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!"
For recent news see: http://www.neilyoung.com/
04_Greatest_Hits_-_Helpless
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me now?
The chains are locked and tied across the door,
Baby, sing with me somehow.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
The lyrics of "Helpless" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse are a poignant depiction of longing for a place of comfort and familiarity. The opening lines set the scene of a small, homely town in northern Ontario that holds memories and comfort for the singer, a place he still feels drawn to despite all his changes. The imagery of the "blue, blue windows behind the stars" and "yellow moon on the rise" present a dreamy, ethereal quality to the setting, while the "big birds flying across the sky, throwing shadows on our eyes" add a sense of foreboding or ominousness. The repetition of the word "helpless" throughout the chorus adds to this feeling of vulnerability and powerlessness, as the singer sings out for someone to hear them and help them escape the chains that have been locked and tied across the door.
Overall, "Helpless" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the essence of longing for a place of comfort and belonging. The poignant lyrics, combined with Neil Young's distinctive and emotive voice and the raw power of Crazy Horse's music, make for a truly unforgettable listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a town in north Ontario,
In my mind, there exists a town in the northern region of Ontario.
With dream comfort memory to spare,
This town is a place of great comfort where memories and dreams are plentiful.
And in my mind I still need a place to go,
I still yearn for a place to go, and this town is that place in my imagination.
All my changes were there.
All the significant changes that I experienced in my life happened in that town.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
The windows in that town, which were often painted in blue, felt like they led to the stars above.
Yellow moon on the rise,
The yellow moon that rose in the sky over that town.
Big birds flying across the sky,
The sight of big birds soaring through the sky above that town.
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Their flight patterns created shadows that cast upon those of us on the ground.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless
The beauty of that town left us feeling powerless to its allure and wonder.
Baby can you hear me now?
Oh, my love, are you listening to me?
The chains are locked and tied across the door,
The door is locked and barred, preventing entrance to that place of comfort and memories.
Baby, sing with me somehow.
My hope is that we can sing together, mirroring the joy and peace that came with those memories.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Our powerless feelings remain and persist, and it's hard to let go of the love we had for that town.
Contributed by Noah A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.