Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Neil was one of the songwriters who for a time worked out of New York City's famous Brill Building. He has often been called a pioneer of the folk rock & singer-songwriter musical genres; his most frequently cited disciples are Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson, and the Jefferson Airplane, but his most prominent descendants have been Stephen Stills, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. In concert appearances, as well as the liner notes for his 2003 album, Meet Me In Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection, Jimmy Buffett called Neil "one of my heroes." Some of Neil's early compositions were recorded by Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison; he played as a session guitarist on hits by Bobby Darin and Paul Anka. In 1968, Nilsson recorded a cover version of Neil's song "Everybody's Talkin'," which became a huge hit a year later when it was featured in the film Midnight Cowboy.
Neil was an accomplished professional musician atypically inclined to a very modest frugality. "Candy Man", his first of two Top-40-hit compositions, substantially introduced him to a sufficient income stream for life in his early 20's; he became increasingly disinclined to work if he did not feel like it. Consequently his two fully realized albums (see next paragraph) are remarkable for their singularly unpretentious authenticity. His combination of baritone vocal and 12-string guitar remains unusual, and his combo recordings provide his shimmering melodies with muscular grooves; but his exemplarity is that of resolving the apparent opposition between aesthetic integrity and commercial value almost entirely in favor of aesthetic integrity, which gives all of his recordings a unique historical resonance.
He had debts to previous singer-songwriters such as Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry and Hank Williams (Senior); but his approach to melody was more in the manner of Cole Porter and to rhythm very much in the school of Ray Charles. His popularly acclaimed albums are "Bleecker & MacDougal" (also known as A Little Bit of Rain) without drums (1965) and "Fred Neil" (also known as Everybody's Talkin') in (1966), made during his residences in the Greenwich Village section of lower Manhattan in New York City and in Coconut Grove, Florida, respectively.
The reigning web expert in (October) 2005 has been Richie Unterberger. The Rick O'Barry interview at the dedicated website (fredneil.com) claims that a third fully realized album, Neil's "Stuff Sessions" of 1978, was never released by Columbia. The unreleased "Walk on the Water" album was recorded at Bayshore studios in Coconut Grove, with a second set of sessions taking place in NJ with the group Stuff.
After the mid 1970s he ceased to maintain a residence in Woodstock, New York, and spent his remaining decades enjoying life on the shores of southern Florida. His last public performance was in 1981 coffeehouse concert in Coconut Grove where he joined Buzzy Linhardt onstage.
Fred Neil died of natural causes in 2001.
Dolphins
Fred Neil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all about the times when we were running wild
I've been out searching for the dolphins in the sea
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me
This old world will never change the way it's been
And all the ways of war won't change it back again
I've been out searchin' for the dolphin in the sea
This old world will never change
Lord, I'm not the one to tell this old world how to get along
I only know that peace will come when all our hate is gone
I've been a-searchin' for the dolphins in the sea
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me.
The Dolphins by Fred Neil is a contemplative song about the struggles of humanity and the search for inner peace. The first verse talks about reminiscing about the past and the times when life was simple, carefree and full of adventure. The lines, "I've been out searching for the dolphins in the sea, ah but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me," speaks of the singer's quest for something elusive, something almost unattainable, and the despair he feels when he realizes that he is all alone in his search.
The second verse is a reflection on the current state of the world, and the futility of war and human hatred. It reinforces the previous verse's message that the quest for inner peace is often at odds with the chaos and disharmony in the world. The line, "this old world will never change" laments about the inevitability of human tragedy and suffering.
The final verse speaks of the singer's realization that he is not the one to change the world, but he still holds on to the hope that someday, we will find the peace that we all crave. The singer's search for the dolphins is a metaphor for this search for peace, and the reoccurring question, "do you ever think of me," reveals the loneliness and desperation that often comes with the quest.
Overall, The Dolphins is a poignant reminder that the search for peace is a personal journey that requires effort, reflection, and patience. It is only when each one of us confronts our inner demons and strives to be better humans that we can hope to change the world for the better.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I think about Saturday's child
Occasionally, I think about the child born on a Saturday, and what it was like when we were young and carefree.
And all about the times when we were running wild
I reminisce about all the times we spent running wild and free.
I've been out searching for the dolphins in the sea
I have been searching for the intelligent sea creatures known as dolphins, who are elusive and live in the ocean.
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me
But sometimes I contemplate if you ever think of me, and if you remember the good times we shared.
This old world will never change the way it's been
The world we live in will never change its ways, and will always be the way it is.
And all the ways of war won't change it back again
Even acts of war won't be able to revert the world back to how it used to be.
Lord, I'm not the one to tell this old world how to get along
I am not the one who knows how to make the world peaceful and harmonious.
I only know that peace will come when all our hate is gone
However, I am certain that the world will be peaceful only when we let go of our hatred and prejudices.
I've been a-searchin' for the dolphins in the sea
I have been relentlessly searching for dolphins in the vast expanse of the sea.
Ah, but sometimes I wonder, do you ever think of me.
But every once in a while, I cannot help but ponder upon whether you still remember me and our shared memories.
Contributed by Alex P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@habiiiij2627
This old world may never change
The way it’s been
And all the ways of war
Can’t change it back again
I’ve been searchin’
For the dolphins in the sea
And sometimes I wonder
Do you ever think of me
I’m not the one to tell this world
How to get along
I only know the peace will come
When all hate is gone
@SuperCurtiis
I uploaded this because of Christopher Moltisanti
@grantmarshall3026
SuperCurtiis rock out.....
@uriah9559
spyder
@MrFartboy79
SuperCurtiis That spike wets the whistle... why is that?
@grantmarshall3026
Blue Spectre iconic scene
@grantmarshall3026
Blue Spectre he walked away from every near death experience,apart from the last scene in the last episode. What a scene from the last episode, don't stop believing, lame ass song but it meant something to the soprano family. By the way, greetings from Ireland
@Kubikrup
Whenever I listen to this song, I remember that iconic scene.. What a great show, so meaningful and one of Christopher's best scenes...
@josephwilliams1084
For ANYONE who doesn’t know what your typing about.
Sopranos, 5 Star rating HBO Television series.
@birdhead9943
God I love that scene. Makes me wanna toot some h
@ryspace
The only funny part is the comically large syringe lol but otherwise it’s the best Chris drug scene along with the one in Italy