You post before you google? Apparently, it's in the spirit of Christ and comes from (near as I can tell) the caption of a statue at Boys' Town that shows a boy carrying another boy. Lots of results for a song with that title too.
I know that it did not originate with Boys Town, as Father Flanagan, from what I gather, only adopted it in 1941.
I do know that Roe Fulkerson, the first editor of Kiwanis Magazine, published a column with "He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother," in 1924. Anyone know of any earlier references to the phrase?
I would be curious to know if there is anything new on the debate about "He Ain't Heavy." I just bought Roe Fulkerson's "My Personal Pages," and was fascinated to see the subject matter. Bill Cater, please respond if you see this. I'm a Kiwanian in California.
You post before you google? Apparently, it's in the spirit of Christ and comes from (near as I can tell) the caption of a statue at Boys' Town that shows a boy carrying another boy. Lots of results for a song with that title too.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 12:05 PM
Must we be slaves to google? Google doesn't seem to have the definitive answer here, anyways, based on your results.
Posted by unf | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 12:12 PM
Not only must we be slaves to Google, I reject the implication that there's a standard of definitiveness apart from what Google reveals.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 12:16 PM
So you reject the notion that there is truth independent of what human inquiry reveals. You've been reading that Heidegger fellow again, haven't you?
Posted by unf | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 12:53 PM
truth independent of what human inquiry reveals...that's just another way of saying Google search! Baby!
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 1:46 PM
I think it's from the film "Boys Town," starring Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan.
Posted by Invisible Adjunct | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 1:59 PM
In high school chorus we sang a gospel song called 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Could it have emerged from the oral tradition of slave culture?
Posted by Magik Johnson | Link to this comment | 07- 8-03 11:29 PM
I know that it did not originate with Boys Town, as Father Flanagan, from what I gather, only adopted it in 1941.
I do know that Roe Fulkerson, the first editor of Kiwanis Magazine, published a column with "He's Not Heavy, He's My Brother," in 1924. Anyone know of any earlier references to the phrase?
Posted by Anonymous | Link to this comment | 03-22-04 12:01 PM
Sorry, managed to post without my e-mail address!
Posted by Past Kiwanis Governor | Link to this comment | 03-22-04 12:02 PM
I would be curious to know if there is anything new on the debate about "He Ain't Heavy." I just bought Roe Fulkerson's "My Personal Pages," and was fascinated to see the subject matter. Bill Cater, please respond if you see this. I'm a Kiwanian in California.
Posted by Curt Seeden | Link to this comment | 07-24-05 10:51 PM