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/
Early Morning Rain
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And an aching in my heart and my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home and I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain with no place to go
Out on runway number nine, 707s set to go
And I'm stuck here in the grass where the cold wind blows
And the liquor tasted good and the women all were fast
Hear the mighty engines roar, see the silver bird on high
She's away in westward bound, far above the clouds she'll fly
Where the morning rain don't fall, where the sun always shines
She'll be flying over my home in about three hours time
This old airport has brought me down, it's no earthly good to me
'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground as cold and drunk as I can be
You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train
So, I'd best be on my way in the early morning rain
In Neil Young's Early Morning Rain, the singer paints a picture of a cold morning, stuck in an airport, with nowhere to go. He is holding a dollar, but his pockets are filled with sand. He longs for his loved ones and is feeling homesick. He is surrounded by planes on runway number nine, yet he is stuck and unable to leave. Drinking alcohol is his way of numbing the pain, but it doesn't change the fact that he is trapped. He watches a 707 (a Boeing airplane) take flight, headed westward, and wishes he could go home to his loved ones soon.
This song is about the loneliness and desperation that can come with travel. The metaphor of sand in his pockets symbolizes the weight of his despair. The line "You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train" suggests frustration with the limitations of technology and the fact that he doesn't have control over his situation. The song seems to be a reflection of the singer's own life, as Neil Young wrote it after his own experience being stranded in an airport in 1964.
Line by Line Meaning
In the early morning rain with a dollar in my hand
I find myself stranded with barely any money left in the early morning
And an aching in my heart and my pockets full of sand
I feel tremendous sadness inside and my pockets are filled with nothing but useless sand
I'm a long way from home and I miss my loved ones so
Being far from home I desperately miss my family and those who hold meaning in my life
In the early morning rain with no place to go
I am stuck here with no destination in mind while the early morning rain pours down
Out on runway number nine, 707s set to go
On the runway, the 707 planes are all set to take off
And I'm stuck here in the grass where the cold wind blows
I find myself stranded here in the cold grass, surrounded by the unforgiving wind
And the liquor tasted good and the women all were fast
In an attempt to cope, I found solace in alcohol and fast women
Yeah, there she goes my friend, she's going down at last
I sigh with resignation as the last plane takes off, leaving me alone
Hear the mighty engines roar, see the silver bird on high
I hear the deafening sound of the planes taking off and see them soaring high in the sky
She's away in westward bound, far above the clouds she'll fly
As the planes depart, they head towards the west, flying far above the clouds
Where the morning rain don't fall, where the sun always shines
They are flying towards a place where the rain never falls and the sun always shines
She'll be flying over my home in about three hours time
As the plane flies over my home, I won't be there to witness it
This old airport has brought me down, it's no earthly good to me
The airport has been nothing but a source of disappointment and frustration for me
'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground as cold and drunk as I can be
With no hope of escape, I am left stranded on the cold ground, drunk and hopeless
You can't jump a jet plane like you can a freight train
Unlike a freight train, there's no easy way to hitch a ride on a jet plane
So, I'd best be on my way in the early morning rain
Considering my current situation, it's best that I start moving forward in the early morning rain
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gregor allnight
One of the best songwriters and musicians to
ever record in studio and to take the stage and
perform...and a great man to stand up for and
give to worthy causes such as the call to bring
more and much needed love,care,respect,
appreciation,healing and protection for our
amazing,beautiful but now much abused and
polluted planet earth..for all eco-systems,lands,
air and waters and all wildlife...lets all pray for
and do all that we can to help our earth..thank you,Neil
dead channel
Two of Canada's best...
Two of the world's best...
Thank you Neil...
Thank you Gordon...
DowntownCanon
But Bieber is THE best.
Arif Shahabuddin
@DowntownCanon I don't belieb you.
樋口修三
❤❤ｎ
guesser7
As Crosby often said Neil is the most talented musician I have ever met. His talent is endless.
Sweet Caroline
There's no mistaking Neil Young's one-of-a-kind voice and he sounds fantastic, as usual. 🤗
Joe Kilday
He's very good, but no Dylan. Bob's the main man.
Devon Glennon
@Joe Kilday Phil Ochs you mean
Alfred James Kingston
Joe Bob does a great version also.
Stevie Boots
For me, no one did this song, better than he! . Thank you Neil for, YOUR, heart of Gold, love and dedication to the music industry!! Can't imagine life without your work 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟