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/
Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man had his own way
Whether talkin' to a woman
Or crossing the U.S.A.
No telephones were ringing
No angry words exchanged.
I wish I was back in the saddle now
Riding on the range.
Let your fingers do the walking
Call me up some time
I'm listed under Broken Hearts
Looking for a good time.
I can't reach out and touch you
You hung up on the line
I'm your disconnected number now
And you're a private line.
Well, I used to be so happy,
When you gave good phone.
I could call from anywhere
For a little touch of home
But now my heart is aching
After every call
By the way you talk you'd think
You never gave good phone at all.
Let your fingers do the walking
Call me up some time
I'm listed under Broken Hearts
Looking for a good time.
I can't reach out and touch you
You hung up on the line
I'm your disconnected number now
And you're a private line.
Let your fingers do the walking
Call me up some time
I'm listed under Broken Hearts.
Looking for a good time.
I can't reach out and touch you
You hung up on the line
I'm your disconnected number now
And you're a private line.
The song "Let Your Fingers Do The Walking" by Neil Young & The International Harvesters is about the challenges of staying connected in a world without telephones. The lyrics describe a time when a man had to rely on his own devices to interact with others, whether it be talking to a woman or crossing the country. The absence of phones also meant a lack of conflict, as angry words were not exchanged. The singer longs to be back in that simple time, riding on the range.
The chorus of the song "Let your fingers do the walking" is a reference to the Yellow Pages slogan that encourages people to use the phonebook to find businesses and services. However, in this context, the song takes on a more personal and emotional meaning. The singer requests that the listener call him up, as he is listed under "Broken Hearts" and looking for a good time. Despite his desire for connection, he is unable to reach out and touch the person on the other end of the line, as they have hung up and left him as a disconnected number. The final line, "And you're a private line," suggests that the other person is unattainable or uninterested.
Overall, the song reflects on the difficulties of communication in a changing world, and the longing for a simpler time when connections were more meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
In the days of covered wagons
In the past, people had more autonomy and independence.
A man had his own way
Men had more control over their own lives and decisions.
Whether talkin' to a woman
When communicating with women.
Or crossing the U.S.A.
Or traveling across the United States.
No telephones were ringing
There were no phones to ring for communication.
No angry words exchanged.
There was less conflict due to the lack of communication.
I wish I was back in the saddle now
I long for the past and a simpler way of life.
Riding on the range.
Riding freely in nature, away from modern communication.
Let your fingers do the walking
Use the phone directories to find someone's number and contact them.
Call me up some time
Contact me by phone at some point.
I'm listed under Broken Hearts
I am available, but I am currently experiencing heartache.
Looking for a good time.
Searching for a way to feel better and have an enjoyable experience.
I can't reach out and touch you
I cannot physically touch you through the phone.
You hung up on the line
You ended the call abruptly.
I'm your disconnected number now
You cannot contact me anymore.
And you're a private line.
You are inaccessible or unavailable for communication.
Well, I used to be so happy,
In the past, I was content.
When you gave good phone.
When you communicated well through the phone.
I could call from anywhere
I had the freedom to call you from anywhere.
For a little touch of home
To feel connected and comforted.
But now my heart is aching
Now I am experiencing pain and sadness.
After every call
After talking to you.
By the way you talk you'd think
Based on the way you talk on the phone, I would believe.
You never gave good phone at all.
That you were never good at communicating through the phone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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