Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer, guitaris… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer, guitarist, songwriter, and social activist who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation, particularly as Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Young was born in Toronto, but he moved to the family home of Winnipeg as a child, which is where his music career began. Young began performing as a solo artist in Canada in 1960, before moving to California in 1966, where he co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield along with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay.

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 there anymore real cowboys
Neil Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Are there any more real cowboys
Left out in these hills?
Will the fire hit the iron
One more time?
And will one more dusty pick-up
Coming rolling down the road
With a load of feed before the sun gets high?
Well, I hope that working cowboy never dies.

Not the one that's snortin' cocaine
When the honky-tonk's all closed
But the one that prays for more rain
Heaven knows
That the good feed brings the money
And the money buys the clothes
Not the diamond sequins shining on TV
But the kind the working cowboy really needs.

Are there any more country families
Still working hand in hand
Trying hard to stay together
And make a stand?
While the rows and rows of houses
Come creepin' up on the land
Where the cattle graze and an old grey barn still stands
Are there any more real cowboys in this land?

Are there any more real cowboys in this land?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?” is a song about the changing times and the transition from the untamed American frontier to the modern era, where cowboys and their way of life are slowly disappearing. Neil Young and Willie Nelson reminisce about the authentic and hardworking stereotype of a cowboy and the changing dynamics of America, where urbanization and modernization are slowly replacing the traditional method of farming and ranching. The song asks a poignant question of whether there are still any real cowboys left in the world, the kind that values simplicity and hard work rather than the glitz and glamor of the city.

The lyrics also contrast the working cowboy, who is prayerful and hardworking, to the cocaine-snorting party-goer, who represents the modern cowboy stereotype that is more interested in the club scene than the quiet life of a ranch. The song also touches on the disappearing working-class families that are struggling to survive in the face of urbanization and the encroaching suburbs. The song is a tribute to the traditional American way of life and the nostalgia for the past where values such as hard work, family, and land were the foundations of the American Dream.

Line by Line Meaning

Are there any more real cowboys
Is the world running out of honest-to-goodness, hardworking cowboys?

Left out in these hills?
Are there any of these cowboys still living in the hills and not in the city?

Will the fire hit the iron / One more time?
Will the cowboys have the chance to forge their own paths again? Will they face more tests?

And will one more dusty pick-up / coming rolling down the road / with a load of feed before the sun gets high?
Will there be one more cowboy who drives his truck to deliver feed to the animals before the sun rises and the day starts?

Well, I hope that working cowboy never dies.
I hope the tradition of true cowboys does not fade away and stays alive for future generations.

Not the one that's snortin' cocaine / when the honky-tonk's all closed
Not the cowboy who turns to drugs or alcohol when the bars are closed and life is tough.

But the one that prays for more rain / Heaven knows
But the cowboy who relies on his prayers to bring rain to help grow more crops, and knows that sometimes his fate is out of his hands.

That the good feed brings the money / And the money buys the clothes
Cowboys know that if they raise and sell healthy animals, they can make a good living, and that money can help them afford comfortable clothing.

Not the diamond sequins shining on TV / But the kind the working cowboy really needs
Cowboys don't care about flashy clothes on television, but they dress practically and for comfort, with clothes that will last a long time.

Are there any more country families / Still working hand in hand / Trying hard to stay together
Are there still families in the country working hard to keep their traditions alive?

And make a stand? / While the rows and rows of houses / Come creepin' up on the land / Where the cattle graze and an old grey barn still stands
Will these families continue to fight to keep their land and traditions alive while the surrounding urbanization encroaches on their way of life?

Are there any more real cowboys in this land?
Is there anyone left who truly embodies the spirit of a cowboy in this day and age?

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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