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/
Helpless
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dream comfort memory to spare
And in my mind I still need a place to go
All my changes were there
Blue, blue windows behind the stars
Yellow moon on the rise
Big birds flying across the sky
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Babe, can you hear me now?
The chains are locked and tied across the door
Baby, sing with me somehow
Blue, blue windows behind the stars
Yellow moon on the rise
Big birds flying across the sky
Throwing shadows on our eyes
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Neil Young's song "Helpless" is an emotional and yearning depiction of a nostalgic longing for a small town in Northern Ontario. The song speaks of dreaming of the town and needing a place to go, suggesting that the singer has been away from the town for a while and desires to return. The feeling of nostalgia is emphasized further by the description of the town as a place of comfort memory to spare, where all the singer's changes took place.
The lyrical imagery employed by Young is evocative and emotive. The blue, blue windows behind the stars and the yellow moon on the rise nurture the themes of nature that are prominent in many of his songs. The big birds flying across the sky throwing shadows on their eyes could be interpreted as representing the sense of fear or uncertainty that accompanies nostalgia, as the comfort of the past pulls one in two directions.
The chorus of "Helpless" reinforces the feeling of a yearning ache for home, with the repeated lines of "Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless" and "Babe, can you hear me now?". It is a plea for aid or support, with the chains locked and tied across the door representing a sense of entrapment or being stuck in the present. The song takes the listener on a journey of emotional turbulence, where the yearning for the town and the memories it holds is palpable and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a town in North Ontario
The singer reflects on a location of comfort in Ontario
Dream comfort memory to spare
The singer holds dear memories of the location
And in my mind I still need a place to go
Years on, it is still a comfort to think of the location
All my changes were there
The comforting location played a key role in the singer's life
Blue, blue windows behind the stars
The view of heavens beyond the small town had a blue tint
Yellow moon on the rise
The moon would rise and it would appear yellowish
Big birds flying across the sky
Large birds were a common sight overhead
Throwing shadows on our eyes
The birds' flight would create shadows that obstructed people's vision
Leave us
The birds simply fly on, uncaring of how much they affect the surroundings
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The singer feels trapped and unable to change his current plight
Babe, can you hear me now?
The singer seeks solace and refuge in his partner
The chains are locked and tied across the door
The singer's plight feels inescapable and oppressive
Baby, sing with me somehow
The singer turns to music as a form of catharsis
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The feeling of being trapped and helpless remains throughout the song
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The feeling of impotence and hopelessness resonates with the singer
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The song becomes a cathartic lamentation of the singer's present plight
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
No resolution is offered, but the weight of the helpless emotion is expressed in repetition
(Helpless, helpless) helpless, helpless
The chorus is repeated, driving home the emotional angst of the song
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The helplessness keeps pervading the mind of the singer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
super tramp
There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind
I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me now?
The chains are locked
and tied across the door,
Baby, sing with me somehow.
Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
neilyoungchannel
Hi, this is Neil. Link to the NYA info-card for this song with press, documents, manuscripts, photos, videos. Look around NYA for fun and listening! ALL my music in high resolution at https://neilyoungarchives.com/info-card?track=t1971_0119_08
Paul Isaac
“There is a town in North Ontario” one of my Favorite song openers!
jjstratford
If this is really Neil, I just wanted to tell you this concert, as well as Live at the Cellar Door in 1970 (I think) are two of my favorite live performances from ANY ARTIST. Simply awestruck at the emotional gut punch of some of this material. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Dave Bouchier
@Barrel boys fishing get lost goof
Barrel boys fishing
@Dave Bouchier oh Boo hoo
Dave Bouchier
Thanks for selling out and becoming a commercialized product. Lost a lifelong fan
C M
This is my first time hearing this song, and I feel so overwhelmed. I'm crying, but I'm not sure I know why I'm crying. Maybe that's what the greatest art does--it allows us to access something inside ourselves we didn't know was there.
David Blaine
Jeeze
Logan G. Mohler
I get it
Ed Styer
Amein