"Longfellow Serenade" is the title of a 1974 song by the American singer-songwriterNeil Diamond. It was written by Diamond, produced by Tom Catalano, and included on Diamond's albumSerenade.
"Longfellow Serenade" spent two weeks at No. 5 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in November 1974.[1] It was Diamond's second No. 1 on theBillboardEasy Listening chart, following his 1972 single, "Song Sung Blue".[2] The song reached No. 1 in Switzerland and No. 2 in Germany.
Diamond described "Longfellow Serenade" in the liner notes to his 1996 compilation album,In My Lifetime: "Occasionally I like using a particular lyrical style which, in this case, lent itself naturally to telling the story of a guy who woos his woman with poetry."[2] The title of the song is a reference to the 19th-century American poetHenry Wadsworth Longfellow.[2] Diamond chose to referenceLongfellow specifically after recalling an instance in which, while in his teens, Diamond had used one of the poet's works to successfully seduce a significantly older woman.[3]
Cash Box called it a "powerful up-tempo ballad", saying, "Neil handles the tune with his usual expertise and rich smooth vocal."[4]Record World said that Diamond "invokes a classic 19th century bard and turns in a true masterpiece of thought and performance perfection."[5]
