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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12 Like A Hurricane
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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