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/
If You Got Love
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hold your head up high
You talk to people eye to eye
There's nothing to hide
You're feeling so complete inside
Your heart feels so complete inside
'Cause you got love.
You know you got it
If you got love
Can't live without it
If you got love
The world you're walking in
Is at your command
You're staring in the face of scorn
You know your spirit can't be torn
You're living like a satellite
Maintain your distance through the night
You know that something isn't right
Your heart tells you it's just not right
'Cause you got love.
If you got love
You know you got it
If you got love
Can't live without it
If you got love
The world you're walking in
Is at your command.
If you got love
The world you're walking in
Is at your command
If you got love
To share
If you got love
To share.
Neil Young's song "If You Got Love" is a powerful declaration of the transformative power of love. The song opens with an image of a confident, self-assured person entering a room and connecting with others on an authentic level. The singer describes this person as "feeling so complete inside" and suggests that this sense of completeness comes from having love in their life. The chorus reinforces this message, stating that if you have love, you know it, and it is impossible to live without. Love becomes a force that gives you control over the world around you, making it "at your command."
The song also touches on the idea that being in love can help us withstand negative forces in our lives. The singer describes the person with love as able to look "staring in the face of scorn" without being torn apart. They are like a satellite, able to maintain distance from negative influences and stay true to themselves, because they have something to hold onto—love.
Overall, "If You Got Love" is a powerful ode to love's ability to bring joy, strength, and purpose to our lives, and to help us navigate challenges and obstacles. It highlights the idea that love is not just an emotion, but a force that can transform the way we perceive and interact with the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
When you walk in a room
As you enter an area, you appear confident.
You hold your head up high
Your chin is up when you walk, as if you are proud of yourself.
You talk to people eye to eye
You look at people directly in the eye when you speak to them.
There's nothing to hide
You have no secrets or anything to be ashamed of.
You're feeling so complete inside
Your emotions are perfectly balanced inside you.
Your heart feels so complete inside
Your emotions are perfectly balanced inside you.
'Cause you got love.
You feel this way because you have love.
If you got love
Having love is significant, and if you have it,
You know you got it
You are aware of the fact that you have it.
Can't live without it
Without love, you cannot survive emotionally.
The world you're walking in
Your current environment
Is at your command
You feel as if you are in control of your surroundings when you have love.
You're staring in the face of scorn
You are confronted directly with criticism or disrespect.
You know your spirit can't be torn
You cannot be defeated emotionally by negative comments or situations.
You're living like a satellite
You are living while isolated.
Maintain your distance through the night
To stay away from triggering situations
You know that something isn't right
Inside, you feel as if something is missing or broken.
Your heart tells you it's just not right
You are aware of your emotions and feelings when you sense something is wrong.
'Cause you got love.
You feel this way because you have love.
If you got love
Having love is significant, and if you have it,
You know you got it
You are aware of the fact that you have it.
Can't live without it
Without love, you cannot survive emotionally.
The world you're walking in
Your current environment.
Is at your command.
You feel as if you are in control of your surroundings when you have love.
If you got love
Having love is significant, and if you have it,
The world you're walking in
Your current environment.
Is at your command
You feel as if you are in control of your surroundings when you have love.
If you got love
Having love is significant, and if you have it,
To share
You have love to give and want to share it with others.
If you got love
Having love is significant, and if you have it,
To share.
You have love to give and want to share it with others.
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@BradRushing
Wow! I have literally been waiting 39 years dying to hear "If You Got Love"!!!! Thank you!!
@jefferymellott9587
Me too. I waited a while to hear "Murder by Numbers" by the Police. It was on the cassette and eventually the CD, but no room on the LP. I wonder if this was left off for the same reason.
@louise196Light
Love this! ✨🚀✨🌎✨🕊️
@yvesbrisabois5972
Belle chanson 😊
@theyankeeswin714
This track should've been included on the Trans album when it came out in 1982. .
@martinenglish4133
Instead of unneccessary Mr Soul reworking
@benmeltzer
It was recorded in 1984 so it might not have been ready yet.
@IozziEric
@@benmeltzer you mean, re-ecorded in 1984.
@benmeltzer
@@IozziEric I was referring to "If You Got Love" not to "Mr,. Soul." Were both songs recorded twice?
@henrikjohansson5904
@@benmeltzer recorded 81 or 82.Played live on the 82 tour.