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/
It Might Have Been
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of tongue or pen
Are these four words
It might have been
We had big dreams
We made big plans
How could they slip
Instead of tearing
Our romance to pieces
Why don't we try
To right what we've done wrong
It's not too late
To set things straight
Let's never say
It might have been
Instead of tearing
Our romance to pieces
Why don't we try
To right what we've done wrong
It's not too late
To set things straight
Let's never say
It might have been
It might have been
The lyrics of Neil Young & The International Harvesters's "It Might Have Been" reflect the regret and sadness that come with missed opportunities and lost dreams. The first two lines establish a powerful image of the sorrowful impact of unfulfilled potential, as the singer laments that the most heartbreaking words that can be uttered are "It might have been." The next two lines develop the idea of lost potential further by emphasizing that the song's characters, perhaps Young himself, had once been optimistic and ambitious, with dreams and plans so grand they were seemingly unattainable. Yet, somehow, they let these goals slip through their fingers without action, effort, or perseverance.
The last two stanzas propose a solution to this disillusionment, suggesting that the couple can salvage the situation by trying to mend the relationship they've damaged; perhaps, by changing their ways, they can recover what was lost. They acknowledge their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions, vowing never to let an opportunity pass by again. As the lyrics repeat their resolution, "let's never say it might have been," there's a sense of urgency and hope in the air, a determination to seize life's opportunities instead of looking back with regret.
The song is, therefore, a call to action against apathy and a reminder that life, ever fleeting, demands an active response from the living, to avoid the sorrowful regret of missed opportunities. Thus, it's a song that inspires, encourages, and motivates listeners to pursue their dreams and not to let the fear of failure or the comfort of inaction to prevent them from reaching personal greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
The saddest words
The most melancholy expression
Of tongue or pen
Spoken or written communication
Are these four words
These four expressions cause the greatest sadness
It might have been
There is a possibility that things could have happened differently
We had big dreams
We once had great aspirations
We made big plans
We made extensive arrangements
How could they slip
How did our plans escape our control
Right through our hands
Completely out of our grasp
Instead of tearing
Rather than completely destroying
Our romance to pieces
Our relationship into fragments
Why don't we try
Why not make an effort
To right what we've done wrong
To correct our mistakes
It's not too late
There is still time
To set things straight
To fix what needs to be fixed
Let's never say
Let us avoid stating
It might have been
There was a possibility that things could have been different
Lyrics © Silver Fiddle, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind