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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Dreamin' Man
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't tell when I'm not being real
In the meadow dusk I park my Aerostar
With a loaded gun and sweet dreams of you
I'll always be a dreamin' man
I don't have to understand
I know it's alright
I see your curves and I feel your vibrations
You dressed in black and white, you lost in the mall
I watch you disappear past Club Med Vacations
Another sleepless night, a sun that won't fall
I'll always be a dreamin' man
I don't have to understand
I know it's alright
Now the night is gone, a new day is dawning
And our homeless dreams go back to the street
Another time or place, another civilization
Really make this life feel so complete
I'll always be a dreamin' man
I don't have to understand
I know it's alright
Dreamin' man
(He's got a problem)
Dreamin' man
Dreamin' man
(He's got a problem)
Dreamin' man
Neil Young's song Dreamin' Man seems to be an introspective look into the mind of the singer, who self-identifies as a dreamer. The song begins with the line "I'm a dreamin' man, yes, that's my problem," which sets the stage for the lyrical explorations that follow. The singer seems to have difficulty distinguishing reality from his dreams, and he admits he cannot tell when he is "not being real." He describes parking his van in the "meadow dusk" with a loaded gun, implying a sense of danger and perhaps even desperation. Yet despite this, the overarching theme of the song is one of acceptance and resignation. The chorus declares that he will "always be a dreamin' man" and that he does not need to understand why. It is as if the singer has come to peace with who he is and the way he experiences the world.
The second verse adds another layer to the song, the singer sees the object of his affection dressed in black and white, lost in a mall. The lines "I watch you disappear past Club Med Vacations/Another sleepless night, a sun that won't fall" highlights the anxiety which he cannot release as his love does not have any correlation to the real world. The third verse brings the song to a close and perhaps brings some resolution, as the singer expresses a hope for a future where his dreams and reality might intersect. The phrase "our homeless dreams" suggests a shared sense of displacement, as though the singer and his lover both struggle to find a sense of belonging in the world. But, ultimately, the final line of the song serves as a reminder that, no matter what the future may hold, the singer will "always be a dreamin' man."
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a dreamin' man, yes, that's my problem
I tend to daydream and have difficulty separating fantasy from reality
I can't tell when I'm not being real
I struggle distinguishing between what is real and what is not
In the meadow dusk I park my Aerostar
At sunset, I park my van in an open field
With a loaded gun and sweet dreams of you
I have a gun and I'm thinking of you before I fall asleep
I'll always be a dreamin' man
I'll always be someone who dreams and imagines
I don't have to understand, I know it's alright
I don't need to understand why I dream, but I know it's okay
I see your curves and I feel your vibrations
I notice your physical shape and can sense your energy
You dressed in black and white, you lost in the mall
You are wearing black and white clothing, lost in a shopping center
I watch you disappear past Club Med Vacations
I see you fade away in the direction of a Club Med resort
Another sleepless night, a sun that won't fall
I'm having another night of insomnia and it seems like the sun won't ever set
Now the night is gone, a new day is dawning
The night has passed and a new day is beginning
And our homeless dreams go back to the street
Our unfulfilled aspirations return to reality
Another time or place, another civilization
If we were in a different era or society, life might seem more fulfilling
Really make this life feel so complete
If we could live in a different time or place, it might make our lives feel more fulfilling
Dreamin' man (He's got a problem)
The dreamin' man has a problem, he struggles with reality and living in the present
Dreamin' man
The dreamin' man is someone who dreams and imagines
Dreamin' man (He's got a problem)
The dreamin' man has a problem, he struggles with reality and living in the present
Dreamin' man
The dreamin' man is someone who dreams and imagines
Lyrics © Silver Fiddle, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind