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/
Bringin' Down Dinner
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was getting hard to see
The old white car edged down the road
Headed for the Double E
She was bringin' down dinner for Grandpa
It was crawlin' with vitamins
And tender as a mother's love
When she saw the TV masts
The side door was open, there were three TVs
Grandpa's face was on every one
He was talking to a woman with a microphone
She was sexy and her hair was all done
Sun Green came down and met Grandpa then
"My you're such a beautiful girl
Mother Earth needs more like you
You should go out now, see the world"
"What's Grandpa doin' on the TV?
I've got his dinner in the car
All these vans have blocked our way
But we can carry it, it's not too far"
In Neil Young's song "Bringin' Down Dinner", the singer tells the story of a woman named Sun Green who is on her way to deliver a nutritious dinner to her grandpa at the Double E ranch. As she drives down the road, the evening fog begins to roll in and visibility decreases. She finally arrives at the ranch and sees that the side door is open and the three TVs inside are all displaying her grandpa's face as he talks to a woman holding a microphone. Sun Green is momentarily distracted by the flashy and glamorous image she sees on the TVs but refocuses when she remembers the dinner she's brought for her grandpa.
The lyrics describe the tender care and affection that Sun Green has for her grandpa. Her love is reflected in the nutritious meal she's bringing him, which is "crawling with vitamins" and "tender as a mother's love". However, her concern for him is overshadowed by the strange sight of her grandpa on television. When she finally speaks up and asks what her grandpa is doing on TV, she is met with encouragement to pursue her own dreams rather than worrying about what her grandpa is doing.
The song seems to be a commentary on the generational divide between young and old and how it can sometimes be difficult for people of different ages to understand each other's priorities and interests. Sun Green's concern for her grandpa's well-being clashes with her own youthful ambitions and interests, exemplified by the TV personality that distracts her in the Double E ranch. However, in the end, she remains committed to her family and the love that she shares with her grandpa.
Line by Line Meaning
The evening fog was rolling in
The weather was becoming foggy and unclear
It was getting hard to see
Visibility was declining due to the fog
The old white car edged down the road
An old white car was making its way down the road
Headed for the Double E
The car was going towards the Double E
She was bringin' down dinner for Grandpa
A woman was bringing Grandpa's dinner
It was crawlin' with vitamins
The meal was packed with essential vitamins
And tender as a mother's love
The food was lovingly prepared and cooked
When she saw the TV masts
Upon seeing the TV towers
The side door was open, there were three TVs
The side door was open and three televisions were present
Grandpa's face was on every one
Grandpa's face was visible on all three TVs
He was talking to a woman with a microphone
Grandpa was having a conversation with a woman holding a microphone
She was sexy and her hair was all done
The woman with the microphone appeared attractive
Sun Green came down and met Grandpa then
A person named Sun Green arrived and met Grandpa
"My you're such a beautiful girl
"You're a very beautiful girl
Mother Earth needs more like you
The earth needs more people like you
You should go out now, see the world"
You should go outside now and experience the world
"What's Grandpa doin' on the TV?
"Why is Grandpa on the television?
I've got his dinner in the car
I have Grandpa's dinner in my car
All these vans have blocked our way
There are multiple vans blocking our way
But we can carry it, it's not too far"
We can still carry the dinner as it's not too far away
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