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/
Hitchhiker
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had to count on you
But you needed me to ease the load snd for conversation too
Or did you just drive on through?
You didn't see me in Toronto
When I first tried out some hash
I smoked through a pen and I'd do it again if I only had some cash
Then I tried amphetamines
My head was in a glass
Taped underneath the speedometer wires of my '48 Buick's dash
But I knew that wouldn't last
Then came California
When I first saw open water
In the land of opportunity
I knew I was getting hotter
I knew I was getting hotter
But the neon light and the endless night
They took me by surprise
The doctor gave me Valium but I still couldn't close my eyes
I still couldn't close my eyes
Then came paranoia
And it ran away with me
I couldn't sign my autograph or appear on TV
Or see or be seen
Living in the country
Sounded good to me
Smoking grass with my Chicago lass in the real organic sea
Where everything was green
We had a kid and we split apart
Now I'm living on the road
And a little cocaine goes a long, long way to ease that different load
But that ain't all that I know
I wish I was an Aztec
Or a runner in Peru
I would build such beautiful buildings
To house the chosen few
Like an Inca from Peru
The lyrics to Neil Young's "Hitchhiker" describe the singer’s journey through life and his various experiences with drugs, music, and relationships. The song begins with Young reminiscing about his time hitchhiking on the road and relying on others to ease his burden. He contemplates whether those individuals who gave him rides did so out of genuine interest in conversation or merely to lighten their own load.
The second verse of the song details Young's experimentation with drugs in Toronto, first with hash and then amphetamines. He talks about his car, a '48 Buick, and how he had to tape drugs to the speedometer wires. The song takes a turn when he reaches California and experiences the bright lights and endless nights. The doctor prescribes Valium, but Young still can't sleep. The loneliness and paranoia that follow also prevent him from signing autographs and appearing on television.
In the final verse, Young talks about how he left the city for a simpler life in the country, smoking grass with his girlfriend. They had a child but eventually split up, and Young continues to live on the road. Cocaine helps him ease the pain of the separation, but he ultimately wishes he were an Aztec or an Inca, building beautiful buildings to house the chosen few. The imagery used throughout the song gives listeners a glimpse into Young's various struggles with addiction, loneliness, and ultimately his desire for escape from a world that often feels confusing and unfulfilling.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a hitchhiker on the road
At a time when I was completely dependent on the kindness of strangers
I had to count on you
I had to rely on the help and support of others to get by
But you needed me to ease the load and for conversation too
However, I realized that some people actually enjoyed having me around for company
Or did you just drive on through?
Or perhaps they were just passing through and didn't really care about my situation
You didn't see me in Toronto
I was once all alone in Toronto with no one to turn to for assistance
When I first tried out some hash
It was at that point that I turned to drugs to make myself feel better
I smoked through a pen and I'd do it again if I only had some cash
I had to get creative with my drug use because I didn't have much money
If I only had some cash, ooh
Given the choice, I would have preferred to rely on more conventional means of coping
Then I tried amphetamines
My drug experimentation continued with more dangerous and harmful substances
My head was in a glass
I felt completely disconnected from reality
Taped underneath the speedometer wires of my '48 Buick's dash
I was so desperate for my fix that I even went to the trouble of hiding my drugs in my car
But I knew that wouldn't last
I realized that this lifestyle was not sustainable
Then came California
Eventually, I found myself in California
When I first saw open water
In this new environment, I was struck by a sense of possibility and freedom
In the land of opportunity
California represented a new chance for me to start over and make something of myself
I knew I was getting hotter
I was feeling more alive and motivated than ever before
But the neon light and the endless night
However, the bright lights and constant activity of the city soon started to wear me down
They took me by surprise
I was unprepared for the challenges of living in a place like California
The doctor gave me Valium but I still couldn't close my eyes
I turned to medication to try and help me cope with my anxiety and fears
I still couldn't close my eyes
Even with medication, I struggled to find any sense of peace or calm
Then came paranoia
Eventually, I became consumed by extreme feelings of anxiety and fear
And it ran away with me
My paranoia completely took over my life and all my thoughts
I couldn't sign my autograph or appear on TV
I became so entrenched in my paranoia that it became difficult to function in day-to-day life
Or see or be seen
I became disconnected from the outside world and cut off from other people
Living in the country
Eventually, I left the city for a more rural lifestyle
Sounded good to me
I was hoping that this would give me the peace and solitude I needed to overcome my problems
Smoking grass with my Chicago lass in the real organic sea
I found comfort in the simple pleasures of life and sharing them with others
Where everything was green
I found solace in being surrounded by nature and all of its beauty
We had a kid and we split apart
However, my personal struggles and demons eventually led to the breakup of my family
Now I'm living on the road
I found myself back on the road and in a place of deep uncertainty and instability
And a little cocaine goes a long, long way to ease that different load
Once again, I turned to drugs to try and cope with my troubles
But that ain't all that I know
I am aware that this lifestyle and way of coping is not sustainable and will only lead to more pain and suffering
I wish I was an Aztec
I often dream of going back in time to a simpler existence
Or a runner in Peru
I romanticize the idea of living in a different culture and time
I would build such beautiful buildings
In this fantasy world, I see myself as being able to create beauty and better the world around me
To house the chosen few
However, in reality, I am aware that this is just a pipe dream and not something that will ever happen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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=t2010_0329_01
@AurtherRocks
I was born in 86’. That’s really not important. You’re my muse. You and Stephen. Thank you
@chrisweidner2617
Thank you for the joy and wisdom you have brought to my life over the past 50 years, 61 now. I wish you and yours perfect health, contentment and great joy.
@afr3861
You are the best
@petrnovotny8363
Hi Neil thank you for your music you and Bob Dylan are the best! Greetings from Prague, today I am listening to Colorado, love that. And Le Noise is so magical there is something spiritual in the sound. Have a nice day! Petr
@TheKiller-yh3pi
Neil, you’re the shit without the toilet paper..a sincere inspiration to all the true artists of the world. The real deal bro
@nikaa.6272
One of Neil's best! Totally underrated; it's a masterpiece both lyrically and sonically.
@philpeers506
Nika A ,'''"""""""" "
@ShepFL002
Props to you young lady for recognizing musical genius!
@wilhelmlorenz5695
How HONEST,🤫🌝🤩