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/
Johnny
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Johnny wants to find out why
Johnny did a show in St. Louis
Love came through the sky.
Oh yeah, they were camped out,
Waiting for the sun to rise
Oh yeah, Johnny sang out
Johnny found a place out in Texas
Waiting for him to come
Made himself a reservation
And hope came, in the gun.
Oh yeah, he was flying,
Waiting for the sun to rise
Oh yeah, color by numbers
Waiting for the sun to rise.
Johnny did some time in the army
Johnny did a stint in Vietnam.
Now he can't forget it,
His mind is confused,
slipping from his twisted hand.
Oh yeah, he's still back there
With one hand on the gun
Oh yeah, he's still back there
Waiting for the rising sun.
Now Johnny
likes to go down the highway
The wind singing in his ears
Right up as
most things go whirring by
By day everything looks clear.
Oh yeah, Johnny ride on
Gonna find a special home
Oh yeah, down the highway
Looking for the rising sun.
Neil Young's "Johnny" begins with a powerful and thought-provoking statement that sets the tone for the entire song. The opening lines, "Someone wants to blow up the planet, Johnny wants to find out why," make us ponder on the big issues of the world like the constant threat of nuclear war and the reasons behind such radical actions. The next lines take us to Johnny's world and how he spreads love through his music. The words "Love came through the sky" suggest that Johnny's music is almost divine, and it has the power to make people feel like they are part of something bigger.
The next verse talks about Johnny's struggle with hopelessness and the mental toll it takes on him. He moves to Texas, hoping for a fresh start, but he can't shake off the burden of his past. The words "hope came, in the gun" suggest that Johnny believes that the only way out is through violence. In the third verse, we see that Johnny's trauma stems from his time in the army and his experiences in Vietnam. He can't forget the horrors he witnessed, and his mind is slipping away, all while holding onto his gun for safety. The recurring line "waiting for the rising sun" suggests that Johnny is still waiting for a glimmer of hope in his life.
In the final verse, we see Johnny on a journey, riding down the highway, looking for a place where he belongs. The words suggest that he is searching for himself and trying to find a sense of purpose in his life. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the line "looking for the rising sun" which signifies that Johnny remains optimistic about his future and his search for peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone wants to blow up the planet
There's a dangerous person or group that intends to cause destruction at a global scale.
Johnny wants to find out why
Johnny is curious and determined to understand why such a horrible plan exists.
Johnny did a show in St. Louis
Johnny performed at St. Louis, Missouri.
Love came through the sky.
There was a positive or uplifting event that happened during Johnny's performance.
Oh yeah, they were camped out,
There were a group of people who were staying overnight, possibly in tents.
Waiting for the sun to rise
They were waiting for the morning to arrive.
Oh yeah, Johnny sang out
Johnny sang loudly and passionately.
Love into the sky.
Johnny's music carried a positive message or feeling that resonated with the audience.
Johnny found a place out in Texas
Johnny discovered a location in Texas that interested him.
Waiting for him to come
Someone or something was anticipating Johnny's arrival.
Made himself a reservation
Johnny ensured that he had a spot or appointment at the location.
And hope came, in the gun.
This line may be interpreted in a number of different ways, but it suggests that Johnny's positive outlook came from a decision to arm himself, perhaps for protection or as a sign of his determined activism.
Oh yeah, he was flying,
Johnny might have been traveling by air or moving quickly towards his goals.
Color by numbers
A reference to a paint-by-numbers picture.
Johnny did some time in the army
Johnny served in the military.
Johnny did a stint in Vietnam.
Johnny was deployed to Vietnam for a period of time.
Now he can't forget it,
Johnny's memories of his time in Vietnam are ever-present and haunting.
His mind is confused,
Johnny experiences difficulty processing his thoughts and emotions.
Slipping from his twisted hand.
Johnny is losing control as he struggles to hold onto a sense of reality.
Oh yeah, he's still back there
Johnny remains stuck in the memories of Vietnam.
With one hand on the gun
Johnny may still have violent or dangerous thoughts, represented by his connection to a weapon.
Now Johnny likes to go down the highway
Johnny enjoys traveling by car on the open road.
The wind singing in his ears
Johnny hears the sensation of the wind as he drives.
Right up as most things go whirring by
As he passes by, everything around Johnny blurs together in the background.
By day everything looks clear.
During the day, Johnny feels like he has a better sense of his surroundings.
Oh yeah, Johnny ride on
Johnny is encouraged to keep going on his journey.
Gonna find a special home
Johnny is searching for a place where he can feel safe and accepted.
Looking for the rising sun.
Johnny seeks hope and direction for his future.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-kk5yn4lf3i
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my
Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that
Once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the tale of Johnny Rotten?
It's better to burn out than to fade away
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
...
@elleb541
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.
Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black.
The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the tale of Johnny rotten?
It's better to burn out than fade away
The king is gone but he's not forgotten.
Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.
@mariacarvalho9732
Who is listening to this in 2024 ?
@rjritsema
me and you
@biketob
Me for sure
@isaacmurphy6591
Yessir
@carlosalfredogutierrezvera4100
Me
@peterandreasen7937
ROFL
@nadyrroman5439
This is my neighbours favourite song, whether they like it or not.
@riverc.820
Stealing dis.
@Landers44
Nadyr Roman 😂Beautiful!
@sandib4234
Too funny.