What if one song could help you survive being a teenager in a world that had no language for who you were becoming?

In this deeply personal and moving episode of One Song One Story, I sit down with author and storyteller Jim Farfaglia to explore the song that changed everything for him. A song that arrived at exactly the right moment in 1969, when Jim was a 14 year old boy trying to make sense of his identity, his sexuality, and a future that felt frighteningly unclear.

That song was “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”.

Jim shares how hearing those words for the first time didn’t just comfort him.
They gave him permission to imagine a life where he belonged.
A life where he wasn’t broken.
A life where he could be something other than what the world expected.

We talk about:

• Exploring sexuality in an era with no roadmap
• Music as a lifeline during adolescence
• How one song can save you without ever knowing your name
• The emotional difference between Neil Diamond and The Hollies
• Music as destiny rather than coincidence
• What it means to “carry your brother” in real life

This episode is honest. Vulnerable. Healing. And quietly powerful.

If music has ever met you in your darkest hour, this one will stay with you.

🎶 Song discussed: “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”
🎙 Guest: Jim Farfaglia
📚 Author of the upcoming book One Song, One Story

Listen now and let the song speak again.

#musicstory #behindthesong #onesongonestory

00:00 — Welcome to One Song One Story
02:15 — How Jim Fell in Love with Music
05:40 — Being 14 in 1969 and Feeling Different
09:30 — When Every Song Feels Like It Is Not For You
12:10 — Hearing “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” for the First Time
15:40 — Realising “I Could Be That Person”
19:10 — How Music Gave Him a Future
22:50 — Discovering Music Before Streaming and Playlists
27:30 — How This Song Has Changed Over Time
33:10 — The Difference Between the Neil Diamond and Hollies Versions
38:45 — Do Songs Find Us When We Need Them
43:30 — Writing One Song One Story
48:20 — What Jim Hopes People Take From His Work
52:40 — Where to Find Jim and His Book
54:00 — Final Reflections