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.
Green Rocky Road
Fred Neil Lyrics
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Green rocky road
Promenade in green
Who do you love
Who do you love
Who do you love
Mary runnin' to the one
Don't you hollow don't you shallow
When you hear me singin' come runnin' out
Green rocky road
Promenade in green
Who do you love
Who do you love
Who do you love
When I go to Baltimore
I got no cap on my floor
I said I got no cap on my floor
When I go to Baltimore
Sing Green rocky road
Promenade in green
Tell me who do you love
Who do you love
Who do you love
See the bluebird in the sky
He don't walk but he just fly
If you ever touch the ground
Well I know he'll die
You see the bluebird fly me in the sky
Green rocky road
Promenade in green
Tell me who do you love
Who do you love
Who do you love
Who do you love
The lyrics of Fred Neil's song Green Rocky Road are open to interpretation, but the most prominent themes in this song seem to be about love and freedom. The first verse of the song talks about a "promenade in green," which could be a reference to a peaceful walk through nature. The repetition of the question "who do you love" could be interpreted in multiple ways, but it could refer to the idea of searching for someone to love or being passionate about something.
The second verse of the song introduces a character named Mary, who is told not to stumble, fall, hollow or shallow. This could be interpreted as someone giving Mary advice or encouragement for a journey she is about to embark on. The chorus repeats the previous themes, with the singer urging listeners to "tell me who do you love."
The third verse of the song is more cryptic, with the singer saying that when he goes to Baltimore, he "got no cap on my floor." This could refer to the idea of being free-spirited and unencumbered by possessions. The final verse of the song talks about a bluebird in the sky that is free to fly and contrasts this with the idea of touching the ground and dying. Overall, the song could be seen as a call to embrace love and freedom and to enjoy life's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep on talkin' 'bout
Continue to speak about
Green rocky road
A difficult, unstable path that is related to nature
Promenade in green
To walk or dance leisurely in greenery
Who do you love
Asking a question about one's affections
Mary runnin' to the one
Someone named Mary is running to a particular person
Don't you stumble don't you fall
Do not trip or lose balance
Don't you hollow don't you shallow
Do not be insincere or superficial
When you hear me singin' come runnin' out
When you hear my voice, quickly come towards it
When I go to Baltimore
When I am in the city of Baltimore
I got no cap on my floor
There is no hat or limit on my creativity or freedom
Sing Green rocky road
Sing about the difficult, rocky path that is associated with nature
Tell me who do you love
Asking a question about one's affections
See the bluebird in the sky
Observe the bird that is flying in the sky
He don't walk but he just fly
Birds fly instead of walk
If you ever touch the ground
If the bird ever lands on the ground
Well I know he'll die
It will result in the bird's death
Who do you love
Asking a question about one's affections
Contributed by Cole G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.