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/
Are You Passionate?
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you livin' like you talk?
Are you dreamin' now
That you're goin' to the top?
Are you negative,
In a world that never stops,
Turnin' on you?
Turnin' on me?
Are you loving it?
Can you ever get enough of it?
Is it everything?
A love that never stops,
Comin' to you?
Comin' to me?
Comin' to you?
Once I was a soldier,
I was fighting in the sky,
And the gunfire kept
Comin' back on me.
So I dove into the darkness,
And I let my missles fly.
And they might be the ones,
That kept you free.
Once I was a prisoner,
I was riding in a truck,
Cleaned up for public display.
I looked at those around me,
And when they looked at me,
I let them see my soul that day.
Are you scared of it?
Do you wish that it would stop?
Does it bother you
When you hear your spirit talk?
Well I'm right with you,
Yes I'm right with you.
It's working on me,
It's working on you.
It's working on me.
Neil Young's song "Are You Passionate?" is an introspective piece that challenges listeners to examine their own lives and motivations. The repeated question of "Are you passionate?" serves as both a call to action and a reminder of the importance of living authentically. The verses include personal stories from Young's own past experiences - as a soldier and a prisoner - that he uses to connect with his audience and emphasize the need for self-examination.
The chorus shifts to a more positive tone, asking if the listener loves what they do and if they feel fulfilled in their life. The repeated phrase "Comin' to you?" implies that passion and love are continuous, ever-present forces that can be tapped into if one is open to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you passionate?
Do you have a deep and intense feeling of enthusiasm towards something?
Are you livin' like you talk?
Are you walking your talk? Are you living true to your words?
Are you dreamin' now
That you're goin' to the top?
Do you have any aspirations that you want to realize soon? Are you dreaming of achieving great things?
Are you negative,
In a world that never stops,
Turnin' on you?
Do you tend to have a pessimistic outlook on life even though the world around you is constantly in motion?
Turnin' on me?
Do you feel like sometimes the world turns against you?
Are you loving it?
Do you feel strong emotions of desire and delight towards something?
Can you ever get enough of it?
Do you feel like you're constantly wanting more of that thing you love?
Is it everything?
A love that never stops,
Comin' to you?
Is that thing you love everything to you? Does it feel like an endless stream of love flowing towards you?
Comin' to me?
Comin' to you?
Is that love that you feel coming to both of us?
Once I was a soldier,
I was fighting in the sky,
And the gunfire kept
Comin' back on me.
I used to be a soldier fighting a battle in the sky, and the enemy fire was constantly directed at me, making it difficult to fight.
So I dove into the darkness,
And I let my missles fly.
In response to the challenging situation, I dived into the darkness and fired my missiles.
And they might be the ones,
That kept you free.
Those missiles that I fired might have played a role in ensuring your freedom.
Once I was a prisoner,
I was riding in a truck,
Cleaned up for public display.
There was a time when I was incarcerated, and I was transported in a vehicle that had been thoroughly cleaned, probably for a public display.
I looked at those around me,
And when they looked at me,
I let them see my soul that day.
I looked at the people around me, and when they looked back at me, I revealed my true self to them- my soul.
Are you scared of it?
Are you afraid of something?
Do you wish that it would stop?
Do you desire that thing you are afraid of will come to an end?
Does it bother you
When you hear your spirit talk?
Do you get uneasy when listening to your inner voice?
Well I'm right with you,
Yes I'm right with you.
Just to assure you, I'm in the same boat as you, and we're together in this.
It's working on me,
It's working on you.
It's working on me.
Whatever it is, we're both going through it, and it's having an impact on me as well.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Watson
Are you passionate?
Are you livin' like you talk?
Are you dreamin' now
That you're goin' to the top?
Are you negative,
In a world that never stops,
Turnin' on you?
Turnin' on me?
Turnin' on you?
Are you loving it?
Can you ever get enough of it?
Is it everything?
A love that never stops,
Comin' to you?
Comin' to me?
Comin' to you?
Once I was a soldier,
I was fighting in the sky,
And the gunfire kept
Comin' back on me.
So I dove into the darkness,
And I let my missles fly.
And they might be the ones,
That kept you free.
Once I was a prisoner,
I was riding in a truck,
Cleaned up for public display.
I looked at those around me,
And when they looked at me,
I let them see my soul that day.
Are you scared of it?
Do you wish that it would stop?
Does it bother you
When you hear your spirit talk?
Well I'm right with you,
Yes I'm right with you.
It's working on me,
It's working on you.
It's working on me.
Martha Stromberg
No one take Neil's place. He is always deep in the heart.
Dougie Desgranges
Gorgeous riff. The first Neil Young record I ever bought. I was a freshman- it was right after the 9/11 attacks.
Dougie Desgranges
@Martha Stromberg I fell in love with a girl
Martha Stromberg
what made you buy it?
K T
still one of my favorite NY songs. In July joining my dad for the fourth time to a concert on NY in Amsterdam, looking forward to it. After all these years, myself a dad of 3 children, hope to pass this music to them if possible :).
SavanaG.
I am ashamed of my self for letting this song and albumb get by me, I am a huge fan since the early 70s, but hey I found it now and love it... Thanks Neil
Michael Watson
Are you passionate?
Are you livin' like you talk?
Are you dreamin' now
That you're goin' to the top?
Are you negative,
In a world that never stops,
Turnin' on you?
Turnin' on me?
Turnin' on you?
Are you loving it?
Can you ever get enough of it?
Is it everything?
A love that never stops,
Comin' to you?
Comin' to me?
Comin' to you?
Once I was a soldier,
I was fighting in the sky,
And the gunfire kept
Comin' back on me.
So I dove into the darkness,
And I let my missles fly.
And they might be the ones,
That kept you free.
Once I was a prisoner,
I was riding in a truck,
Cleaned up for public display.
I looked at those around me,
And when they looked at me,
I let them see my soul that day.
Are you scared of it?
Do you wish that it would stop?
Does it bother you
When you hear your spirit talk?
Well I'm right with you,
Yes I'm right with you.
It's working on me,
It's working on you.
It's working on me.
tx_gip
great song ...sorry i missed it when it came out...Long Live Neil Young
November Rains
The first time i heard this song, I fell on the floor and cried. man.
kustakka
Thank you for putting words to it.. back then it hit me hard aswell. Same now, but with the perspective of time y know =)