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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There's A World
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one else has your part
All God's children in the wind
Take it in and blow hard
Look around it, have you found it
Walking down the avenue?
See what it brings
In the air for you
We are leaving, we are gone
Come with us to all alone
Never worry, never moan
We will leave you all alone
In the mountains, in the cities
You can see the dream
Look around you, has it found you?
Is it what it seems?
There's a world you're living in
No one else has your part
All God's children in the wind
Take it in and blow hard
Neil Young's song "There's a World" is a commentary on the state of the world and the individual's role in it. The lyrics suggest that each person has a unique part to play in the world, and that the forces of nature (symbolized by "God's children in the wind") can be harnessed to create something beautiful and powerful. The song's chorus urges the listener to take in the world and "blow hard," suggesting that action is necessary to create change and make a difference.
The verses of the song are more introspective, with Young asking the listener to consider their place in the world and the meaning of their existence. He encourages the listener to look around and see the potential for good in the world, even in the cities and mountains where chaos and confusion can often reign. The repeated refrain of "We are leaving, we are gone" suggests a sense of impermanence and the fleeting nature of human existence.
Overall, "There's a World" is a philosophical meditation on the human condition and the role of the individual in society. It urges the listener to consider their place in the world and to take action to create positive change, while also acknowledging the transitory nature of life and the ultimate futility of worrying and complaining.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a world you're living in
The world you live in is unique to you, nobody else is in your shoes
No one else has your part
Nobody else can play the role in life that you do
All God's children in the wind
All of humanity is susceptible to change and subject to the winds of fate
Take it in and blow hard
Stand your ground, seize the moment and hold your own amidst the changing tides of life
Look around it, have you found it
Take a moment to observe the world around you, have you truly discovered what it means?
Walking down the avenue?
As you go about your daily life, are you conscious of the world around you?
See what it brings
Observe the world as it is, with all its flaws and beauty
Could be good things
There is potential for great things in this world
In the air for you
The opportunities are limitless, they are available to anyone who is willing to seize them
We are leaving, we are gone
We must leave behind the old ways in order to make way for the new
Come with us to all alone
In this change, it can be lonely, but we must embrace it nonetheless
Never worry, never moan
Don't be anxious or complain about the changes that are taking place
We will leave you all alone
The change may be difficult, but it is necessary for all of us to grow
In the mountains, in the cities
The winds of change blow everywhere, whether in the countryside or the urban centers
You can see the dream
There is a possibility to envision a better world and make it a reality
Look around you, has it found you?
Observe the world around you and ask yourself if it has inspired you to pursue your dreams
Is it what it seems?
Things are not always as they appear, so it is important to be mindful of that as we navigate this life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind