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/
Hey Hey My My
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey, hey, my, my
Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
When you're out of the blue and into the black
The king is gone but he's not forgotten (Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? (Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Hey, hey, my, my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Neil Young’s song “Hey Hey My My” is a rock anthem that speaks about the inevitability of rock and roll and the cost of fame. The opening line, “Hey, hey, my, my, rock and roll can never die,” is a testament to the power and enduring legacy of rock music. Young is saying that no matter what happens to artists or genres, rock and roll will always be a force to be reckoned with.
The lyrics delve into the darker side of rock and roll, discussing the disingenuous nature of the music industry. The line, “You pay for this, but they give you that” suggests that artists are often exploited and manipulated by record labels and managers, and that the price of fame can come at a high cost. The phrase “out of the blue and into the black” reinforces this idea, implying that artists are often thrown into the limelight without warning and can be easily consumed by the demands of the industry.
Young references Johnny Rotten, the lead singer of the Sex Pistols, in the line, “The king is gone but he's not forgotten.” Rotten was controversial and rebellious, and represented the punk rock movement of the late 1970s. Young then goes on to suggest that it’s better to burn out than to fade away, a line that would later be referenced by Kurt Cobain in his suicide note. This phrase symbolizes the self-destructive behavior that many rock stars exhibit, and the idea that it’s better to die young and leave a lasting legacy than to age and fade into obscurity.
Overall, “Hey Hey My My” is a powerful and poignant song that highlights both the strength and weaknesses of rock and roll. It celebrates the timeless nature of music while also examining the high price that fame can extract from artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey, my, my
Greetings, dear friends.
Rock and roll can never die
The rock and roll genre will continue to baffle people forever.
There's more to the picture
There is more than what you see
Than meets the eye
than what you perceive or understand
Out of the blue and into the black
This can mean abrupt changes in life, from very fortunate circumstances (the blue) to dark and dire circumstances (the black).
You pay for this, but they give you that
This can refer to bait-and-switch tactics used by salespeople or politicians.
And once you're gone, you can't come back
Once you leave a situation, it is challenging to go back or fix it.
The king is gone but he's not forgotten (Johnny Rotten, Johnny Rotten)
This could be reference to Elvis Presley or any famous musician who is no longer with us.
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? (Johnny Rotten, Rotten Johnny)
Neil is comparing Johnny Rotten’s story to all musicians whose legend lives on, despite their death.
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
It's better to be a comet and blaze brightly than fade away slowly.
Hey, hey, my, my
Greetings, dear friends.
Rock and roll can never die
The rock and roll genre will continue to baffle people forever.
There's more to the picture
There is more to it than meets the eye.
Than meets the eye
Than what you might be currently perceiving or understand.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young, Jeff Blackburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-kk5yn4lf3i
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my
Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that
Once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the tale of Johnny Rotten?
It's better to burn out than to fade away
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
...
@elleb541
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.
Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black.
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the tale of Johnny rotten?
It's better to burn out than fade away
The king is gone but he's not forgotten.
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.
@mariacarvalho9732
Who is listening to this in 2024 ?
@rjritsema
me and you
@biketob
Me for sure
@isaacmurphy6591
Yessir
@carlosalfredogutierrezvera4100
Me
@peterandreasen7937
ROFL
@nadyrroman5439
This is my neighbours favourite song, whether they like it or not.
@riverc.820
Stealing dis.
@Landers44
Nadyr Roman 😂Beautiful!
@sandib4234
Too funny.