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!"
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Neil Young Lyrics
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Let me see the flowers and the bees before they fall
I know that you said they'll always be there
I know you're not worried and I know you care
And I know you ask all the same questions I do
I do
I do
Show me that flock of birds that filled the sky
Let me see the way they block the sun from my eye
I know you said they'd always be there
I know you're not worried, I know you care
I know you ask all the same questions I do
I do
I do
Why do I believe in you?
Why do I believe in you?
Why do I believe in you?
Show me that water in the stream that you saw
Let me see the sparkling clean and the fish swimming on
I know you said they'll always be there
I know you're not worried, and I know you care
I know you ask all the same questions I do
I do
I do
I do
Thanks for making all this happen again
We're gonna do it just like we did back then
I know that you said you'd always be there
And I know you're not worried, and I know you care
I know you ask all the same questions I do
I do
I do
I do
Why do I believe in you?
Why do I believe in you?
Why do I believe in you?
The lyrics to Neil Young/The Blue Notes' song "One Thing" are about a communication breakdown in a relationship. Despite the singer's attempts to express their feelings to their partner, they feel unheard and ignored. The repeated phrase "When I try to tell you one thing, you don't listen, when I try to tell you one thing, you don't care" emphasizes the frustration and futility of their efforts to connect. The singer is expressing concern that the relationship is in trouble, and that they are heading for heartache. They want their partner to acknowledge their feelings and to stop giving them the cold shoulder. The refrain "I think we're headed for a heartache, that's how I feel" reinforces the sense of impending doom, and the fear that the relationship is on the brink of collapse.
The song is also about the importance of love in our lives. The lines "you know a body feels empty with no love inside" and "a body feels empty with no love at all" suggest that love is crucial to our emotional well-being. The singer is urging their partner to recognize the value of their relationship and the love they share before it's too late.
Overall, "One Thing" is a poignant song about the difficulties of communication and the importance of love in our lives. It is a warning that relationships require effort and attention, and that without proper care, they can easily fall apart.
Line by Line Meaning
When I try to tell you one thing
Despite my attempts to communicate something important to you
You don't listen
You are not paying attention or taking in what I am saying
When I try to tell you one thing
Reiterating that I have attempted to communicate something important to you
You don't care.
You have a lack of concern or empathy for my thoughts or feelings
I think we're headed for a heartache
I anticipate that we are headed towards a painful and difficult situation
That's my suspicion
This is my assessment or belief based on the information available to me
I think we're headed for a heartache
Reiterating my belief that we are heading towards a painful outcome
That's how I feel.
This is my emotional response or intuition regarding our situation
And I don't want
I do not desire
The silent treatment
To be ignored or given the cold shoulder
And I don't need
I do not require
To feel the chill.
To experience a cold or distant attitude from you
You know a body feels empty
It is a well-known fact that a person can feel incomplete or lonely
With no love inside
Without affection or caring from others
Yeah, a body feels empty
Reaffirming the feeling of incompleteness
With no love at all.
Emphasizing the importance of love and affection in our lives
One of these days
At some point in the future
You're gonna wake up and I'll be gone
You will realize that I have left or moved on from our relationship
You'll open your eyes
You will become aware of reality
And see the truth.
You will understand the situation for what it is
When I try to tell you one thing
Repeating that I have attempted to convey something important to you
You don't listen
Reiterating that you are not taking in what I am saying
When I try to tell you one thing baby
Addressing you as a term of endearment to emphasize my desire for intimacy and closeness
You don't care.
Reaffirming that you have a lack of concern or empathy towards me
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind