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/
Lotta Love
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, ooh
It's gonna take a lotta love
To change the way things are
It's gonna take a lotta love
Or we won't get too far
And we don't see eye to eye
My heart needs protection
And so do I
It's gonna take a lotta love
To get us through the night
It's gonna take a lotta love
To make things work out right
So if you are out there waitin'
I hope you show up soon
'Cause my head needs relatin'
Not solitude
Gotta lotta love
Gotta lotta love
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Ooh, ooh
It's gonna take a lotta love
To change the way things are
It's gonna take a lotta love
Or we won't get too far
It's gonna take a lotta love
Neil Young's song 'Lotta Love' talks about the importance of love and how it can change things for the better. The song sets the tone with a soft and calming sound that almost carries us off to a different place. It speaks of how the world we live in currently needs a lot of love to keep going since the way things are going, it seems like things will not last too long. The lyrics here also show that we need to come together and bring in a sense of togetherness that only love can bring. It is a call to action for people to open their hearts and spread love.
The following lines, "So if you look in my direction, And we don't see eye to eye. My heart needs protection, And so do I," explain how in times of conflict, it is essential to have love as a guiding force. Sometimes disagreements can lead to hostility, but it is love that can heal those wounds and bring us together again. The song also talks about the need for companionship and the importance of having someone beside us who can relate to us and be there for us in times of need. As the song ends, the lyrics reinforce the belief that it is going to take a lot of love to change things and that without it, we can't move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
The repetition of 'la' signifies the singer's emotions and feelings of what is and what is to come.
Ooh, ooh
The singer is expressing their emotions with the rhythmic use of 'ooh' as a battle cry.
It's gonna take a lotta love
Love is the answer to the problem that must be addressed to change the current situation.
To change the way things are
Things are not going well, changing them is important.
Or we won't get too far
Without love for each other, the singer believes that we will struggle to move forward.
So if you look in my direction
The singer is yearning for someone to understand their struggles and be empathetic towards them.
And we don't see eye to eye
Conflict arises from differences in opinion and this can be resolved through love.
My heart needs protection
The singer is scared of getting hurt and seeks to shield themselves from future pain.
And so do I
The singer needs to protect themselves to be able to navigate the world and its challenges.
To get us through the night
Like a beacon of light, love can guide and protect us through the troubles of the night.
To make things work out right
Love can lead to resolutions and create positive outcomes for all parties concerned.
So if you are out there waitin'
The singer is anticipating someone who is understanding and ready to love.
I hope you show up soon
The singer is eagerly waiting for someone to help them through their struggles.
'Cause my head needs relatin'
The singer's emotions are driving them crazy and they desire a deep emotional connection.
Not solitude
The singer does not wish to remain alone and isolated in their struggles.
Gotta lotta love
The message is clear; we need love, we require it.
Gotta lotta love
The singer emphatically repeats the refrain to signify that it is indeed love that we need.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
The repetition of 'la' signifies the singer's emotions and feelings of what is and what is to come.
Ooh, ooh
The singer is expressing their emotions with the rhythmic use of 'ooh' as a battle cry.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Frank Sampedro, Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind