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 Wonder
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I did before
Last night I cried myself to sleep
For the one that makes me weep
I dried my eyes to greet the day,
And wondered why I had to pay
The tears that I have shed by day
The memory of the night before
I wonder if I'll suffer more
I wonder if I care as much
As I did before
My pride is made to say forgive
And take the blame for what you did
It's your mistakes I'm thinkin' of
I wonder if I'm still in love
My heart can't thrive on misery
My life it has no destiny
When things get more
Than I can bear
I ask myself, do I still care?
I wonder if I care as much
As I did before
In this song, Neil Young is expressing his loneliness and heartbreak after a breakup. He wonders who his ex-girlfriend is with and who is holding her tight. However, he acknowledges that there is nothing he can do to change the situation, and he never cared too much anyway. He tells himself that he will forget her someday, and he can try again. The repetition of the same lines emphasizes the torment of the singer’s thoughts and his inability to overcome his sorrow. The simplicity of the lyrics underscores the all-consuming pain of heartbreak.
Neil Young's song "I Wonder" was written in 1964 and first released in 1983 on the album "Old Ways." The song has a simple yet emotional melody, with a classic country feel that is typical of much of Young's early work. It is one of the earliest examples of his ability to convey raw emotion through songwriting, which became a hallmark of his career. Neil Young is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and "I Wonder" is one of his most beloved early songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I wonder who's with her tonight
The singer is questioning who his former lover is spending the night with.
And I wonder who is holding her tight
The singer is wondering who his former lover is cuddled up with.
But there's nothing I can say
The singer acknowledges that he cannot change the situation.
To make him go away
The artist wishes he could make his former lover's new partner leave.
Well I never cared too much anyway
The artist is trying to convince themselves they never truly cared for their former lover.
Well I guess that I'll forget her someday
Despite the pain of the current situation, the singer knows that they will eventually move on.
Well I guess that I can give it another try
The singer is considering giving love another chance.
There's no used to just sitting here and crying
The artist realizes that wallowing in self-pity won't change anything.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Donald Everly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
HIMcDonnough
I remember this on MTV way back when and I always thought it was goofy, and I made fun of it. It popped into my head for some reason, so I looked it up and here I am. Now though, it’s actually great! I love it. Such a catchy tune and unique video. Maybe just nostalgia, but I’m glad that I revisited this song and video.
chris krueger
Same here!
Michele Herbert
I think everyone of our generation laughed at the video and made fun of it back in the 80’s. I know my sister and I did. And the other day it popped into my head and I looked it up and I had to send it right away to my sister and we were laughing. Yes it’s much better hearing it today than back then when we made fun of everything!
Armorer 94
It IS goofy. But that's why I've always loved it. Very absurdist, tongue planted firmly in-cheek. Some people didn't get the joke. I did. Recorded it with a cassette off the TV, that's so much I liked it. And nearly 40 years on, I still like it.
DeadlyRamon
The song sounds much better to me now, when I'm almost 50, then it did when I first encountered it on MTV in my late preadolescence.
sweethands
Same happened to me. Its aged well.
TheCanine2
An atypical retro tune done nicely by Neil Young. I remember seeing him do this song at a concert in about '82 or '83. The audience booed him big time. They just didn't get it. They wanted to see Neil Young the hippie. Rock concert audiences are too often a bunch of morons who don't understand or appreciate a true iconoclast. They go for the packaged rebellion instead. What is that, like a '57 Cadillac?
Chris White
How dare they not like something they don't like!
Anna LA
I was about 10 when I heard this and really only knew a few NY songs but knew enough to recognize how different this was. I didn’t get that he was stick in’ it to the man but the video made me laugh. His expressions killed me! I also find it a catchy tune.
Lyne Miller
I also saw him booed during this tour in Philly. Being hardcore NY fan I stayed & got a kick out of it.