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/
Cripple Creek Ferry
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Butting through the overhanging trees
Make way for the Cripple Creek ferry
The waters going down, it's a mighty tight squeeze
All alone the captain stands
Hasn't heard from his deckhands
The gambler tips his hat and walks towards the door
And you know he hates to lose
Hey, hey Cripple Creek ferry
Butting through the overhanging trees
Make way for the Cripple Creek ferry
The waters going down it's a mighty tight squeeze
Hey, hey Cripple Creek ferry
Butting through the overhanging trees
Make way for the Cripple Creek ferry
The waters going down, it's a mighty tight squeeze
The lyrics to Neil Young's "Cripple Creek Ferry" describe a journey on a riverboat called the Cripple Creek ferry. The captain is alone on his boat and has not heard from his deckhands. The passengers include a gambler who tips his hat and walks towards the door, indicating that he's resigned to losing. The river is shallow and narrow, resulting in a "mighty tight squeeze" for the boat.
The song is believed to be inspired by an actual riverboat in Colorado called the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad, which carried gold and silver ore between Cripple Creek and the town of Victor. However, the lyrics are not meant to be taken literally and can be interpreted more metaphorically as a comment on life's journey. The theme of the song seems to be that we are all on our own in life, and sometimes we need to navigate difficult waters on our own.
Overall, "Cripple Creek Ferry" is a fun and catchy tune that combines elements of rock, country, and folk music. The optimistic energy of the song is reflected in the joyful chorus, which makes listeners want to sing along and dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey Cripple Creek ferry
Addressing the vessel that is being talked about in the song.
Butting through the overhanging trees
The ferry is struggling to make its way through the trees that are blocking its path.
Make way for the Cripple Creek ferry
Asking everyone to move aside and give way to the ferry.
The waters going down, it's a mighty tight squeeze
The water level is decreasing, and there is barely enough space for the ferry to pass through.
All alone the captain stands
The captain is standing alone, possibly because the other crew members are not available at the moment.
Hasn't heard from his deckhands
The captain hasn't received any updates from his crew members about the current situation.
The gambler tips his hat and walks towards the door
A gambler presents himself and walks away.
It's the second half of the cruise
The journey is halfway, and the passengers are aware of it.
And you know he hates to lose
Referring to the gambler from the previous line, who hates losing in gambling.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind