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/
Berlín
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Running down the road
I'm singing out
The same old song
Can't go back
The way I started from
The road goes on and on
Won't you help me, help me
Help me, help me
Help me, help me
Take my way on home
Help me make my way on home
After Berlin
Lights are shining
In the German sky
Cosmic walls
Between the moon and I
Don't know where I started from
So won't you take me, take me
Take me, take me
Take me, take me
Take me, take me
Just the way I am
Ah, take me, just the way I am
After Berlin
All day cruising
Down the corridor
Seeing things
I never seen before
Tomorrow morning in old Berlin
Where they lock you out
Or lock you in
Won't you save me, save me
Save me, save me
Save me, save me
Save me, save me
From the final day
Save me from the final day
After Berlin
Just like a young boy
Running down the road
I'm singing out
The same old song
I can't go back
The way I used to go
The road goes on and on
Won't you help me, help me
Help me, help me
Help me, help me
Help me, help me
Find my way back home
Won't you help me
Make my way on home
After Berlin
Help me, help me
Help me, help me
Help me, help me
Help me, help me
The song "Berlin" by Neil Young is a ballad that tells the story of a man who has just left Berlin and is struggling to find his way back home. The song begins with the singer comparing himself to a young boy running down the road, singing the same old song. He expresses a sense of displacement, stating that he cannot go back the way he started from and that the road goes on and on. The repeated plea for help from the listener suggests that the man is lost and needs guidance in finding his way.
The following verse describes the lights shining in the German sky and "cosmic walls" between the Moon and the singer, implying a sense of disconnection from the world around him. He doesn't know where he started from and begs the listener to take him just the way he is, adding to the impression that he's lost and without direction. He describes cruising down a corridor, seeing things he's never seen before, but it's not clear whether these are sights he experienced in Berlin or on his way home.
The final verse includes the line "Where they lock you out or lock you in," which may refer to the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The plea for help again suggests a sense of desperation, as the man fears the final day and hopes to be saved from it.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of displacement and a need for guidance, with the repeated pleas for help emphasizing the singer's sense of lostness.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like a young boy
I feel youthful and free, unburdened by the weight of the world.
Running down the road
I feel like I have the world at my feet, and I can go wherever I want.
I'm singing out
I'm joyfully expressing myself and my feelings, without any fear or hesitation.
The same old song
I have a familiar tune in my head, one that brings me comfort and reassurance.
Can't go back
I can't return to the past, to the way things were before everything changed.
The way I started from
I can't go back to the beginning, to the way I used to be and the way things used to be.
The road goes on and on
Life goes on, and I have to keep moving forward, regardless of where the path may lead.
Won't you help me, help me Help me, help me Help me, help me Help me, help me
I'm reaching out for help, for support and guidance, as I navigate this uncertain world.
Take my way on home Help me make my way on home After Berlin
I want to find my way back home, to a place where I feel safe and secure, after having been through the challenges of life in Berlin.
Lights are shining In the German sky Cosmic walls Between the moon and I
The world around me is beautiful and majestic, but there are still barriers that separate me from the wonders of the universe.
Don't know where I started from So won't you take me, take me Take me, take me Take me, take me Just the way I am Ah, take me, just the way I am After Berlin
I've lost my sense of direction and purpose, so I'm asking for help and guidance to find my way back to who I am, after the experiences I had in Berlin.
All day cruising Down the corridor Seeing things I never seen before
I'm exploring new places and discovering new things, which makes me feel alive and curious.
Tomorrow morning in old Berlin Where they lock you out Or lock you in
Berlin can be a place of confinement and constriction, where the people and the government have the power to control your movements and choices.
Won't you save me, save me Save me, save me Save me, save me Save me, save me From the final day Save me from the final day After Berlin
I'm asking for someone to save me from a sense of finality, from the fear that life has come to an end, after having been through the darkness of Berlin.
Find my way back home Won't you help me Make my way on home After Berlin Help me, help me Help me, help me Help me, help me Help me, help me
I just want to find my way back home, to a place of safety and peace, with the help of others who care about me and want to see me succeed.
Lyrics © Silver Fiddle, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph A. Soja Jr.
Neil's best material is hundreds of" one time' takes.
This one is no exception.
tesoro tesoro
Probebly one the best performances in rock musical history.....long live NY & CO...❤
tesoro tesoro
Won't you help me help me help me help me help me help me help me help me help me, find my way back home, help me find my way bank home after Berlin.❤✌️
Louise Rose
@tesoro tesoro "Tomorrow morning in old Berlin / where they lock you out or lock you in" - brilliant line and you can tell on the video how it struck a chord with them. :)
tesoro tesoro
@Louise Rose a great performance, imagine being there for that, those people were blessed that night.
Louise Rose
It's so touching, particularly when you see it as an encore on the video (I bought that dvd fifteen years ago and love it). The audience of west Berliners were visibly moved too: he is doing it for THEM and nobody else.
The song should have been on the Trans album of course, but I think the main reason it was left out was because it seemed too close to "Like an Inca" - the key is very close, the rhythm is similar too, and both songs allude to nuclear war and a sense of "Man facing the end of the world". When it was tme to make the next album he had gotten into a feud with David Geffen and Neil doesn't like to repear himself anyway, so the song was just left behind as an oddity (though happily it survived on the Berlin dvd)
Ed Evans
All things considered, I believe his best live performances were with the Trans Band. Oh my God, it all starts with the greatest version of Cinnamon Girl and ends with this gem, After Berlin.
James Horner
@michael koller ABSOLUTELY !!!!! Neil and the bands live performance of that song on that night is nothing short of spectacular !!!!!!!
michael koller
Lets not forget like a hurricane
John Graydon
Ed Evans i have the video of Berlin and just love it but need another video I never thought it would be so hard to get another !