The song was written in July 1975 with friend and La Honda neighbor Taylor Phelps in the back of his car, (a DeSoto Suburban), when Neil Young was unable to sing due to an operation on his vocal cords. Driven by Young's trademark fierce guitars, the song has been played on nearly every tour Neil Young has done since. It has also appeared on the compilations Decade and Greatest Hits and on the live albums Live Rust, Weld and Unplugged (this last rendition is played almost entirely on a pump organ).
An edited version of "Like a Hurricane" was released as a single on August 8th 1977, with "Hold Back the Tears" as B-side.
06 Like a Hurricane
Neil Young Lyrics
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Dancing on the light from star to star.
Far across the moonbeam I know that's who you are,
I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire.
You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
I want to love you but I'm getting blown away.
I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream,
You could have been anyone to me.
Before that moment you touched my lips
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Away between us on our foggy trip.
You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but I'm getting blown away.
You are just a dreamer, and I am just a dream.
You could have been anyone to me.
Before that moment you touched my lips
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Away between us on our foggy trip.
You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye.
And I'm gettin' blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but I'm getting blown away.
"Like a Hurricane" is a classic rock song by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. The lyrics are a reflection of a past love, with Young wandering through a crowded bar and seeing his former flame. Even though he knows she's long gone, he can't help but be drawn in by her charm and beauty. The metaphor of a storm is used throughout the song, with Young comparing his former lover to a hurricane. There's a calmness in her eye, but her presence is so powerful that it's pushing him away.
The chorus is a balance of Young's desire for her and his fear of getting swept away. The repetition of the line "I'm getting blown away" is used to convey the vulnerability and powerlessness he feels in her presence. Young's lyrics convey a mixture of emotion: longing, love, sadness, and a hint of anger. It’s impossible not to be swept up in the emotion of the song, as it paints a vivid picture of a relationship that was intense but ultimately unsustainable.
Overall, "Like a Hurricane" is a beautiful and melancholic reflection on a love affair that ended in heartbreak. Its vivid imagery and haunting melody have made it one of the most beloved tracks in Neil Young's extensive discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar,
In a dimly lit and packed bar, I had a fleeting thought that I spotted you.
Dancing on the light from star to star.
You appeared to be gracefully dancing among twinkling stars' rays.
Far across the moonbeam I know that's who you are,
Even in the distance, I recognized you as the same enchanting person I knew you to be.
I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire.
Your ordinarily calm and gentle gaze dramatically became fierce.
You are like a hurricane
I see you as a powerful, yet unpredictable force of nature.
There's calm in your eye.
Despite your stormy nature, there is a sense of tranquility in your gaze.
And I'm gettin' blown away
Your energy and spirit are overwhelming and taking me on an unexpected journey.
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays.
I long to find a place where I can feel secure and stable in my emotions.
I want to love you but I'm getting blown away.
Although my desire is to care for you deeply, the intensity of our connection is overwhelming me.
I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream,
We both seem to exist in a space of mere possibilities and imagination, with no clear sense of reality.
You could have been anyone to me.
Before I fully knew you, there was a chance that you could have been any other person in my life.
Before that moment you touched my lips
It was only after our first kiss that my perception of you shifted.
That perfect feeling when time just slips away between us on our foggy trip.
There is an indescribable sense of bliss and timelessness that we experience when we are together, almost like a foggy, dreamlike state.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind