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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Everybody
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They rock until they drop and then they rock some more
Yeah, everybody's rockin', well, everybody's rockin'
Everybody's rockin', rockin' to the dancin' beat.
From the shaky city down to New Orleans
The Golden Gate to the Bronx and Queens
Everybody's rockin', yeah, everybody's rockin',
When Ronnie and Nancy do the bop on the lawn
They're rockin' in the White House all night long.
Everybody's rockin', everybody's rockin',
Everybody's rockin', rockin' their blues away.
Everybody's rockin', rockin' their blues away
Everybody's rockin', rockin' all night and day.
Everybody's rockin', everybody's rockin'
Yeah, everybody's rockin', everybody's rockin'
Everybody's rockin', rockin' to the dancin' beat.
Everybody's rockin', dancin' to the rockin' beat.
The lyrics of Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks's "Everybody's Rockin'" speak to the universal appeal of rock and roll. The song celebrates the way rock music brings people together across generations and geographical locations. The song opens with the image of "grandma and grandpa" getting out on the floor and rocking until they drop, emphasizing the way that rock music is enjoyed by people of all ages. The chorus repeats the phrase "everybody's rockin'" several times, further emphasizing the universal appeal of rock.
The second verse takes us on a journey from "the shaky city down to New Orleans" and highlights the way that people from all over the country are united by their love for rock music. The verse mentions specific geographic locations such as the Golden Gate and Queens to emphasize the diversity of the rock community. The third verse is particularly interesting, as it references Ronald and Nancy Reagan and suggests that even the President and First Lady were not immune to the power of rock music. The verse also mentions "rockin' their blues away," suggesting that rock music has therapeutic qualities and can help people escape their problems and have a good time.
Line by Line Meaning
When grandma and grandpa get out on the floor
When elderly folks decide to dance
They rock until they drop and then they rock some more
They dance until they're exhausted, then keep dancing
Yeah, everybody's rockin', well, everybody's rockin'
Everyone is dancing and enjoying the music
Everybody's rockin', rockin' to the dancin' beat.
All are dancing to the beat of the music
From the shaky city down to New Orleans
From places like San Francisco to New Orleans
The Golden Gate to the Bronx and Queens
From famous landmarks to boroughs of New York
Everybody's rockin', yeah, everybody's rockin',
Everyone is still dancing and having a good time
Well, everybody's rockin', rockin' to the dancin' beat.
All are dancing to the beat of the music
When Ronnie and Nancy do the bop on the lawn
When former president Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan dance
They're rockin' in the White House all night long.
They dance all night long inside the White House
Everybody's rockin', everybody's rockin',
Everyone is still dancing and having a good time
Everybody's rockin', rockin' their blues away.
Dancing helps everyone forget their troubles
Everybody's rockin', rockin' their blues away
Dancing helps everyone forget their troubles
Everybody's rockin', rockin' all night and day.
People dance all day and night long
Everybody's rockin', everybody's rockin',
Everyone is still dancing and having a good time
Yeah, everybody's rockin', everybody's rockin'
Everyone is still dancing and having a good time
Everybody's rockin', rockin' to the dancin' beat.
All are dancing to the beat of the music
Everybody's rockin', dancin' to the rockin' beat.
All are dancing to the beat of the music
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