Changes
Neil Young Lyrics


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Sit by my side, come as close as the air
Share in a memory of gray
And wander in my words
Dream about the pictures that I play of changes

Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall
To brown and to yellow, they fade
And then they have to die
Trapped within the circle time parade of changes

Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind
Visions of shadows that shine
One day I returned and found they were
Victims of the vines of changes

The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
It swings through a hollow of haze
A race around the stars
A journey through the universe ablaze with changes

Moments of magic will glow in the night
Fears of the forest are all gone
But when the morning breaks
They're swept away by golden drops of dawn of changes

Passions will part to a strange melody
As fires will sometimes burn cold
Like petals in the wind
We're puppets to the silver strings of souls of changes

Your tears will be trembling, now we're somewhere else
One last cup of wine we will pour




And I'll kiss you one more time
And leave you on the rolling river shores of changes

Overall Meaning

Neil Young's song "Changes" is a contemplation of the inevitability of time and the constant flux of life. In the opening lines, Young invites the listener to sit beside him and enter into a shared memory of the past: "Sit by my side, come as close as the air/Share in a memory of gray/And wander in my words/Dream about the pictures that I play of changes." He sings of autumn leaves turning red, then brown and yellow before dying, a metaphor for the transience of all things. He evokes the bittersweet sense of loss that comes with the passage of time, as the scenes of his childhood are overtaken by vines: "Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind/Visions of shadows that shine/One day I returned and found they were/Victims of the vines of changes." The world is spinning fast and madly, says Young, in a seemingly endless parade of time and change that takes us on a journey through a universe of possibility: "The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark/It swings through a hollow of haze/A race around the stars/A journey through the universe ablaze with changes." But amidst the flux and uncertainty, Young finds hope in the moments of magic and the beauty of the natural world: "Moments of magic will glow in the night/Fears of the forest are all gone/But when the morning breaks/They're swept away by golden drops of dawn of changes."


Overall, "Changes" is a song about coming to terms with the ebb and flow of life. The verses explore the idea that nothing is permanent and that everything is subject to change over time. This sense of instability and loss is offset by the beauty and hopefulness of the song's chorus, which suggests that there is always the possibility for renewal and rejuvenation amidst the chaos of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Sit by my side, come as close as the air
Come sit beside me, as close as if you were the very air we breathe.


Share in a memory of gray
Let's share a memory of the past, perhaps bittersweet, that is no longer vibrant and colorful.


And wander in my words
Listen to my thoughts, my ideas, as they flow freely and without constraints.


Dream about the pictures that I play of changes
Imagine the scenarios I describe, full of transformations and evolution.


Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall
The fresh green hues of summer transform into fiery shades of red come autumn.


To brown and to yellow, they fade
Then they fade further, to brown and yellow, before falling off the tree.


And then they have to die
Eventually, those leaves must die and wither away.


Trapped within the circle time parade of changes
This is but one example of the cycle of changes one encounters, which repeats itself over time in a circular manner.


Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind
I recall memories of my youth with fondness.


Visions of shadows that shine
Faint memories of glowing, ethereal apparitions still linger.


One day I returned and found they were
But one day, upon revisiting these memories, I discovered...


Victims of the vines of changes
...that they had been overtaken by changes, affected by life's whimsical twists and turns as vines might choke a plant.


The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
The planet revolves energetically, frenziedly, afloat in the vastness of space.


It swings through a hollow of haze
It sweeps through clearings and clouds alike, observable from the perspective of the observer.


A race around the stars
It continues its journey, ever-rushing across the cosmos.


A journey through the universe ablaze with changes
Its path is one through a universe teeming with transformations, each planet, star, and galaxy evolving and undergoing variation over time.


Moments of magic will glow in the night
Sometimes, in moments of enchantment, illuminated with hope, comfort or inspiration.


Fears of the forest are all gone
My worries and apprehensions dissipate, as if dispersed by sunlight in the woods.


But when the morning breaks
Yet, troubles and uncertainty have a way of creeping back when daylight resumes.


They're swept away by golden drops of dawn of changes
Though, even then, there is a sense that the new day brings opportunities for growth and evolution - represented as golden drops of hope.


Passions will part to a strange melody
Human emotions, like the sounds of music, can be discordant, unpredictable, and vary from one individual to another.


As fires will sometimes burn cold
Sometimes, what once burned deeply and passionately within one's heart fades and cools off over time.


Like petals in the wind
We may flutter and float at the mercy of the winds of change, shifting and carried away like flower petals.


We're puppets to the silver strings of souls of changes
We may feel entirely controlled by the inconspicuous forces behind the transformations we undergo in life.


Your tears will be trembling, now we're somewhere else
As we experience change in our lives, we may shed tears of uncertainty that tremble with emotions we can't explain.


One last cup of wine we will pour
Let's have one final moment of farewell, sharing just one more drink together.


And I'll kiss you one more time
I'll bid you goodbye with one lingering kiss.


And leave you on the rolling river shores of changes
Let life's transformative currents carry you to new shores, changes that will keep coming and going like the waves of a river.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Phil Ochs

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

glanada zen

Sit by my side, come as close as the air
Share in a memory of gray
And wander in my words
Dream about the pictures that I play of changes
Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall
To brown and to yellow, they fade
And then they have to die
Trapped within the circle time parade of changes
Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind
Visions of shadows that shine
One day I returned and found they were
Victims of the vines of changes
The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
It swings through a hollow of haze
A race around the stars
A journey through the universe ablaze with changes
Moments of magic will glow in the night
Fears of the forest are all gone
But when the morning breaks
They're swept away by golden drops of dawn of changes
Passions will part to a strange melody
As fires will sometimes burn cold
Like petals in the wind
We're puppets to the silver strings of souls of changes
Your tears will be trembling, now we're somewhere else
One last cup of wine we will pour
And I'll kiss you one more time
And leave you on the rolling river shore



Saffron Cobra Ofherod, Commander's Handmaid

"Changes"

Sit by my side, come as close as the air
And share in a memory of gray
And wander in my words
Dream about the pictures that I play of changes

Green leaves of summer turn red in the fall
To brown and to yellow, they fade
And then they have to die
Trapped within the circle time parade of changes

Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind
Visions of shadows that shine
One day I returned and found they were
The victims of the vines of changes

The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
It Swings through a hollow of haze
A race around the stars
A journey through the universe ablaze with changes

Moments of magic will glow in the night
All fears of the forest are gone
But when the morning breaks
They're swept away by golden drops of dawn of changes

Passions will part to a strange melody
As fires will sometimes burn cold
Like petals in the wind
We're puppets to the silver strings of souls of changes

Your tears will be trembling, now we're somewhere else
One last cup of wine we will pour
And I'll kiss you one more time
And leave you on the rolling river shore of changes



All comments from YouTube:

pmccaffrey100

This is fantastic. Phil Ochs will not be forgotten.

Tony Miller

Bernie's an honest dude who I felt would've made a fine potus, but that's just my opinion.
As Dennis Miller used to say, "I could be wrong".
I agree that although I share Dennis's last name, I don't often agree with him when he opines.

Oppothumbs M

My problem here with Neil (one of favorites along with Dylan, Ochs) is he does a relatively bad job with a great song. I can't see people listening to Phil because of Neil's poor singing. Neil's voice is Great for so many songs .. but not for this one.

Andrea Lanzillotta

@Oppothumbs M I'm not american. I only heard a bit of nancy pelosi. I can't judge. I discovered Phil Ochs because I really really love Bob Dylan. Ochs was communist. I am not. But as Italian I say that I am a strong antifacist and for sure not a conservative. Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan and all those people fought for equality...something right I think..

Oppothumbs M

@Andrea Lanzillotta That's so true. There was talk about a movie with Sean Penn but they probably would have played the more Leftist songs and left about great personal songs like this and it would not reach a lot of people. Celia is beautiful . I love Flower Lady. I even love Ringing of Revolution and many Leftist songs but i am not an ideologue and can just enjoy great melody and lyrics . I have never met a fan of Phis who didn't love share his Leftist orientation. I am really of no party but i fear AOC more than Trump, a known nincompoop but the Left is more fascist now, particularly AOC. And Pelosi is nutty as ever.

5 More Replies...

Vick Mackey

Great song by Phil and Kudos to Neil Young for his really nice comments. Coming from Neil to say that Phil was the greatest songwriter ever is a tremendous compliment and well deserved.

chuck ware

My dad introduced me to Neil Young when I was a little kid, he always used to play "Needle and the Damage Done" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" on guitar, and I loved it.  I'm almost 30 now, and Neil still continues to captivate me.  So I have to thank my father (who luckily, is still around to enjoy Neil's music with me to this day) for showing me his incredible music so many years ago.

I discovered Phil Ochs's music about a year ago, and everything I've found of his I've loved.  Neil paying tribute to Phil is AMAZING.  

Tony Miller

@davidlenander Steven Stills Al Cooper

davidlenander

Did you know that "Cowgirl in the Sand" was partly inspired by Jean Ray Glover, who with her husband, Jim Glover, had been housemates with Phil Ochs when he first came to NY?  Jim Glover had been part of a duo with Phil when they were college roommates and Glover taught Ochs to play the guitar. Jean had written (and later recorded a song about the Buffalo Springfield drug bust, "Topango road" on her third album with Jim, People World), and Neil commented on the lyrics, written in purple ink on gray paper.

Bob Robar

Phil Ochs is one of my heroes. A man who used his God-given talents to try to make this world a better place.

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