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/
Expecting To Fly (Buffalo Spr
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Expecting to fly.
While I laughed, I wondered whether
I could wave goodbye,
Knowin' that you'd gone.
By the summer it was healing,
We had said goodbye.
All the years we'd spent with feeling
Babe, ended with a cry,
Babe, ended with a cry.
I tried so hard to stand
As I stumbled and fell to the ground.
So hard to laugh as I fumbled
And reached for the love I found,
Knowin' it was gone.
If I never lived without you,
Now you know I'd die.
If I never said I loved you,
Now you know I'd try,
Babe, now you know I'd try.
Babe, now you know I'd try,
Babe.
"Expecting To Fly" is a melancholic song written and performed by Neil Young. The song appears to be about a lost love and the pain that follows the breakup. The lyrics convey the emotions of sadness, regret, and longing. From the very first lines of the song, it is clear that the singer and someone else are at a crucial point in their relationship. While one person is ready to soar and spread their wings, the other is hesitant to let go, and the singer wonders if they will ever be able to say goodbye.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the relationship has ended, and the two have parted ways despite the pain of separation. In the second verse, the singer reflects on the difficulty of moving on and the struggle to find love again after losing something so important. The lyrics express the idea that it is hard to stand again after falling from such great heights, and that the love they once shared is gone forever.
Overall, "Expecting To Fly" is a hauntingly beautiful song that eloquently captures the sorrow and complexity of relationships. Neil Young's vocal delivery is emotive and poignant, and the evocative lyrics leave a lasting impression on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
There you stood on the edge of your feather,
You were standing on the precipice of a new beginning, unsure of whether you could take flight.
Expecting to fly.
You were hopeful and optimistic about what lay ahead.
While I laughed, I wondered whether
I couldn't help but laugh at your ambition, but at the same time I questioned whether I should say goodbye.
I could wave goodbye,
Saying farewell to someone who is taking a new path can be difficult, but also necessary.
Knowin' that you'd gone.
Once you left, I knew things would never be the same.
By the summer it was healing,
As time passed, the pain of separation began to lessen.
We had said goodbye.
We had parted ways, but the memory of our time together remained.
All the years we'd spent with feeling
The memories of our time together were full of emotion and passion.
Ended with a cry,
Our relationship came to an end and we both shed tears for what we had lost.
Babe, ended with a cry,
Despite the pain, we still had affection for each other.
I tried so hard to stand
I made every effort to move on from our relationship.
As I stumbled and fell to the ground.
But it was a difficult journey and I often felt defeated.
So hard to laugh as I fumbled
It was difficult to find joy in life as I struggled to come to terms with our breakup.
And reached for the love I found,
I tried to move on and find new love to replace what I had lost.
Knowin' it was gone.
But deep down I knew that what we had could never be truly replaced.
If I never lived without you,
I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without you in it.
Now you know I'd die.
Your presence in my life was so important that I would not want to live without it.
If I never said I loved you,
I may not have always been the best at expressing my feelings, but I hope you know how I truly felt.
Now you know I'd try,
If given the chance, I would do everything in my power to make sure you knew how much I cared.
Babe, now you know I'd try.
Despite everything, my love for you would endure if given the chance.
Contributed by Sebastian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.