Don't Let It Bring You Down 03/20/99
Neil Young Lyrics


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Old man lying by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by,
Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load
And the building scrape the sky,
Cold wind ripping down the allay at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes.

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning,
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around.

Blind man running through the light of the night
With an answer in his hand,
Come on down to the river of sight
And you can really understand,
Red lights flashing through the window in the rain,
Can you hear the sirens moan?
White cane lying in a gutter in the lane,
If you're walking home alone.

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning,
Just find someone who's turning
And you will come around.

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning,
Just find someone who's turning
And you will come around.

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning,




Just find someone who's turning
And you will come around.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Neil Young's "Don’t Let It Bring You Down" paint multiple vignettes of individuals facing difficult circumstances. The opening scene presents a dead man lying by the side of the road, while trucks pass by and the Blue Moon sinks. The description of the "building scrape[ing] the sky" gives a sense of urban bleakness and desolation. The following verse depicts a blind man running and holding an answer in his hand, encouraging the listener to "come on down to the river of sight." The final lines enjoin the listener to "find someone who's turning," implying that in order to overcome hardship and negativity, it is necessary to seek out those who bring positivity and hope.


Throughout the song, Young employs a powerful contradiction between vivid and often disturbing imagery and an uplifting refrain that urges the listener not to let these circumstances bring them down. The metaphor of "only castles burning" suggests the ephemeral nature of even the grandest and most imposing structures, as well as the importance of finding something more meaningful and enduring than material possessions or accomplishments. In essence, the song argues that while the world can be dark and cruel, there is always a glimmer of hope waiting for those who seek it out.


Line by Line Meaning

Old man lying by the side of the road With the lorries rolling by,
A helpless, aged person lies by the street, while big vehicles keep rushing past him.


Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load And the building scrape the sky,
The stress of the environment is causing depression, visible through the blue moon struggling under the load, and the towering buildings that seem oppressive.


Cold wind ripping down the allay at dawn And the morning paper flies,
As a cold, gusty wind blows through the alleyway, the morning papers are blown away in the wind.


Dead man lying by the side of the road With the daylight in his eyes.
A dead person lies by the street with his eyes wide open, staring into the daylight.


Don't let it bring you down It's only castles burning,
Even if life appears to fall apart, remember that in the grand scheme of things, it's just a temporary situation.


Find someone who's turning And you will come around.
Find somebody who has a positive attitude towards life, and they will help you overcome your obstacles.


Blind man running through the light of the night With an answer in his hand,
A blind man runs through the bright lights at night, carrying an answer to a question that only he knows.


Come on down to the river of sight And you can really understand,
If you come to a place of clarity, you can gain a true understanding of what's happening in your life.


Red lights flashing through the window in the rain, Can you hear the sirens moan?
The flashing red lights of sirens are screaming through the windows, trying to make their mark amongst the sounds of the rain.


White cane lying in a gutter in the lane, If you're walking home alone.
If you have to walk home by yourself, you may encounter a white cane discarded in the lane by somebody who is visually impaired.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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