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/
Country Girl
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
If you go when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and the summer ends
Please see for me, she has a coat so warm
Please see for me if her hair hangs long
If it rolls and flows all down her breast
Please see for me if her hair's hanging long
For that's the way I remember her best
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all
Many times I've often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day
If you're travelin' the North Country fair
Where other winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
The song "Girl from the North Country" by Neil Young speaks to the yearning and nostalgia for a past love that remains strong despite the passage of time. The lyrics are addressed to someone who is traveling in the North Country, and asks them to remember the singer's former lover, who still holds a place in his heart. The opening lines describe the harsh natural environment of the region, where the winds "hit heavy on the borderline." This sets the tone for the feeling of desolation and longing that permeates the lyrics.
The singer asks the traveler to check on his former love, to "see for me, she has a coat so warm / to keep her from the howlin' winds" and to note the state of her hair, "if it rolls and flows all down her breast." There is a sense of surrender in the request, a recognition that the singer cannot return to the past but can only hope to maintain a connection through memories and the words of others.
The closing lines reinforce the sense of loss, as the singer wonders if his former love remembers him at all. He speaks of praying for her both in the darkness of night and the brightness of day, suggesting that he cannot escape thoughts of her at any time. The song is a poignant reminder of the power of memory and the feeling that, even in the midst of new experiences and changes, the past never fully fades away.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're travelin' in the North Country fair
If you happen to be journeying through the North Country
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Where the winds are particularly strong along the boundary
Remember me to one who lives there
Please convey my greetings to someone who resides there
For she once was a true love of mine
Because she used to be someone who I genuinely loved
If you go when the snowflakes storm
If you go there during heavy snowfall
When the rivers freeze and the summer ends
During the time when the rivers become icy and summertime concludes
Please see for me, she has a coat so warm
Please make sure she is wearing a warm coat
To keep her from the howlin' winds
In order to protect her from the strong, gusty winds
Please see for me if her hair hangs long
Please confirm whether her hair is still long
If it rolls and flows all down her breast
If it cascades and moves down her chest
Please see for me if her hair's hanging long
Please check if her hair is lingering down her back
For that's the way I remember her best
As that is how she exists in my fondest memories
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all
I often wonder if she recalls knowing me
Many times I've often prayed
I've frequently wished and hoped
In the darkness of my night
During the gloomy moments of my nighttime
In the brightness of my day
As well as in the daylight's optimistic periods
If you're travelin' the North Country fair
If you happen to be wandering through the North Country
Where other winds hit heavy on the borderline
Where other winds are similarly intense along the boundary
Remember me to one who lives there
Please convey my regards to someone residing there
For she once was a true love of mine
As I once cared greatly about her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind