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/
Casting Me Away from You
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We found things to do in stormy weather
But now I find
You're leaving me behind
Casting me away from you
I can find someone who'll treat me better
But now I see
That you are leaving me
Casting me away from you
Someday maybe you'll know
You broke my heart in two.
I hope that someday
You'll come back again
Cause I'll be waitin' 'til you do
But now I find
You're leaving me behind
Casting me away from you
I try to tell myself it doesn't matter
I can find someone who'll treat me better
But now I see
That you are leaving me
Yes, I see that you are leaving me
Casting me away from you
The song "Casting Me Away from You" by Neil Young is a typical ballad, where the lyrics speak of a lost love or a relationship that has gone sour. The singer in the song reminisces about the good times that he and his significant other had, how they used to laugh and play games together and find things to do in stormy weather. However, things have changed now, and he feels that his partner is leaving him behind and casting him away.
The first verse sets up the theme of the song, where the singer reveals how he used to have a good time with his significant other but now feels left out of their life. In the chorus, he tries to tell himself that it doesn't matter and that he can find someone better. But in the second verse, he realizes that the person he loves is leaving him and that he is being cast away. He hopes that one day his significant other will understand the pain that they have caused him and come back to him.
The lyrics are powerful and straightforward, painting a picture of love lost and the struggle to move on. The song itself is slow and somber, emphasizing the sadness that comes with a breakup. The chorus repeats the same lines twice, emphasizing the character's internal struggle of trying to come to terms with the end of the relationship.
Overall, Neil Young's "Casting Me Away from You" is a poignant and heart-wrenching song about love, loss, and regret that many listeners can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to laugh and play games together
We had a wonderful relationship and enjoyed spending time together, making memories by laughing and playing games.
We found things to do in stormy weather
We figured out how to enjoy each other's company even during tough times, and found ways to keep each other's spirits up during storms.
But now I find
You're leaving me behind
Casting me away from you
However, things have changed, and I've realized that you are moving on from me and pushing me out of your life. I feel left behind and cast aside.
I try to tell myself it doesn't matter
I can find someone who'll treat me better
In an attempt to cope, I try to convince myself that it's not a big deal and that I can find someone who will treat me better than you did.
But now I see
That you are leaving me
Casting me away from you
Despite my efforts to ignore it, I can now clearly see that you are indeed leaving me and that I am being cast aside.
Someday maybe you'll know
You broke my heart in two.
I hope that someday you realize the pain and hurt that you caused me by leaving me, as it has left me feeling heartbroken and shattered.
I hope that someday
You'll come back again
Cause I'll be waitin' 'til you do
Despite the hurt, I still hold out hope that you will come back to me someday, and I will be there waiting for you patiently.
Yes, I see that you are leaving me
Casting me away from you
In the end, I acknowledge and accept the fact that you are indeed leaving me and casting me away from your life, even though it hurts deeply.
Lyrics © Broken Arrow Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind