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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Get Gone
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had me a Buick, was a '48
Yeah, tons and tons of rollin' steel
With a long black hoad and four big wheels.
Well, I worked so hard I flunked out of school
And everybody said I was a teenage fool
Meanwhile I wrote me a new set of rules
Well, we hit the road like a ton o' bricks
With an old guitar and a few hot licks
We were rockin' in the city and rockin' in the sticks
Didn't make much money but we had a lotta kicks.
Get gone, get gone
Get gone, oh yeah, get gone
Get gone, get gone
Get gone, oh yeah, get gone.
Well, then one day a city slicker walked up
Said, Son, I'm gonna make you a million bucks
Gonna fly around the country in a big ol' plane
Gonna get a lotta drugs, gonna feel no pain.
Well, I knew we were breakin' that highway rule
When we pulled outta town a little low on fuel
That big ol' plane fell from the sky
Me and the boys kissed the world goodbye
Yeah, me and the boys kissed the world goodbye.
Get gone, get gone
Get gone, oh yeah, get gone
Get gone, get gone
Get gone, oh yeah, get gone.
Neil Young's song "Get Gone" is a reflection of the artist's personal experience growing up and pursuing his dreams. The lyrics start with Young describing his youthful days, when he owned a powerful car, a 1948 Buick. The car possessed a massive engine, with large wheels, and Young fondly recalls the freedom and the power that came from owning such a vehicle. He worked hard, but it wasn't enough to sustain his academic performance, and he flunked out of school. Despite others' opinions, Young refused to give up on his dreams and instead chose a different path.
Young and his friends left their houses with nothing but a guitar and a few tunes to perform. They would play in the city and in the suburbs, to gain exposure to their music. While they didn't make much money during these times, they had a lot of fun doing what they loved. One day, a city slicker approached the band and offered them a chance to become millionaires; however, this meant breaking the "highway rule" of not driving when the fuel is low.
As they traveled across the US, the plane crashed, killing Young and his fellow bandmates. Their journey ended with a tragic end, and the lyrics suggest that it was their decision to take a risk that ultimately led to their demise. The chorus, "Get gone, get gone, Get gone, oh yeah, get gone" is repeated throughout the song to depict the urgency and restlessness of Young's character.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young boy, it weren't too late
Despite being a young boy, it was not too late for me to make something of my life.
I had me a Buick, was a '48
I owned a 1948 Buick, which was a car made of a lot of steel that was very durable and reliable.
Yeah, tons and tons of rollin' steel
My Buick was made of a lot of steel, which made it very sturdy and dependable.
With a long black hoad and four big wheels.
The car had a long black hood and four big wheels, which made it very impressive and stylish.
Well, I worked so hard I flunked out of school
I worked tirelessly, so much so that I failed out of school.
And everybody said I was a teenage fool
Everyone went on to call me a foolish teenager for my seemingly unwise choices.
Meanwhile I wrote me a new set of rules
Despite the criticism, I resolved to make new rules for myself to live by.
'Bout how to get gone and how to be cool.
These rules pertained to the art of leaving and being fashionable.
Well, we hit the road like a ton o' bricks
We wasted no time in getting on the road and driving at full speed.
With an old guitar and a few hot licks
In tow, we carried an old guitar, and I had made impressive musical arrangements.
We were rockin' in the city and rockin' in the sticks
We played our music in both the urban areas and rural countryside.
Didn't make much money but we had a lotta kicks.
Our earnings weren't much, but we had an enjoyable time nevertheless.
Get gone, get gone
Leaving is necessary to living life on our terms.
Get gone, oh yeah, get gone
We need to exit and take up new adventures in life, without hesitation.
Get gone, get gone
It's time to take the leap and move on to the next phase, leaving the past behind.
Get gone, oh yeah, get gone.
We must take bold steps towards living our best lives, and this requires departing from past routines and deciding on a new direction.
Well, then one day a city slicker walked up
I met an urban man one day, who presented a promising opportunity.
Said, Son, I'm gonna make you a million bucks
He claimed that he could make me a millionaire.
Gonna fly around the country in a big ol' plane
He proposed we travel across the nation in a large airplane.
Gonna get a lotta drugs, gonna feel no pain.
He desired we indulge in a lot of drugs and numbing agents.
Well, I knew we were breakin' that highway rule
I realized that we were deviating from the correct path and guidelines.
When we pulled outta town a little low on fuel
We departed the town with very low quantities of fuel.
That big ol' plane fell from the sky
The plane we boarded suddenly crashed down to the ground from the air.
Me and the boys kissed the world goodbye
I and my colleagues bid farewell to the world.
Yeah, me and the boys kissed the world goodbye.
My friends and I accepted death, perhaps because we had lived an adventurous and fulfilling life beforehand.
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