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/
Don't Say You Win Don't Say You Loose
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what she said
Don't say you love me
That's what she said
Hey baby
I'm your man
I know I treated you bad
Now is not the time
To cash it in
I'm with you babe
I've always been
And I got to tell you baby
That our love is strong
And I'm the one
The one that did you wrong
Don't say you love me
That's what she said
Don't say you love me
That's what she said
Hey baby
Don't count me out
I still got a lot to give
Stick around and find out
I might surprise you
With what our love still brings
I'm never quiting you
Even if you quit me
And I got to tell you baby
Our love is strong
And I'm the one
The one that did you wrong
Don't say you love me
That's what she said
Don't say you love me
That's what she said
Don't say you love me
Don't say you love me
Don't say you love me
Don't say you love me
The lyrics of Neil Young's "Don't Say You Win Don't Say You Loose" portrays a man's attempt to mend a relationship after having mistreated his partner in the past. The titular phrase serves as a reminder that by saying "I love you," he might be causing more harm than good. Instead, he focuses on reassuring his partner of his loyalty and the strength of their love. He acknowledges his shortcomings and expresses his desire to make things right, asking for another chance to prove his worth. The lyrics' overall tone is apologetic but steadfast in his commitment to making the relationship work.
The song's message can be interpreted as a call for communication and trust in a healthy relationship. By avoiding empty promises and focusing on actions, the singer seeks to build a more honest and meaningful connection with his partner. The repetition of "don't say you love me" emphasizes the significance of actions over words in romantic relationships.
Neil Young is known for his inclusion of political and social commentary in his music. However, "Don't Say You Win Don't Say You Loose" is a more personal and introspective work, drawing from his own experiences and emotions. The song was released on the album "Landing on Water" in 1986 and received mixed critical reviews.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't say you love me
The singer is asking the person not to express their love for them.
That's what she said
The person being addressed has previously made this statement.
Hey baby
The singer is addressing the person they are speaking to in an affectionate manner.
I'm your man
The artist wants the person they are addressing to see them as someone they can rely on.
I know I treated you bad
The artist acknowledges that they have not always treated the person they are addressing with the respect they deserved.
But I'm doin' the best I can
The singer is trying to improve their behavior and make things right with the person they are addressing.
Now is not the time
The singer is indicating that the current moment is not an appropriate time for the person they are addressing to give up on their relationship.
To cash it in
The person being addressed may be considering ending their relationship, and the artist is suggesting that they should not do so at this moment.
I'm with you babe
The artist wants the person they are addressing to know that they are committed to the relationship.
I've always been
The artist wants the person they are addressing to know that their commitment to the relationship has not wavered.
And I got to tell you baby
The singer is preparing to express a significant thought or feeling to the person they are addressing.
That our love is strong
The artist believes that their love for the person they are addressing is powerful and resilient.
And I'm the one
The singer is admitting that they are responsible for harming the person they are addressing.
The one that did you wrong
The singer is acknowledging that their actions have caused harm to the person they are addressing.
Don't count me out
The singer requests that the person they are addressing does not give up on their relationship just yet.
I still got a lot to give
The artist wants the person they are addressing to know that there is still value in their relationship and that they have more to offer.
Stick around and find out
The artist is inviting the person they are addressing to remain in the relationship and see what the future brings.
I might surprise you
The singer suggests that there may be positive developments in the future of their relationship.
With what our love still brings
The singer wants the person they are addressing to know that there is still potential for their love to bring them happiness and fulfillment.
I'm never quiting you
The artist is indicating that they are committed to remaining in the relationship with the person they are addressing.
Even if you quit me
The artist is indicating that they will continue to love and support the person they are addressing even if they choose to end their relationship.
Don't say you love me
The artist is repeating their earlier request that the person they are addressing not express their love for them.
Don't say you love me
The singer is repeating their earlier request that the person they are addressing not express their love for them.
Don't say you love me
The artist is repeating their earlier request that the person they are addressing not express their love for them.
Don't say you love me
The singer is repeating their earlier request that the person they are addressing not express their love for them.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A Burden
@Ricky Hunt Everyone has a price. And if they live long enough they will
contradict themself or morph into something unrecognizable.
He is Canadian but lives forever in US. He gets a new wife. He had
a giant house in Hawaii on sale for over 10 million US. He's a rockstar!
As for memory, it's a tricky thing. I accept Rob is trying to say that there were rules or there was time when things were simple. Don't kill the Mafia
guy in front of family and so on. Now (skip last 2 years) it is pick a pronoun, 'body positivity' means celebrate morbidly obese. Now, it's
spray an extended magazine in a general direction, maybe shooting your
enemy, when a punch or two years ago sorted it. Sperm count-down.
Plastic in the fish in the ocean. Just ask Bruce Jenner. Cheers.
Ricky Hunt
@A Burden He has lived for years in the US and became an American Citizen a few years back don't see a contradiction there lots of people move to America and still love their homeland.
To my knowledge Neil hasn't done commercials or anything like that So I'm not saying he has ever sold out or anything just pointing out he was a rarity.
As for the Body positivity or Obese debate it's interesting because they're people who are obese yet are in Great shape and don't have many health issues look at sports I mean there's tons of obese guys who are great athletes NFL has plenty of Linemen, Boxing and MMA have had Champions that were fat and samd goes for Rugby and Obviously Sumo. That debate is a lot more complex than it seems.
The Jenner thing was ridiculous I mean if you're going to come out as Trans and push for more acceptance of the Trans community maybe you shouldn't back politicians who are hostile to them that was a dumb decision. There needs to be some sort of middle ground reached there.
People are full of contradictions it's a part of human nature life itself is a bit of a contradiction. There have been musicians that haven't sold out from every generation but they're always the exception not the rule. It's also far easier to refuse to take money for an endorsement or something if you already have plenty of money. Neil is from a time when people had to buy music which meant record labels and artists made a lot of money therefore labels often let the artists have more creative freedom and there was less incentive to do commericals, endorsements, etc. I remember a few years ago Neil said something like he didn't have a issue with people downloading music online and not paying for it and the band Cracker criticized him because he made all his money back then and didn't have to stuggle to pay the bills because of the huge losses of revenue for labels and artists because of piracy. It's easier to stand by your principles when you are rich and successful.
neilyoungchannel
Hi, this is Neil. Link to the NYA info-card for this song with press, documents, manuscripts, photos, videos. Look around NYA for fun and listening! ALL my music in high resolution at https://neilyoungarchives.com/info-card?track=t1988_0108_01
Trucker Kev The Paid Tourist
404 on link. OH NO WE COULDN'T FIND THE PAGE
Daithi Wright
Not anymore.
Ricky Rudd 28 Texaco Havoline Ford
404 for me. Lol
Daniel Osullivan
Thanks for being, Neil ✌️
David Price
Neil who? Armstrong? Neil Diamond??
junglechick13
This song popped into my head today. Thanks Neil, keep it strong.
My Google Email
he's a putz.
art vallejos
@My Google Email
Never heard of you. Never heard any of your songs. You must not be any good.
Andjulia
@My Google Email why because he doesn’t believe in the same crap you believe in?