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/
Hard Luck Stories
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I won't tell you mine
Don't tell me hard luck stories
And I won't tell you mine.
Every time you're feelin' fine
Got another good one on the line
It slips away,
I don't want no more from you
Won't do what you want me to
Turn me loose
Come on turn me loose, turn me loose.
Every time I'm feelin' good
The phone rings and I knock on wood
Hoping that it won't be you
Calling like you always do.
All you ever seem to say is
How much bad luck came your way
You won't try to start again
You just count on your old friends.
Don't tell me hard luck stories
And I won't tell you mine
Don't tell me hard luck stories
And I won't tell you mine.
Now you call up every day
Got no money no place to stay
That girl made a mess of you
You got what was comin' too.
Build her up and let her down
Tastin' everythin' in town
Treat her right, you never
Treat her right, treat her right.
Now she's gone and you're alone
Bite your fingers to the bone
Slip away,
You feel it slip away, slip away.
You don't know what's goin' on
How you lost it, what went wrong
What ever happened to
The love that you once knew.
Don't tell me hard luck stories
And I won't tell you mine
Don't tell me hard luck stories
And I won't tell you mine.
The song "Hard Luck Stories" is a simple but powerful message about not burdening others with negative stories or complaints. Neil Young is saying that he doesn't want to hear negative stories from others, as he has enough of his own issues to deal with. He emphasizes this message by repeating the lines "Don't tell me hard luck stories, and I won't tell you mine."
The lyrics also explore the idea of losing something good just as you think you have it. On one hand, the singer expresses frustration that every time he feels good, something happens to ruin it, such as receiving a call from someone who always brings him down. On the other hand, the singer reflects on his own mistakes, admitting that he has also let good things slip away, like a relationship. The song seems to suggest that life is full of setbacks and disappointment, but dwelling on them too much only makes things worse.
One interpretation of the song could be that it speaks to the importance of letting go of each other's misfortunes and focusing on finding solutions instead of dwelling on problems.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't tell me hard luck stories
Do not recount tales of misfortune to me
And I won't tell you mine
In return, I will not disclose my own troubles
Every time you're feelin' fine
Whenever you are in good spirits
Got another good one on the line
You have a new opportunity or prospect to pursue
It slips away,
However, it ultimately escapes your grasp
You feel it slip away, slip away.
You feel its loss acutely and repeatedly
I don't want no more from you
I do not desire anything more from you
Won't do what you want me to
I will not comply with your demands
Turn me loose
Set me free
Come on turn me loose, turn me loose.
I implore you to release me and let me go
Every time I'm feelin' good
Similarly, whenever I feel content
The phone rings and I knock on wood
Something ominous happens, such as receiving a phone call, and I knock on wood for good luck
Hoping that it won't be you
I am hoping that it will not be you calling me
Calling like you always do.
As you typically do whenever you are in need
All you ever seem to say is
Each time we talk, it seems that all you discuss is
How much bad luck came your way
The multitude of unfortunate circumstances that have befallen you
You won't try to start again
You seem unwilling to initiate a fresh beginning
You just count on your old friends.
Reliant on long-standing relationships to sustain you
Now you call up every day
Presently, you call me daily
Got no money no place to stay
You lack both financial resources and a place to reside
That girl made a mess of you
The actions of a girl led to your downfall
You got what was comin' too.
You received a just penalty for your actions
Build her up and let her down
You raised her up by investing in the relationship, only to subsequently disappoint her
Tastin' everythin' in town
Indulging in all that the city has to offer
Treat her right, you never
You failed to treat her properly
Treat her right, treat her right.
The correct way to comport oneself is to treat her right
Now she's gone and you're alone
Now, she has ended the relationship and you are alone
Bite your fingers to the bone
You are filled with regret, blaming yourself for the failure of the relationship
Slip away,
In a similar vein, it feels like everything is gradually disappearing
You feel it slip away, slip away.
This feeling of loss is pervasive and ongoing
You don't know what's goin' on
You feel confused and uncertain about the situation
How you lost it, what went wrong
You are unsure how you lost the love that was once mutual, and what led to its demise
What ever happened to
Where did things go astray for
The love that you once knew.
The love that was once present between you and your partner
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind