"[2] The theme of the song has been closely identified with Diamond himself, as evinced by a 2008 profile in The Daily Telegraph: "This is the Solitary Man depicted on his first hit in 1966: the literate, thoughtful and melodically adventurous composer of songs that cover a vast array of moods and emotions..."[3] In the lyrics, the singer lists some of his relationships and how they each ended.

[citation needed] In a 2005 Rolling Stone retrospective, Dan Epstein wrote, "'Solitary Man' remains the most brilliantly efficient song in the Diamond collection.

There's not a wasted word or chord in this two-and-a-half minute anthem of heartbreak and self-affirmation, which introduced the melancholy loner persona that he's repeatedly returned to throughout his career.

Italian singer Gianni Morandi recorded a cover version titled "Se perdo anche te" ("If I Also Lose You").

"Se perdo anche te" spent ten weeks on the Italian pop chart in 1967, peaking at No.

[15] The song was arranged by Ennio Morricone, who at that time conducted many tunes published by the Italian branch of the RCA Victor Records label.

[citation needed] Chris Isaak included "Solitary Man" as the only cover song on his 1993 album San Francisco Days.

Isaak noted that Diamond's version has a horn section playing in a manner reminiscent of the 1968 television series Hawaii Five-O.

In 2004, Finnish band HIM covered "Solitary Man" for their first compilation album, And Love Said No: The Greatest Hits 1997–2004.