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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Don
Neil Young Lyrics
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Nothin' I say is written in stone
Don't cry my sweet love
You won't really be alone, oh
I'll help you pack your things
I'll walk with you out to the car
I'll hold on to the ring
My sweet love
Your disappointed eyes
Are haunting me like my big lies
I see you glaring now
I see you staring in the fire
My sweet love
Don't cry my sweet girl
Nothin' I say is written in stone
Don't cry my sweet love
You won't really be alone
My sweet love, my sweet love
Don't cry my sweet girl
You won't really be alone
Don't cry my sweet girl
You won't really be alone
Don't cry my sweet girl
You won't really be alone
In Neil Young's song "Cry", the singer is comforting his partner who is upset, presumably due to the fact that they are separating. Despite the pain and upset that they are experiencing, the singer is reassuring their partner that they won't be alone, and that they will be there to help them pack up their things and leave. The lyrics revolve around the idea of the singer's partner crying, but the singer is there to offer support and comfort.
The opening lines of "Don't cry my sweet girl, nothin' I say is written in stone" are particularly noteworthy, as they suggest that the situation is still fluid, and that there is a possibility that things can still be worked out. The singer is reminding his partner that the future is not set in stone, and that there may still be a chance for them to be together. The line "I'll hold on to the ring" also suggests that the couple may be separating due to difficulties, and that the singer is aware of this.
The lines "Your disappointed eyes are haunting me like my big lies, I see you glaring now, I see you staring in the fire" suggest that the singer is aware of the fact that they are responsible for the relationship difficulties, and that they feel guilt over this. Despite this, they are still trying to offer comfort and support to their partner, even though they know that they may be partly responsible for the pain that their partner is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't cry my sweet girl
Neil is telling his lover not to cry.
Nothin' I say is written in stone
Neil is admitting that he has troubles keeping his promises.
Don't cry my sweet love
Neil is using different variations of addressing his lover affectionately.
You won't really be alone, oh
Neil is trying to reassure his lover that she won't be alone.
I'll help you pack your things
Neil is telling his lover how he will help her move out of their shared home.
I'll walk with you out to the car
Neil is specifying that he will accompany his lover to her car.
I'll hold on to the ring
Neil is suggesting that his lover will remove her ring before leaving, but he will keep it safe for her.
I won't forget the way things are, oh
Neil is acknowledging that the break up is real and permanent.
Your disappointed eyes
Neil is describing how his lover looks at him with disappointment and dissatisfaction.
Are haunting me like my big lies
Neil is feeling guilty about lying to his lover, and can't get her disappointed look out of his mind.
I see you glaring now
Neil can imagine his lover looking at him with an angry stare.
I see you staring in the fire
Neil can imagine his lover sitting by the fire and being distant from him.
Don't cry my sweet love, my sweet love
Neil is continuing to address his lover with multiple endearments to express his affection.
You won't really be alone
Neil is repeating himself to reassure his lover that the split isn't the end of the world.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind