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/

Bad News Beat
Neil Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Have you heard the news
I lost my baby to another man
I got a bulletin of news
Late breaking story that I don't understand
Should I call her up late
Should I ask her how she really feels
Should I try to make a date
For a time when we can touch

And feel.

She' so on fire
She's my desire.

I've got the bad news beat
And my reception is loud and clear
I've got a man in the street
Telling me what I don't want to hear
I've got an eye in the sky
Taking pictures that I don't want to see
She's got a brand new guy
Looks like she's never coming back
To me.

She' so on fire
She's my desire.

I've got an eye in the sky
I've got a man in the street

I've got the bad news beat
I've got the bad news beat

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Neil Young's Bad News Beat are talking about a person who has lost their lover to another man. The song tells a story of someone who is struggling to understand the news they received of their lost love. They are trying to find out if there is any chance of getting her back, but it appears she has moved on to someone new. The lyrics go on to mention the person's reception is loud and clear, meaning they have heard the news, and it is affecting them deeply.

The song’s chorus line “She's so on fire, she's my desire” portrays the passion and intensity of the love the person once had for their partner. This line once again gives evidence that the person is struggling to understand why their partner chose someone else over them.

In the end, the song reveals that the person has an eye in the sky and a man on the street, keeping tabs on their former partner, but it appears that she's moved on forever. The lyrics of Bad News Beat are emotional and raw, portraying the rollercoaster of feelings that a person experiences after a loss.

Line by Line Meaning

Have you heard the news
Do you know what is happening?

I lost my baby to another man
My significant other left me for someone else

I got a bulletin of news
I received some sudden news

Late breaking story that I don't understand
Recent news that I am having trouble comprehending

Should I call her up late
Is it appropriate to call her late at night?

Should I ask her how she really feels
Is it a good idea to inquire about her true emotions?

Should I try to make a date
Is it worth making plans to meet up again?

For a time when we can touch and feel.
To have a moment of intimacy together again

She's so on fire
She is passionate and desirable

She's my desire.
I deeply desire her

I've got the bad news beat
I am constantly receiving unfortunate news