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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Barstool Blues
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For long enough to know
Why my mind is moving so fast
And the conversation is slow
Burn off all the fog
And let the sun through to the snow
Let me see your face again
Before I have to go
I have seen you in the movies
And in those magazines at night
I saw you on the bar stool
When you held that glass so tight
And I saw you in my nightmares
But I'll see you in my dreams
And I might live a thousand years
Before I know what that means
Once there was a friend of mine
Who died a thousand deaths
His life was filled with parasites
And countless idle threats
He trusted in a woman
And on her he made his bets
Once there was a friend of mine
Who died a thousand deaths
The lyrics to Neil Young & Crazy Horse's song Barstool Blues are reflective of someone with a racing mind who struggles to find meaningful communication. The singer longs to hold onto a single thought for long enough to understand why their mind is moving so fast, while the conversation around them is slow. They are searching for clarity and a means of breaking through the mental fog that obscures their view of reality. The singer reaches out to someone they miss, asking to see their face one more time before they have to leave. This is likely a person who represents clarity or understanding to them, making their departure difficult.
The second verse describes a moment when the singer saw this person in a bar holding a glass tightly (likely a metaphor for their own desire for clarity). They also saw this person in movies and magazines, but only in their nightmares did they truly see them. The line "And I might live a thousand years before I know what that means" shows the singer's frustration with their mental state and desire for clear answers. The final verse tells a tale about a friend who trusted a woman and lost his life as a result. The friend's death was slow and painful, marked by countless "idle threats" from harmful people.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could hold on to just one thought
I wish I could focus on a single idea for long enough to understand why my mind is racing and the conversation around me is slow.
For long enough to know
If only my thoughts weren't so fleeting, I could actually gain some clarity.
Why my mind is moving so fast
I'm struggling to keep up with my own thoughts, my mind is racing with seemingly no reason or end in sight.
And the conversation is slow.
I'm getting frustrated that I'm not able to keep up with the conversation around me.
Burn off all the fog
I need a clear view of what's going on, without any ambiguity or confusion.
And let the sun through to the snow
I want to clear away the clouds of my mind and let the light shine on the cold, hard truth that I need to face.
Let me see your face again
I want to make sure that the people around me are genuine and trustworthy.
Before I have to go.
I don't want to waste any more time on relationships that aren't worth it, I don't know when I'll be leaving.
I have seen you in the movies
I recognize you from your fame and success.
And in those magazines at night
I've seen you in print, as an idealistic image that's been created for the public to consume.
I saw you on the bar stool when
I watched you, with a drink in hand, as you indulged yourself in the pleasures of the night life.
You held that glass so tight.
You were holding on to your drink so tightly, it seemed like you were letting it be your only comfort.
And I saw you in my nightmares
I've thought of you in my most restless nights where I was unable to let go of the worries of the day.
But I'll see you in my dreams
I'll still be thinking about you even when I'm unconscious, it's difficult to forget an image that's been so powerfully ingrained in my mind.
And I might live a thousand years
Despite how long I live, there probably won't be another person that will have the same kind of impact or importance as you.
Before I know what that means.
It's hard to say what it really means to have someone in my life that I can't forget or erase from my memory.
Once there was a friend of mine
There was a person I used to be close with and spend time with.
Who died a thousand deaths
He went through countless struggles and hardships that brought him close to losing everything multiple times.
His life was filled with parasites
There were people who leached off of him, living off his success and wealth without any real interest in him as a person.
And countless idle threats.
There were many people who made empty promises and big dreams that were never actually fulfilled.
He trusted in a woman
He put his faith in a woman who he thought would stay true to him.
And on her he made his bets
He poured his heart and soul into his love for her, hoping that she would reciprocate and stand by him through good and bad times.
Once there was a friend of mine
There was a person I used to be close with and spend time with, but it all fell apart in the end.
Who died a thousand deaths.
The numerous betrayals and letdowns he experienced felt like a thousand deaths, each one more painful than the last.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind