Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer, guitaris… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer, guitarist, songwriter, and social activist who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation, particularly as Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Young was born in Toronto, but he moved to the family home of Winnipeg as a child, which is where his music career began. Young began performing as a solo artist in Canada in 1960, before moving to California in 1966, where he co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield along with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay.

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/

Sample And Hold
Neil Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sample and Hold
Hair, blonde
Eyes, blue
Weight, 1-1-0
Disposition, even
Mood code, rotary adjustable

I need a unit to sample and hold

But not the angry one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design

Sample and hold
Sample and hold

We'll send it out right away
Satisfaction guaranteed
Please specify
The color of skin and eyes
We know you'll be happy
Sample and hold

Don't hesitate to give us a call
We know you'll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you'll be happy

I need a unit to sample and hold
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the lonely one, the lonely one, the lonely one

Sample and hold
Weight, 1-1-0

Perfection in every detail
Fabricated from the curl of the hair
To the tip of the nail
Because our units never fail
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold

Don't hesitate to give us a call
We know you'll be satisfied
When you energize
And see your unit come alive
We know you'll be happy
I need a unit to sample and hold

We know you'll be happy
We know you'll be happy

Sample and hold
But not the lonely one
A new design, new design
Sample and hold
New design, new design
Sample and hold

I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the angry one
A new design, new design
I need a unit to sample and hold
But not the jealous one
A new design, new design

New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design
Perfection in every detail
New design, new design

Sample and hold
Sample and hold
Sample and hold

Sample and hold

Sample and hold

Sample and hold
Sample and hold

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Neil Young's song Sample And Hold are a critique of the objectification and commodification of human beings. The song depicts a dystopian future where human beings are reduced to data points and products, marketed and sold to satisfy the needs and desires of consumers. The song begins with a list of attributes that define a human being, including their hair color, eye color, weight, disposition, and mood code. These attributes are presented in a matter-of-fact way, as if they are product specifications.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I need a unit to sample and hold" as if the singer is ordering a product from a catalog. The second verse emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction, encouraging the listener to call and place an order for their own "unit." The bridge of the song further emphasizes the dehumanization of people through the language of manufacturing, with references to "perfection in every detail" and fabrication "from the curl of the hair to the tip of the nail." The song concludes with the repeated phrase "We know you'll be happy" suggesting that this commodification of human beings is presented as a positive thing.

Overall, the lyrics of Sample And Hold present a dark and unsettling view of a consumerist society in which human beings are reduced to data points and products to be marketed and sold. The song suggests that this view is not only undesirable but also inhumane.

Line by Line Meaning

I need a unit to sample and hold
I require a device that can sample and hold information for me

But not the angry one
However, I do not want the one that is easily angered

A new design, new design.
I am looking for a device with a fresh, innovative design

But not the lonely one
I don't want the one that is isolated or unapproachable

We'll send it out right away
We will immediately send the product to you

Satisfaction guaranteed.
We assure you that you will be content with the device

Please specify
Kindly mention

The color of skin and eye
The color of the skin and eyes of the person for whom the device is intended

We know you'll be happy.
We are confident that you will be satisfied.

Don't hesitate to give us a call
Please feel free to contact us

When you energize
Upon activating the device