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!"
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Last Dance
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No time left to say goodbye
Can't breathe and the lights are changing
You can live your own life
Making it happen
Working on your own time
Laid back and laughin'
Oh, no, oh, no
Headlights, make it home by sundown
Feeling that the day is through
Return back to where you come from
You can live your own life
Making it happen
Working on your own time
Laid back and laughin'
Oh, no, oh, no
You wake up in the mornin'
And the sun's comin' up
Its been up for hours and hours and hours
And hours and hours and hours
It's been up for hours and hours and hours
And you light up the stove
And the coffee cup, it's hot
And the orange juice is cold, cold, cold
Monday morning
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
It's time to go
Time to go to work
You can live your own life
Making it happen
Working on your own time
Laid back and laughin'
Oh, no, oh, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
The song "Last Dance" by Neil Young opens with the singer waking up to a Monday morning, indicating a new beginning to the week. There isn't much time to say goodbye, suggesting that the singer may be leaving an emotional situation behind to start afresh. The lyrics "can't breathe and lights are changing" give a feeling of stress, tension, and being rushed. But the next line, "you can live your own life," indicates that the singer has taken control and is making things happen. He could be working on his own terms and own time, but still, he is laid-back and laughing, indicating a sense of contentment.
The second verse brings in the image of headlights and sundown, which usually denotes the end of the day. The singer feels that the day is over and is ready to return back from where he began. The singer wants to live life on his own terms, make things happen, work with his timing, and still be laid-back and jovial. The use of "No, no, no" towards the end gives a sense of defiance against something. It could represent the singer's unwillingness to give up his newfound control over his life or resist the pressure to conform to societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up, it's a Monday morning
It's the start of the workweek and time to begin again.
No time left to say goodbye
You have to hurry along quickly and leave behind the weekend.
Can't breathe and the lights are changing
The stress of work is already starting to build for the day, and time is not on your side.
You can live your own life
Despite the struggles of the day, you can still find meaning and happiness in the things that make you content and independent.
Making it happen
With determination and effort, you can accomplish your goals and create your own destiny.
Working on your own time
You have the power to manage your own workload and time, giving you the liberty to create a life that suits you.
Laid back and laughin'
Through all the difficulties, you can still maintain a relaxed attitude and find joy in the simple things.
Headlights, make it home by sundown
After a long day at work, all you want to do is make it home before the sun goes down.
Feeling that the day is through
Even though the day is over, the feeling of its impact remains with you.
Return back to where you come from
Returning back to where you live and recharge, where you feel most like yourself.
You wake up in the mornin'
The cycle of life continues and you start again the next day.
And the sun's comin' up
The world is always moving forward, and you have to keep up.
Its been up for hours and hours and hours
The sun has already been up for a long time before you even wake up, and time waits for no one.
And you light up the stove
Starting your day with a routine, simple task that brings you comfort and sustenance.
And the coffee cup, it's hot
The little things in life can be the most satisfying, like a warm cup of coffee in the morning.
And the orange juice is cold, cold, cold
The contrast of hot and cold in your morning routine brings balance to your day.
Monday morning
The start of the workweek and all the challenges that come with it.
No, no, no
A repetition of the feeling of resistance and reluctance towards the demands of the day.
No, no, no, no, no
The weight of the day seems overwhelming and indomitable.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind