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 Home
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I can't park on a hill
Instead getting a rolling start
I have to pay the bill
I guess I need that city life
It sure has lots of style
But pretty soon it wears me out
I'm thankful for my country home
It gives me peace of mind
Somewhere I can walk alone
And leave myself behind
It's only someone else's potatoes
You pickin' someone else's patch
And if you go down there anyway
It very seldom lasts
I found that out once long ago
And it sure got me confused
I still don't know which way to go
To lose those old spud blues
I'm thankful for my country home
It gives me peace of mind
Somewhere I can walk alone
And leave myself behind
I'm thankful for my country home
It gives me peace of mind
Somewhere I can walk alone
And leave myself behind
I'm thankful for my country home
It gives me peace of mind
Somewhere I can walk alone
And leave myself behind
In "Country Home," Neil Young contrasts the lives of those who reside in the city versus rural areas. He begins by stating he does not like to go down to the flats because he can't park on a hill, and instead, he must pay the bill for a rolling start. This line implies that in the city, everything comes with a price tag; even the simplest of tasks require payment, such as parking on a hill. Although the city has style, it eventually wears him out, and he has to think to smile. The hustle and bustle of the city drain him, and he finds himself not enjoying it as much as he'd like to.
He then highlights the advantages of his country home, explaining it gives him peace of mind, and he can leave himself behind by walking alone. He emphasizes the importance of the solitude it provides him. Additionally, he concludes the song by warning his listeners not to pick someone else's potatoes that they didn't plant. He uses this metaphor to illustrate the idea that one can't take what belongs to others without consequences eventually catching up to them. Young reminds everyone to stay true to themselves and not be enticed by what looks like an easy win.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't like to go down to the flats
I prefer to stay away from the lower areas where parking is challenging
'Cause I can't park on a hill
As I'm unable to park on a hill, I avoid flat areas that pose challenges for parking.
Instead getting a rolling start
Rather than starting my vehicle on a flat area, I prefer to build a momentum through a sloping area to start it..
I have to pay the bill
It comes with an associated cost of paying for the parking spot.
I guess I need that city life
I feel a need for urban and sophisticated lifestyle.
It sure has lots of style
Urban life is equipped with a lot of stylish attractions and human interactions.
But pretty soon it wears me out
I find city life exhausting and tiring after a while.
And I have to think to smile
I force myself to smile and be happy even if it is not a natural outcome.
I'm thankful for my country home
I'm grateful for the solace and peace of mind that my rural dwelling provides.
It gives me peace of mind
The homestead brings tranquility to my thoughts and my heart.
Somewhere I can walk alone
A perfect place where I can detach from the world around me and be alone with myself.
And leave myself behind
Where I can forget my troubles and enjoy a worry-free life.
It's only someone else's potatoes
It's just someone else's success that people try to claim credit for.
You pickin' someone else's patch
You are trying to reap the fruits of someone else's labor without doing the work yourself.
And if you go down there anyway
If you still choose to do so, it will not benefit you in the long term.
It very seldom lasts
It's a fleeting feeling of accomplishment and will not last.
I found that out once long ago
I learned about this a while back, in my past.
And it sure got me confused
It left me perplexed and confounded, not sure of what to do next.
I still don't know which way to go
Even after all these years, I am still uncertain about the right course of action.
To lose those old spud blues
To move past that feeling of longing or jealousy for someone else's accomplishments.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J. Kliban
I hadn't listened to this great song in far too long-Big Love, Mr. Neil! The Horse is in their prime!
Alex Deferrari
My favorite NY&CH song! It sounds terrific.
Long live the horse.
Viva Clapton Luthier
Maestro.❤
Reginalt Koralewski
Kiedyś odsluchalem tą płytę 20 razy- kończyła się i grała od nowa od rana do wieczora przy tym krążku wymalowalem całe mieszkanie 👍⭐🤠- Rengi Kid- nawet chyba z tydzień temu całą odsłuchałem 👋👋👋👋🎶🎶🎶✌️
Mauro Bricalli
Fantastica!
Jethro X
Love this song 👍
pierre gobinet
Belle version , plus musicale que l' "originale" , même si plus lente 👍😉
carolindigo
I'm thankful for my country home it gives me peace of mind somewhere I can walk alone and leave myself behind! Love it and know it well... coming home. Thanks again, Neil, for touring. It was such a great concert! Inspiring. Magical
❤
AJ Schaefer
This is one of the best NY albums...
Steve Wallis
Thanks for releasing all these great songs on my birthday!