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/
Depression Blues
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I love her so
But she's all dressed up now
With nowhere to go
All our old hang-outs
Are boarded up and closed
Or bein' bought by somebody
But things ain't that bad
We still got the kids
We're goin' out to the movies
Right after this
Goin' back to school
Savin' up my tuition
Gonna rewrite all the rules
On the old blackboard
'Cause it seems things today
There ain't no magic in 'em
They don't cut the grade
Like they used to
Depression blues
Nowhere to go
Bein' bought by somebody
Nobody knows
Is there anybody out there
With a voice loud and clear
Gonna sing all the words
We all want to hear
Depression blues
Nowhere to go
Bein' bought by somebody
Nobody knows
The lyrics to Neil Young's song "Depression Blues" depict the struggles of a married couple during a difficult time in American society. The woman in the relationship is all dressed up with nowhere to go, as all of their old hangouts are no longer open or have been bought by unknown buyers. Despite these challenges, the couple still has their children and plans to go to the movies together after the song is over. The singer also expresses a desire to go back to school and rewrite the rules on the old blackboard.
The lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment with the current state of affairs, as the singer feels like there is no magic left in the world and that things don't measure up to what they used to be. However, there is still a sense of hope for the future, as the singer asks if there is anybody out there with a loud and clear voice who can sing the words that we all want to hear.
Overall, "Depression Blues" is a poignant snapshot of a challenging time in American history and the toll it takes on individuals and families.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a woman that loves me
I have a partner who loves me deeply.
And I love her so
I have immense love for my partner.
But she's all dressed up now
My partner is ready to go out.
With nowhere to go.
However, there's no place to go out.
All our old hang-outs
The places where we usually went out,
Are boarded up and closed
Now have been shut down by their owners.
Or bein' bought by somebody
Or are being sold to someone else.
Nobody knows.
And nobody knows who is buying those places.
But things ain't that bad
However, our situation isn't so terrible.
We still got the kids
We still have our children with us.
We're goin' out to the movies
We are going to watch a movie soon.
Right after this.
Just after finishing our work here.
Goin' back to school
I am planning to continue my education.
Savin' up my tuition
I am gathering money for my academic expenses.
Gonna rewrite all the rules
I am planning to redefine some old concepts.
On the old blackboard.
I'm going to write them down on an old blackboard.
'Cause it seems things today
It appears to me that the contemporary world,
There ain't no magic in 'em
Unlikely lacks the enchantment of earlier times.
They don't cut the grade
Current things or events ain't that cool.
Like they used to.
Unlike the fantastic way they were in the past.
Depression blues
This emotional state of mine is saddening me,
Nowhere to go
And I have no idea where to go next.
Bein' bought by somebody
Things like places around me are getting bought by some unknown persons,
Nobody knows.
And their identity could not be figured out by anyone.
Is there anybody out there
Is there someone still out there,
With a voice loud and clear
With a bold and crisp voice to speak out,
Gonna sing all the words
Who would sing the exact words that we want to hear,
We all want to hear.
Words that everyone seeks around and anticipates.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind