I counted 39 albums from 1966 to 2008. Dude's been busy.

You've got your "Hot August Nights," Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show," "Desiree," "America," all the Diamond you could want.

Remember Jonathan Livingston Seagull? The soundtrack is there. Mom took my sister and me to the drive-in to see it when I was 11. I remember it as a couple of hours watching a bird in the water. But the album was cool. It made more money than the movie.

"Forever in Blue Jeans" is my favorite Neil Diamond song. It's catchy in a growly-voiced sort of way. It will always be the summer of '79, listening on KOMA radio when they turned the signal up at night.

Fun fact about Neil Diamond: that's actually his name. Who'da thought? Son of Kieve and Rose Diamond. With a name like that, he had to go into show business.

Hi middle name is Leslie. You can kinda see why he didn't include that is his name. Doesn't have quite the right macho.

You can get free and legal downloads of "Forever in Blue Jeans" at the Freegal site.