Having success on his own for a bit, he later joined the folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash as a fourth member in 1969, thus forming Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He forged a successful and acclaimed solo career, releasing his first album in 1968. His career has since spanned over 40 years and 34 studio albums, with a continual and uncompromising exploration of musical styles; his musical vision is notably referred to by his autobiographical tune"The Loner". Music critics have often called him one of the best single artists of all time, and several tunes such as "Heart of Gold" and "Rockin' in the Free World" remain popular on rock radio.
According to the Don't Be Denied Songfacts, the 16-year-old Neil was raising chickens and selling the eggs, with plans to go to Ontario Agricultural College and be a farmer. Only his leisure activities foretold his future, when he would hide from his family problems in his room with his transistor radio playing local station CHUM. From this, Young experienced a growing admiration for rock n roll originators such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and, of course, Elvis Presley. In 1958, his father bought Neil his first music instrument, a plastic ukulele. His father would later recall, "He would close the door of his room... and we would hear plunk, pause while he moved his fingers to the next chord, plunk, pause while he moved again, plunk."
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Neil started his professional music career in the mid-60s with a number of bands in Canada, including the Squires and later the Mynah Birds, which also included fellow future Buffalo Springfield bassist Bruce Palmer and future funk star Rick James. When the Mynah Birds broke up, Young and Palmer headed to California to meet Stephen Stills, whom he had met in Thunder Bay, and the result was Buffalo Springfield. That band split up after releasing three critically acclaimed albums, particularly achieving international fame for their tune "For What It's Worth".
Showing his strengths as a cynical yet experimental songwriter in the group, he also sung prominently in some of the band's songs such as the biting satire of 'rock star' life "Mr. Soul". Neil soon started his solo career with the release of 'Neil Young' on November 12, 1968. The album did not do very well commercially, but it included several strong tracks, including "The Loner", said to be a portrait of Stephen Stills but also being deeply auto-biographical.
On May 14, 1969, he recruited members of Crazy Horse and made the critically acclaimed 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere'. This was a much more consistent album, being the first to introduce longstanding collaborators Crazy Horse and beingbuilt around the balanced interplay between the guitar playing of Young and the talented Danny Whitten. The album also featured two lengthy classics, "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand". The critically acclaimed solo album "After the Gold Rush" came out in 1971, featuring such classic songs as "Southern Man'", "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Don't Let it Bring You Down". Harvest followed in 1972 with the hit"Heart of Gold".
During this time he also enjoyed considerable success as a quarter of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Neil's subsequent work has zig-zagged across genres - dabbling in country rock on "Old Ways"; electronics on "Trans"; hooking up with the Shocking Pinks in a homage to old-time Rock 'n' Roll on "Everybody's Rockin'"; creating a wall of feedback on the live Arc-Weld; and cementing his status as Godfather of Grunge when collaborating with Pearl Jam on Mirror Ball.
His idiosyncratic approach to genre even led to him being sued by his record company (Geffen) in the 80s for making "uncharacteristic" music.
Young has also dabbled in film, most recently on the album/concert series/dvd Greendale.
Young is often known by the nickname "Shakey." According to his biographer Jimmy McDonough, the name was given by his friends after noticing very unsteady results holding a camera for home movies.
Young founded Pono Music, whose mission was to bring a digital player, download store, and streaming service devoted to hi-res music. It was a commercial flop and was shut down in 2016. Young has stated that the labels would not agree that "All songs should cost the same, regardless of digital resolution."
The film Canadian Bacon includes the line "Canadians are always trying to figure out a lot of ways to ruin our lives. The metric system, for the love of God! Celsius! Neil Young!"
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/ The Believer
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In those dreams of mine
You see they just keep on comin'
In a long, long line
Oh yeah, I'm the believer
Oh yeah, I'm the believer
Whether it's red or blue
Just like those church bells ringin'
I'm keepin' my faith in you
Oh yeah, I'm the believer
Oh yeah, I believe in you
And though the seas may rise
Until they do
I keep doin' the things I'm doin'
And believe in you
I'm makin' the change
I'm keepin' my faith in you
Oh yeah, I'm the believer
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Sure is a windy road
That I walk with you
Look how the trees are bendin'
Their leaves are fallin' too
Oh yeah, oh yeah
I'm the believer, babe
Oh yeah
I remember my mama saying
I want to be
On this windy road
For eternity
I'm makin' the change
I'm keepin' my faith in you
Oh yeah, I'm the believer, babe
I believe in you
Oh yeah, I'm the believer, babe
I'm the believer
I'm the believer
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
The lyrics to Neil Young's "The Believer" speak to the power of faith and determination. The singer identifies himself as "just a believer" in his dreams, which come to him consistently and abundantly. He compares his belief to a songbird singing regardless of the color of the sky, and to the sound of church bells ringing. He is devoted to his subject, the person he is addressing, and promises to continue believing in them even in the face of difficult challenges- like rising seas. He is making changes to continue on this road he is on, and he believes in his subject no matter what happens.
Overall, the lyrics are about choosing to have faith in someone, even when things are uncertain and unpredictable. The song is sweeter and simpler than some of Neil Young's other works, but the message still remains powerful. It's a message that people of all ages can embrace and understand.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a believer baby
I have unshakable faith, and I will not let anything sway my belief.
In those dreams of mine
My faith is fueled by my dreams, and I hold steadfast to them.
You see they just keep on comin'
My dreams keep arriving in an unending stream, and I am committed to keeping them alive.
In a long, long line
My dreams are numerous, and they stretch out before me for miles.
Oh yeah, I'm the believer
I am confident in my faith and will not waver.
And like that songbird singin'
My faith is as constant and beautiful as a bird's song.
Whether it's red or blue
Regardless of the situation, I will keep my faith alive.
Just like those church bells ringin'
My faith rings out like the sound of church bells, pure and true.
I'm keepin' my faith in you
I have faith that you will do what is right, and I will support you all the way.
And though the seas may rise
No matter how dire the situation may seem, I will not lose faith.
Until they do
Unless the seas rise, I will continue to have faith.
I keep doin' the things I'm doin'
I will continue to do what I believe is right, no matter what happens.
And believe in you
My faith in you is unbreakable, and I will support you always.
Sure is a windy road
Life is full of ups and downs, and the path we take is often difficult.
That I walk with you
I will be by your side no matter what, walking with you through the obstacles of life.
Look how the trees are bendin'
Even the strongest things may be bent or broken, but we must continue to move forward.
Their leaves are fallin' too
Even when things seem to be falling apart, we must maintain our faith.
I remember my mama saying
I think back to my mother's words of wisdom for guidance and strength.
I want to be
My mother's words inspired me to strive for greatness.
On this windy road
I am committed to staying on this difficult path, no matter how challenging it may be.
For eternity
My faith will continue to guide me for as long as I live.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
neilyoungchannel
Hi, this is Neil. Link to the NYA info-card for this song with press, documents, manuscripts, photos, videos. Look around NYA for fun and listening! ALL my music in high resolution at https://neilyoungarchives.com/info-card?track=t2007_0628_01
Kyle M
Hi, this is Kyle M.
I love the hell out of you bro
Eric Sim
This track is amazing, bought the album today, Good Job Neil!!
matt snellular
beautiful track loved it since i got the album when it first came out and then saw you do it live and was shocked how amazing it is
Mike Kittles
Beautiful song.
billenplum
NEIL YOUNG brought me here !
alex hickman
seriously underrated song
Cowboy C Bop
I am a Neil Young fan . I know most of his work thru some greatest hits compilations and I've been to 3 shows . This song isn't as popular as his other works of art ( at least in my own experience ) . But now it is in my favorite songs category . And I owe all of that to one person - Snowboarder Kevin Pearce . - If you haven't watched the documentary 'The Crash Reel' , please do . Very inspirational . Very emotional . God Bless Kevin Pearce !!!
Madeleine Amelia Cooper Green
When I was ten I went to a boarding school in France for a school term and I suddenly realised how important it actually is to listen to music. We weren't allowed to use our own electronics, so most kids huddled around the computer room play 'music' from youtube. There were 81 kids total at the school and about 10 computers, so I hadn't yet managed to use them. Of course most of the music they played was extremely contemporary machine rubbish- what I call 'Construction Site Music' because it sounds like you're sitting next to a bulldozer. At home we listen to music a lot, so I was really missing it. Anyway, there was one time when I waited until the teachers had sent all of the kids out of the computer room for lunch, and I snuck back into the room and played this song on one of the computers. I hadn't heard good music in about 5 weeks so when I turned this on I got such a huge blast of euphoria and adrenalin that once it was finished I sprinted around and through the school three times.
matt snellular
great man i cant wait to see u on tour in november this sounds great ahhh cant wait for the cd too great!!!!!!! peace