Holdin'

"Holdin'"
Single by Diamond Rio
from the album IV
B-side	"She Sure Did Like to Run"
Released	December 9, 1996
Recorded	1995
Genre	Country
Length	3:12
Label	Arista Nashville 13067
Songwriter(s)	Kelly Garrett Craig Wiseman
Producer(s)	Tim DuBois Michael D. Clute
Diamond Rio singles chronology
"It's All in Your Head" (1996) "Holdin'" (1996) "How Your Love Makes Me Feel" (1997)

"Holdin'" is a song written by Kelly Garrett and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released in December 1996 as the fourth and final single from their album IV. It peaked at number 4 in the United States, and number 5 in Canada.

Content

The first verse begins with two young lovers holding each other in the back of a car while their parents are at home worrying that they are going too fast. The second verse occurs after their wedding. They are struggling to make ends meet with house payments but they are still holding on to love. The final verse goes to the birth of their first baby. As they look at him in the cradle, they agree that the most important lesson that they can teach him is to keep "holdin', lovin', smilin', believin'."

Critical reception

Larry Flick, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably saying Diamond Rio delivers with a "hook-laden single about the joys and challenges of love." He says that Roe's vocals draws the listeners into the story and makes them care about the characters in the song. He also states that the "chorus is so contagious that they will instantly find themselves singing along."^[1]

Chart performance

Chart (1996–1997)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[2]	5
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3]	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4]	45
US Country Songs (Billboard)[5]	55

References

1. Billboard, December 14, 1996
2. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3172." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. April 7, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
3. "Diamond Rio Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
4. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1997". RPM. December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
5. "Best of 1997: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.