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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Lost in Space
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Live with me, live with me
Live with me
Lost in space
I heard you were lost in space
That's such a lonely place for you to be
Singin' with too much soul
I heard you got out on parole
Workin' for the queen
Gardening again
Landscape again
Keepin' all the grounds around her clean
Workin' for the queen
Don't take out the magic pen
Don't draw on the infinity board
Your buildings, if they rise again
Would do much better on the ocean floor
They'll never feel the way they did before
They did before
Out on the ocean floor, out on the ocean floor
What could be stranger than the unknown danger
That lies on the ocean floor?
Breakers crash on the beach
I count them like lambs in my sleep
They come at me steady
They know I'm not ready
They pound on my mattress door
Have they got a big one in store
Losing you
I heard I was losing you
That's not the only thing that I got to lose
I got to lose
The deep see blues
Look at these blues
The deep see blues
Live with me, live with me
The opening lines "Live with me, live with me," immediately establish a sense of loneliness and perhaps even desperation. The repetition of this phrase implies a plea, an invitation to someone to come and share life with the singer. However, it is not clear who the recipient of this invitation is or why they are needed. The following lines provide some insight into this.
The lyric, "Lost in space, I heard you were lost in space, that's such a lonely place for you to be," suggests that the person being addressed is someone who is isolated, perhaps even lost. The phrase "lost in space" could refer to the feeling of being disconnected from the world or even oneself. The singer expresses sympathy for this person, acknowledging that it must be deeply painful to feel that way.
The following lines continue to paint a picture of a troubled life. The reference to being "out of control, singing with too much soul," suggests a sense of recklessness, an inability to rein in one's emotions. The mention of being "on parole, working for the queen" hints at a criminal past and a forced commitment to a menial job. The lyrics "gardening again, landscape again, keeping all the grounds around her clean, working for the queen" suggest a mundane existence, devoid of excitement or passion.
The chorus provides a more abstract commentary on the human condition. "Don't take out the magic pen, don't draw on the infinity board" implies that humans possess a capacity for creativity and imagination, and that these should not be squandered or neglected. The warning that "your buildings, if they rise again, would do much better on the ocean floor, they'll never feel the way they did before" suggests that there is a limit to what humans can create or achieve. The mention of the "ocean floor" and the unknown dangers that lie there could be interpreted as a metaphor for the mysteries of the human psyche.
Overall, the song Lost in Space is a portrait of alienation and disconnection, but also a plea for connection and understanding. The lyrics are full of vivid images and metaphors, which allow the listener to explore the themes of the song in greater depth.
Line by Line Meaning
Live with me, live with me
The singer is requesting someone to stay and share their life with him.
Live with me, live with me
The singer repeats his request, possibly due to loneliness or desperation.
Live with me
The singer requests someone to live with him, possibly as a romantic partner or friend.
Lost in space
The artist has heard that someone is lost and alone, possibly feeling isolated or disconnected.
I heard you were lost in space
The artist has only heard that someone is lost and alone, possibly without knowing the full story.
That's such a lonely place for you to be
The singer empathizes with the person's situation and recognizes that it must be difficult for them.
Out of control
The singer describes the feeling of being unable to steer one's emotions or actions in a desired direction.
Singin' with too much soul
The person in question may be putting too much passion into their singing, possibly to their own detriment or that of those around them.
I heard you got out on parole
The artist knows that the person has been released from prison.
Workin' for the queen
The person may be working to serve someone powerful or important, such as a monarch.
Gardening again
The person is working on their garden, possibly as a hobby or occupation.
Landscape again
The person is working on the landscape around them, possibly as part of their occupation or as a way to improve their surroundings.
Keepin' all the grounds around her clean
The person is working to maintain the property around someone important or powerful, perhaps as part of their job.
Don't take out the magic pen
The singer advises against making changes that would diminish the beauty or wonder of a situation, possibly by using a metaphor of a magic pen.
Don't draw on the infinity board
The singer advises against making changes that would alter things on a grand scale, possibly by using a metaphor of an infinity board.
Your buildings, if they rise again
The artist refers to the person's ability to create or build in the past.
Would do much better on the ocean floor
The artist suggests that the person's creations may have more value if placed in a situation that is less conventional or more open to interpretation.
They'll never feel the way they did before
The singer suggests that the person's creations may not be able to achieve the same level of success or impact as they did in the past.
Out on the ocean floor, out on the ocean floor
The singer repeats the phrase, possibly to emphasize its significance or to draw attention to it.
What could be stranger than the unknown danger
The artist suggests that it is difficult to imagine anything more peculiar or threatening than an unknown threat.
That lies on the ocean floor?
The artist suggests that the ocean floor may contain many unknown and dangerous elements which are difficult to comprehend or prepare for.
Breakers crash on the beach
The artist describes the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
I count them like lambs in my sleep
The singer may have trouble sleeping, and counts the sound of waves as if they were sheep jumping over a fence.
They come at me steady
The waves keep coming consistently and without interruption.
They know I'm not ready
The singer may feel overwhelmed or unprepared to face the challenges ahead, such as the constant pressure of the waves.
They pound on my mattress door
The waves are so intense or loud that they feel like they are physically impacting or threatening the singer's safety.
Have they got a big one in store
The singer wonders if there is a particularly powerful or dangerous wave coming their way, which they may not be ready to face.
Losing you
The artist has been told that they may be losing someone important to them, possibly a romantic partner or close friend.
I heard I was losing you
The artist may not be sure of the severity of the situation, and has only heard rumors or hints about what may be happening.
That's not the only thing that I got to lose
The singer recognizes that losing this person would be a significant loss, but there may be other things at risk as well.
I got to lose
The singer acknowledges that there are many potential risks or losses that they may face, beyond just this one.
The deep see blues
The artist is feeling a sense of melancholy or sadness, possibly due to the many challenges and dangers they are facing.
Look at these blues
The artist may be pointing out the sadness or melancholy they are feeling to someone else.
The deep see blues
The artist repeats the phrase, possibly to emphasize its significance or to draw attention to it again.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind