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/
Changes
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
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
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.
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.