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/
Harvest
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your mother in so much pain?
I was almost there at the top of the stairs
With her screamin' in the rain
Did she wake you up to tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
Did I see you walking with the boys?
Though it was not hand in hand
And was some black face in a lonely place
When you could understand?
Did she wake you up to tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
Will I see you give more than I can take?
Will I only harvest some?
As the days fly past will we lose our grasp
Or fuse it in the sun?
Did she wake you up to tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
The lyrics to "Harvest" by Neil Young have a bit of an ambiguous meaning, as is characteristic of the songwriter's style. The song seems to revolve around a series of disconnected images and vignettes about a relationship, perhaps a romantic one. The opening lines describe the singer seeing the woman in "a young girl's town" with her mother "in so much pain." Although the context behind this is never made clear, it is possible that the girl's mother is going through some kind of emotional turmoil, which could affect her daughter and any relationships she may be in.
The chorus of the song brings a sense of longing and a reaching out for something. It talks about filling someone's cup with the "promise of a man." This could mean a promise of love, protection, or security. The singer also asks if he will be able to keep his grasp on this relationship as time goes on or if it will slip away.
One interpretation of the lyrics to "Harvest" is that they are about the struggles of young love, and how difficult it can be to hold onto a relationship when the world around is changing so fast. The song suggests a longing for a stable, secure relationship in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Did I see you down in a young girl's town
With your mother in so much pain?
Did I catch a glimpse of you in a place where youth prevails, while your mother was going through a tough time?
I was almost there at the top of the stairs
With her screamin' in the rain
I was close to being there, at the moment when she was crying out in sorrow in the rain.
Did she wake you up to tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Did she wake you up to explain that it was all different from what had been planned before?
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
Imagine, imagine, let me give you hope for a better future with a man.
Did I see you walking with the boys?
Though it was not hand in hand
And was some black face in a lonely place
When you could understand?
Did I notice you walking alongside boys, but not holding hands, and did you see someone with dark skin in a place where they felt lonely and isolated?
Will I see you give more than I can take?
Will I only harvest some?
As the days fly past will we lose our grasp
Or fuse it in the sun?
Will I witness you being more generous than I am capable of, or will I only take what I can get from you? As time moves forward, will we lose touch or will we come closer together?
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
Imagine, imagine, let me provide you with hope for a better future with a man.
Did she wake you up to tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Dream up, dream up, let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man
Did she wake you up to explain that it was all different from what had been planned before? Imagine, imagine, let me give you hope for a better future with a man.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NothingLikeVinyl
(00:01) Out On The Weekend
(04:35) Harvest
(07:48) A Man Needs A Maid
(11:52) Heart Of Gold
(14:59) Are You Ready For The Country
(18:23) Old Man
(21:48) There's A World
(24:47) Alabama
(28:49) The Needle And The Damage Done
(30:52) Words (Between The Lines Of Age)
@villagirl753
Cut school one day in '72. Went to a diner w/jukebox at the booths - 3 songs for a quarter. Put in $5 worth of quarters and played Heart of Gold - only! Ah, what a great memory even though I got picked up for truancy!!!!
@everettmaddox4715
But the truancy memory, adds to it, doesn't it!
@cobaltmidnightoilamp6748
Villa Girl, Ohhhhhhh!😮
@suzannesaladino5368
Lol 😆💽🔊!!!
@kevinkreusling6373
Cool dude
@teachercharlesamericanengl2098
It was worth it! 😂
@bim382009
I’m 71 years old and remember how wonderful it was listening to Neil in my 1970 SS 396 Chevelle. I still have the memories and the Chevelle !
@tomavery1248
Me too. Great days. No Schwab or Fauci.
@neeshirey
Rock on, brother!
@neeshirey
@@tomavery1248 Fauci started working at the NIH in 1968, so he was already working there, but not yet pi$$ing off conspiracy theorists.