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/
Get A Job
Neil Young Lyrics
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Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
Ahh, yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
Every morning about this time
She gets me out of bed, a-crying get a job
After breakfast everyday she throws the want ads right my way
And never fails to say get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
Ahh, yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
And when I get the paper I read it through and through
And my girl never fails to see if there is any work for me
When I go back to the house, hear that woman's mouth
Preachin' and a cryin', tell me that I'm lyin' about a job
That I never could find
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
Ahh, yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
Yeah, when I get the paper I read it through and through
And my girl never fails to say if there is any work for me
And when I go back to the house, I hear that woman's mouth
Preachin' and a cryin', tell me that I'm lyin' about a job
That I never could find
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
The lyrics to Neil Young & Crazy Horse's song Get A Job deal with the frustration of being unemployed and the constant pressure and nagging of loved ones to find work. The song's opening uses nonsensical sounds and syllables to create a sense of urgency and chaos, highlighting the singer's desperation to find a job. The lyrics reveal a cycle of the singer's partner urging them to find work, the singer searching for available jobs, and returning home empty-handed to be met with disappointment and frustration from their partner.
The repetition of the phrase "get a job" throughout the song emphasizes the theme of labor and the importance of having work to sustain oneself. The lyrics also touch on themes of gender, power dynamics in relationships, and the pressures of societal norms. Overall, the song captures the struggles and emotional toll of unemployment.
Line by Line Meaning
Yip-yip-yip-yip-yip-yip, bmm
Nonsensical sounds used as an introduction to the song.
Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na, ahh-do
Nonsensical sounds used as a refrain throughout the song.
Mum-mum-mum-mum-mum-mum, get a job
The singer's girlfriend or wife repeatedly tells him to find employment.
Every morning about this time
The girlfriend or wife pesters the artist every morning.
She gets me out of bed, a-crying get a job
The girlfriend or wife wakes the artist up and tells him to find a job.
After breakfast everyday she throws the want ads right my way
The girlfriend or wife gives the singer job advertisements to look at after breakfast every day.
And never fails to say get a job
The girlfriend or wife always makes it clear that the singer needs to find a job.
And when I get the paper I read it through and through
The artist reads the newspaper thoroughly to find any job listings.
And my girl never fails to see if there is any work for me
The girlfriend or wife checks with the artist to see if he found any job listings in the newspaper.
When I go back to the house, hear that woman's mouth
When the artist returns home, he hears his girlfriend or wife nagging him about not finding a job.
Preachin' and a cryin', tell me that I'm lyin' about a job
The girlfriend or wife accuses the singer of lying about finding a job.
That I never could find
The artist has been unsuccessful in his job search.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Earl Beal, Raymond Edwards, William Horton, Richard Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind