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/
I Ain't Got The Blues
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my body feels the same
And it feels like fallin' on down
And find another name
But the sand in my shoes
May trickle to my brain
Well, I ain't got the blues
But something more tame
Oh yeah, something more tame.
Well the sound of the drums
Is pounding in my head
Like ten thousand dancers
With bodies full of lead
And I feel like a bull
With an eye-full of red
Well, I ain't got the blues
But something better bred
Oh yeah, something better bred
Oh yeah, something better bred.
If tomorrow sees another
Kind of farm I know
Well, the people and the soldiers
And the gypsies groan
It would be like a wonder
And I cannot let it go
Well, I ain't got the blues
But something more slow
Oh yeah, something more slow
Oh yeah, something more slow.
But the people in the cities
And the other ones too
Ain't got too many wonders
That they're not tied to
And I can't help but feeling
As I'm wearing straight through
Well, I ain't got the blues
But something more true
Oh yeah, something more true
Oh yeah, something more true.
The lyrics of Neil Young's "I Ain't Got the Blues" touch on the theme of transformation and the need for change. The opening verse suggests a feeling of disorientation, with the singer feeling "light-headed" but his body feeling the same. He contemplates the need to find another name, symbolizing a new identity or way of being. The sand in his shoes may symbolize his past holding him back, but he insists that he doesn't have the blues and feels something more tame.
In the second verse, Young employs powerful imagery to convey the pounding of the drums, representing the heaviness of life's burdens. He feels like a bull with an eye full of red, which symbolizes his anger and frustration at his situation. Despite this, he insists that he's not feeling the blues but something better bred. This could suggest a sense of strength or resilience that comes from going through difficult experiences.
The final verse touches on the idea of wonder, with the singer suggesting that people in cities and elsewhere have become too tied to their routines to experience it. He feels like he's "wearing straight through," implying that he's getting worn down by the weight of the world. Even so, Young insists that he's not feeling the blues but something more true, suggesting that he's searching for authenticity in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm a little light-headed
Although I'm feeling a bit disoriented, my physical state remains the same
But my body feels the same
My physical state hasn't changed despite feeling a bit off
And it feels like fallin' on down
I sense a loss of balance, as if I'm about to fall down
And find another name
Perhaps I'd like to start a new chapter, embody a different persona
But the sand in my shoes
Metaphorically speaking, I feel weighed down by my past
May trickle to my brain
Those heavy memories might be affecting my thought processes
Well, I ain't got the blues
I'm not sad, but there's certainly something else going on inside
But something more tame
It's not an overpowering feeling, perhaps something more subdued or passive
Oh yeah, something more tame
I'm pretty sure what I'm feeling is more under control than chaotic
Well the sound of the drums
The beat of life, the pulse of existence
Is pounding in my head
I'm acutely aware of the rhythm of life
Like ten thousand dancers
It's not just a simple, singular beat, but a complex, layered sound
With bodies full of lead
There's a heaviness to it, as though it's difficult to keep moving forward
And I feel like a bull
I'm filled with a sense of strength and power
With an eye-full of red
That power can be overwhelming, even violent
Well, I ain't got the blues
Despite the intensity of my emotions, I'm not unhappy
But something better bred
In fact, this surge of energy might be helpful in achieving my goals
Oh yeah, something better bred
I'm pretty sure that these feelings have positive potential
If tomorrow sees another
When I consider the future
Kind of farm I know
Even if things change and become unfamiliar
Well, the people and the soldiers
Despite the differences between people and those who serve in the military
And the gypsies groan
And even despite the struggles of those with a nomadic lifestyle
It would be like a wonder
In some ways, it still feels miraculous to be alive
And I cannot let it go
I'm not willing to lose sight of that sense of wonder
Well, I ain't got the blues
I'm still not weighed down by sadness or despair
But something more slow
Perhaps I'm feeling a bit more pensive or contemplative
Oh yeah, something more slow
Whatever the case, it's not as intense or frenzied as before
But the people in the cities
When I consider the lives of those who live in urban areas
And the other ones too
And even people from other walks of life
Ain't got too many wonders
It can be harder to find that sense of awe when mired in daily life
That they're not tied to
Many people simply take their circumstances for granted
And I can't help but feeling
It's hard not to be introspective
As I'm wearing straight through
As though parts of myself are being worn away over time
Well, I ain't got the blues
Despite the sense that something is off, I'm not unhappy
But something more true
It's a feeling that resonates with my deepest self
Oh yeah, something more true
This feeling has a ring of authenticity to it
Contributed by Bella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
NYarchiveFan
This track was indeed released on NYA Vol1 as a BD_Live download in 2009.
Jason N Stegall
He doesn't... but we all know that he do.
eriq gislason
:))))))