"Holdin'" is the title of a song co-written by Kelly Garrett and Craig Wiseman

Craig Wiseman

Craig Michael Wiseman is an American country music songwriter. Active since the late 1980s as a songwriter, he has had his songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, and several other acts....

 and recorded by American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 group Diamond Rio

Diamond Rio

Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...

. It was released in December 1996 as the fourth and final single from their album, IV

IV (Diamond Rio album)

IV is the fourth studio album released by American country music band Diamond Rio. It produced the Top 5 singles "Walkin' Away", "That's What I Get for Lovin' You" and "Holdin'", as well as the #15 "It's All in Your Head". "She Misses Him on Sunday the Most" was released as a single in Germany only...

. It peaked at #4 in the United States, and #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 to fast. The second verse fast forwards to 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', loving, smiling, believing.

Critical reception

Larry Flick, of Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

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."

Chart performance

Chart (1997)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	4
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	5