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!"
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Distant Camera
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reconnecting thoughts and actions
Fragments of our missing dream
Pieces from here and there
Fall in place along the line
Disappearing between you and me
Life is changing everywhere I go
If life is a photograph fading in the mirror
All I want is a song of love
Song of love to sing for you
All I need is this song of love
To sing for you.
On the floor where daylight dances
With the ones that missed their chances
When they couldn't let it show
Lies the land of sweet surrender
Like a dream it might have ended there
But we didn't even know
Now forever we will live as one,
Floating in love's atmosphere
If love is a piece of dust shining in the sun,
All I want is a song of love
Song of love to sing to you
All I need is this song for love
To sing for you
Song of love
Song of love
Neil Young's song Distant Camera talks about life, love, and the fleeting nature of both. The flash from a distant camera refers to the momentary spark of memory that can rekindle lost connections, bringing together past thoughts and actions, and piecing together fragments of missing dreams. The lyrics describe how life is constantly changing, with old things disappearing and new things emerging, and how all we have left is the memories that have faded like a photograph in the mirror.
The song also touches on missed chances, and the land of sweet surrender, where dreams may have ended, but we didn't even know. The lyrics suggest that we should cherish what we have in the present moment because life can be so unpredictable. In the end, the song expresses a desire for a song of love, which should be sung to the people we care about the most.
Line by Line Meaning
The flash from a distant camera
A sudden illumination of distant memories that connects our thoughts and actions.
Reconnecting thoughts and actions
Reassembling shattered pieces of our past memories and connecting them with the present.
Fragments of our missing dream
The pieces from here and there, that when they fall in place, create the dream we always wanted to achieve but couldn't.
Pieces from here and there
Small parts of our life's puzzle, scattered in different places and times, that we're trying to put together.
Fall in place along the line
As we start to put the pieces together, they gradually create a coherent line of our life's story.
Disappearing between you and me
As the pieces of the story start to come together, the distance between two people who were once close slowly increases.
Life is changing everywhere I go
Everywhere I go, I see how life keeps changing and evolving.
New things and old both disappear
New things and old things slowly fade away with time, leaving only memories behind.
If life is a photograph fading in the mirror
If life is like a photograph that gradually fades away in front of us, becoming a distant memory.
All I want is a song of love
All I want is a simple melody of love which transcends time and space.
Song of love to sing for you
A song dedicated to the one who holds a special place in my heart.
All I need is this song of love
I just need this simple melody, to keep me going through the highs and lows of life.
On the floor where daylight dances
The place where the light and shadow playfully dance together, creating a beautiful ambiance.
With the ones that missed their chances
With the people who missed their opportunity to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
When they couldn't let it show
When they were afraid to express their true emotions and reveal their innermost desires.
Lies the land of sweet surrender
A place where one can let go of their inhibitions and surrender themselves to the sweetness of love.
Like a dream it might have ended there
Just like a beautiful dream that ends too soon, this sweet surrender could have ended too soon.
But we didn't even know
We were so caught up in the moment that we didn't realize that this sweet surrender could come to an end.
Now forever we will live as one
We will remain together and connected forever.
Floating in love's atmosphere
Our love will keep us connected, as we float through life's ups and downs.
If love is a piece of dust shining in the sun
If love is just a tiny speck of dust that shines brightly in the sunlight.
All I want is a song of love
All I want is that simple melody of love that keeps us going through life's challenges.
Song of love to sing to you
A song dedicated to that special someone who makes life beautiful.
Song of love
A beautiful melody that brings people closer together, spreading love and positivity all around.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind