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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The Rent Is Always Due
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suspended in space
Crying out to you
Beckons you to yet another fine place
Where the trials of life are few
Who says you are coming on
Don't think you're livin' wrong
They won't remember you
The cloudy men
Who take their place
And stand in line
They do
Know not of
The satin face
That separates them from you
Just put your blue jeans on
Grab your guitar and write a song
Don't think I'm kidding you
The rent is always due
She rides a broom
With gold-plated straw
And flutters around
And dies
The brylcream fools
Just standing on
Digesting all her lies
But then you walk along
And she starts coming on
Beneath her melting broom
The rent is always due
Neil Young's song The Rent Is Always Due seems to be an expression of the fleeting nature of life, and the constant pressures to keep up, survive, and succeed. The first verse describes a silver child suspended in space, crying out, beckoning to another place where the trials of life are few. The second verse introduces the cloudy men who stand in line, unaware of the satin face that separates them from the singer. The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes the message that the rent is always due, suggesting that there are always bills to pay, obligations to fulfill, and expectations to meet, regardless of how one is feeling or what is happening in one's life.
The third verse contrasts the image of the silver child and the cloudy men with a woman who rides a broom with gold-plated straw, portrayed as deceitful and superficial. The bryl cream fools who stand around, digesting her lies, are contrasted with the singer, who can see through her false persona. The final verse brings the song full circle, with the emphasis on the idea that the rent is always due, no matter one's status or circumstances.
Overall, The Rent Is Always Due seems to be a commentary on the struggles of life, and the complex interplay between perception and reality. The song suggests that while there may be moments of escape and transcendence, ultimately, one cannot avoid the pressures of life, the expectations of society, and the need to pay one's dues in order to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Your silver child
Your dreams, desires, and aspirations
Suspended in space
Seemingly out of reach or unattainable
Crying out to you
Urging you to pursue them
Beckons you to yet another fine place
Offers the promise of a better life or a new opportunity
Where the trials of life are few
Where life is easy and without challenges or hardships
Who says you are coming on
Who says you're doing anything wrong
Don't think you're livin' wrong
Don't doubt or second guess yourself
They won't remember you
Your achievements and successes will not matter in the end
The rent is always due
Success and happiness require constant effort and hard work
The cloudy men
The masses of people who follow the norm and societal expectations
Who take their place
Who fill the gaps and follow the rules
And stand in line
And conform to the norm
They do
They don't understand
Know not of
Are unaware of
The satin face
The beauty and wonder of life beyond the norm
That separates them from you
That sets you apart from them and their conformity
Just put your blue jeans on
Be yourself and don't worry about fitting in
Grab your guitar and write a song
Express yourself and your individuality through art and creativity
Don't think I'm kidding you
Take this advice seriously
She rides a broom
The witch represents deception or false promises
With gold-plated straw
With superficial and empty promises
And flutters around
Distracting and tempting you
And dies
Its promises never come to fruition
The brylcream fools
The naive and gullible ones who fall for false promises
Just standing on
Just waiting and hoping for something better
Digesting all her lies
Believing in false promises and being disappointed
But then you walk along
But then you see things clearly
And she starts coming on
And the deception becomes obvious
Beneath her melting broom
Beneath the facade and deception
The rent is always due
The need to work hard and stay true to oneself never goes away
Lyrics © Broken Arrow Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind