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/
Buffalo Springfield Again
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they broke up
We were young and we were wild
It ate us up
Now I'm not saying who was right or wrong
Looking out on a big green lawn,
Girls and boys
And life's a joy
I heard an old song playing on a radio
Buffalo Springfield again
Like to see those guys again
And give it a shot
Maybe now we can show the world
What we got
But I'd just like to play for the fun we had
Buffalo Springfield again
Buffalo Springfield again
Neil Young's song Buffalo Springfield Again talks about his fond memories of being in a rock'n'roll band called Buffalo Springfield. He expresses regret for the band's breakup, reflecting on how youth and wildness ate them up. However, he refrains from placing blame and merely acknowledges the end of the band. The song goes on to describe him looking out on a big green lawn, watching boys and girls playing under the sun, and hearing an old Buffalo Springfield song playing on the radio. The nostalgia and longing for his past life and bandmates compels him to sing "Buffalo Springfield again," implying that he would like to see his old bandmates and play together again, whether for the fun of it or to show the world what they've got.
Although the song's lyrics appear to be straightforward, Young's introspective writing style often requires a deeper look. Some speculate that the song's context is more about the failure of ideals from the ‘60s counterculture movement. David Crosby sang backup vocals on the track and brings a certain harmony lacking on other songs. This song has become iconic to Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young, who has continued performing “Buffalo Springfield Again” in solo concerts for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
Used to play in a rock 'n roll band,
I used to be part of a band playing rock music.
But they broke up
However, the band has already disbanded.
We were young and we were wild
We were young and free-spirited when we were together in the band.
It ate us up
Our passion became our downfall in the end.
Now I'm not saying who was right or wrong
I don't want to point fingers or blame anyone for the breakup.
Looking out on a big green lawn,
As I look out on a huge, lush field,
Girls and boys
I see happy children playing around,
Playing in the afternoon sun,
Enjoying the warm sun in the afternoon,
And life's a joy
It's a beautiful day, and life is full of happiness and hope.
I heard an old song playing on a radio
Listening to an old tune playing on a radio.
Buffalo Springfield again
The song I heard on the radio was by Buffalo Springfield, which made me reminisce.
Like to see those guys again
It would be lovely to see my former bandmates once more.
And give it a shot
Perhaps we can give it another try - play music together again.
Maybe now we can show the world
Perhaps, this time, we can make a name for ourselves as a band.
What we got
We will showcase our talents as musicians.
But I'd just like to play for the fun we had
Above all, I just want to play together once again and feel the joy we once had.
Buffalo Springfield again
Playing together with my bandmates from Buffalo Springfield once again would be a dream come true.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind