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 Ready for the Country?
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And playin' domino
Leftin' and then rightin'
It's not a crime, you know
You gotta tell your story, boy
Before it's time to go
Because it's time to go
Are you ready for the country?
Because it's time to go
I was talkin' to the preacher
Said, "God was on my side"
Then I ran into the hangman
He said, "It's time to die"
You gotta tell your story, boy
You know the reason why
Are you ready for the country?
Because it's time to go
Are you ready for the country?
Because it's time to go
The lyrics of Neil Young's song "Are You Ready for the Country?" are steeped in ambiguity and reflect the artist's ability to fuse emotions and words into a poetic reflection of society. The verse addresses a wide range of themes, including freedom, law, religion, and death, in a stream-of-consciousness style. The opening lines of the song speak of moving, dancing, and having fun without worrying about trivialities like what people think. Young's use of words such as "leftin" and "rightin'" and "slippin'" and "slidin'" enhance the song's danceable rhythm, but they also suggest that one must navigate life's uncertainties and challenges.
The chorus of the song asks a direct question, "Are you ready for the country?" and serves as a metaphor for many things. It could suggest that the time has come to leave the city and enjoy a new way of life, or it could be an allusion to the political chaos of the 1970s, the era when the song was released. Young himself has never specified the meaning of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Slippin' and a-slidin'
Moving and grooving
And playin' domino
Having fun and enjoying oneself
Leftin' and then rightin'
Moving left then right
It's not a crime, you know
Having fun and being carefree is not illegal
You gotta tell your story, boy
You should share your experiences before it's too late
Before it's time to go
Before it's time to die
Are you ready for the country?
Are you prepared for whatever comes your way?
Because it's time to go
Because death is inevitable
I was talkin' to the preacher
I was discussing my religious beliefs
Said, 'God was on my side'
Claimed that God was supportive of me
Then I ran into the hangman
Then I encountered death/deadly situations
He said, 'It's time to die'
Death is unavoidable
Lyrics © Silver Fiddle, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind