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/
Pushed It Over the End
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But she don't know how to use it.
Sooner or later she'll have to take a stand
And she ain't about to lose it.
All the towns people gather around
They've come to see what's going down
Although no one hears a sound
There's another poor man falling down.
Falling down, falling down.
On this lazy shore
Standing at the edge of you.
Could those dreams of yours be true
Or did you, did you, did you
Pushed it over the end?
How much time did you spend?
Pushed it over the end.
Good lookin' Milly's into politics now
And things are looking much better
She keeps ten men in her garage
Knitting her fine sweaters.
At the end of a weary day
She feels hard and she looks hard.
Although no one hears a sound
There's another poor man falling down.
Falling down, falling down.
Falling down, falling down.
I came back for more
And found you waiting at the door
And far inside your walls I called
Did you, did you, did you
Pushed it over the end?
How much time did you spend?
Pushed it over the end.
How much love did you spend?
Pushed it over the end.
The lyrics of Neil Young's "Pushed It Over the End" explore the themes of power, violence, and failure. The singer of the song, Milly, is described as good-looking and armed, but lacking the skills to use her gun effectively. Despite this, she is determined to take a stand and not lose her sense of power. The townspeople gather around, but there is a sense of ominous silence as another poor man falls down without anyone hearing a sound. The idea of senseless violence and the impact it has on individuals and communities is conveyed through the repetition of the lines "falling down, falling down."
The second verse introduces the theme of politics and how Milly's newfound power is expressed through a different medium. She keeps ten men in her garage knitting her fine sweaters, a symbol of the wealth and status she has achieved. However, despite her success, she still feels hard and looks hard, suggesting that the cost of power comes at a personal price. The chorus then repeats with the addition of "How much love did you spend?" indicating that the pursuit of power has come at the expense of love and compassion.
Overall, "Pushed It Over the End" offers a commentary on the darker aspects of power and the consequences of using it recklessly. The song suggests that although power can be seductive, it comes at a great cost and can ultimately lead to failure and the loss of important values.
Line by Line Meaning
Good lookin' Milly's got a gun in her hand
Milly is holding a gun in her hand.
But she don't know how to use it.
Milly lacks the skill to handle the weapon safely.
Sooner or later she'll have to take a stand
Milly will face a difficult choice sooner or later.
And she ain't about to lose it.
Milly is determined not to give up or back down.
All the towns people gather around
The people in the town all come together to watch something happening.
They've come to see what's going down
They have gathered to witness the events unfolding.
Although no one hears a sound
There is silence as the crowd looks on.
There's another poor man falling down.
A man is getting hurt.
Falling down, falling down.
The man is falling down repeatedly.
On this lazy shore
The setting is a slow-moving and relaxed beach.
Standing at the edge of you.
The singer is standing at the edge of someone else's life or personality.
Could those dreams of yours be true
The artist is questioning whether the other person's dreams have come to fruition.
Or did you, did you, did you
The singer suspects that the other person is responsible for something.
Pushed it over the end?
The singer wonders if the other person has caused something to collapse.
How much time did you spend?
The singer wants to know how long the other person has been working towards their goals.
Good lookin' Milly's into politics now
Milly has switched her focus to politics.
And things are looking much better
Milly is making progress in her new direction.
She keeps ten men in her garage
Milly has hired ten people to work for her.
Knitting her fine sweaters.
Milly enjoys creating handmade clothing.
At the end of a weary day
At the end of a long and tiring day.
She feels hard and she looks hard.
Milly appears strong and rough around the edges.
I came back for more
The artist has returned after leaving previously.
And found you waiting at the door
The other person is waiting for the singer.
And far inside your walls I called
The artist called out to the other person from afar.
Did you, did you, did you
The singer is questioning the other person's actions.
Pushed it over the end?
The singer wonders if the other person has caused something to collapse.
How much time did you spend?
The singer wants to know how long the other person has been working towards their goals.
How much love did you spend?
The artist is asking how much effort and passion the other person has put into their life.
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.