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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Thrasher
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were planting in the full moon
They had given all they had for something new
But the light of day was on them
They could see the thrashers coming
And the water shone like diamonds in the dew
And I was just getting up, hit the road before it's light
When I saw those thrashers rolling by
Looking more than two lanes wide
I was feelin' like my day had just begun
Where the eagle glides, descending
There's an ancient river bending
Through the timeless gorge of changes
Where sleeplessness awaits
I searched out my companions
Who were lost in crystal canyons
When the aimless blade of science
Slashed the pearly gates
It was then that I knew I'd had enough
Burned my credit card for fuel
Headed out to where the pavement turns to sand
With a one way ticket to the land of truth
And my suitcase in my hand
How I lost my friends, I still don't understand
They had the best selection
They were poisoned with protection
There was nothing that they needed
Nothing left to find
They were lost in rock formations
Or became park bench mutations
On the sidewalks and in the stations
They were waiting, waiting
So I got bored and left them there
They were just dead weight to me
Better down the road without that load
Brings back the time when I was eight or nine
I was watchin' my mama's TV
It was that great Grand Canyon rescue episode
Where the vulture glides, descending
On an asphalt highway bending
Through libraries and museums, galaxies and stars
Down the windy halls of friendship
To the rose clipped by the bullwhip
The motel of lost companions
Waits with heated pool and bar
But me I'm not stopping there
Got my own row left to hoe
Just another line in the field of time
When the thrasher comes, I'll be stuck in the sun
Like the dinosaurs in shrines
But I'll know the time has come
To give what's mine
In Neil Young & Crazy Horse's song "Thrasher", the songwriter explores themes of change, aging, and the search for truth. The song begins with a description of farmers hiding and planting at night, hoping for something new, but being caught by the coming day and the thrashers. The singer recalls hitting the road at dawn, feeling like the day had just begun as he passes the thrashers.
The second verse describes an ancient river winding through a timeless gorge of changes, where the singer searches for his lost companions who had been lost in crystal canyons. Science sliced the pearly gates, leaving the singer feeling like he'd had enough. He burns his credit card and heads out towards the land of truth with only a suitcase in hand. The final verse describes the singer leaving behind his friends who had become dead weight to him, searching for his own path in life. He concludes the song by musing on the inevitability of change and the need to give what's his.
Line by Line Meaning
They were hiding behind hay bales
Some people were waiting secretly for something to happen
They were planting in the full moon
They were doing something risky and foolish, while the moon was bright enough to see them
They had given all they had for something new
They had exhausted themselves trying to achieve something worthwhile
But the light of day was on them
They were now in broad daylight, exposed to potential danger
They could see the thrashers coming
They could see trouble coming
And the water shone like diamonds in the dew
Everything looked beautiful and surreal, even though they were facing a difficult situation
And I was just getting up, hit the road before it's light
I woke up early and left at dawn
Trying to catch an hour on the sun
I wanted to make up for lost time and feel productive
When I saw those thrashers rolling by
When I saw my troubles approaching
Looking more than two lanes wide
Seeming too big to handle
I was feelin' like my day had just begun
I realized I had a lot of work to do to tackle my problems
Where the eagle glides, descending
In a serene and beautiful place
There's an ancient river bending
There's a natural, ancient, and unchanging force guiding life
Through the timeless gorge of changes
Through the timeless experience of living and evolving
Where sleeplessness awaits
Where anxiety and worry can impede progress
I searched out my companions
I looked for the people who were once on my side
Who were lost in crystal canyons
Who got sidetracked by indulging in superficial and trivial things
When the aimless blade of science
When the pursuit of knowledge becomes meaningless and misguided
Slashed the pearly gates
Ruined the opportunities to achieve something greater
It was then that I knew I'd had enough
I realized I couldn't continue living like that anymore
Burned my credit card for fuel
Got rid of useless, superficial things that were only holding me back
Headed out to where the pavement turns to sand
Went to a place where life was simpler and more natural
With a one way ticket to the land of truth
Committed to a journey of self-discovery and honesty
And my suitcase in my hand
Prepared to travel light and be free of burdens
How I lost my friends, I still don't understand
I still can't figure out why the people I once knew changed so much or why we grew apart
They had the best selection
They had all the things they could want
They were poisoned with protection
They became restricted and complacent by their material possessions or status
There was nothing that they needed
They failed to see their true needs, lacking in purpose or direction
Nothing left to find
They felt they had attained everything worth having, without looking any further
They were lost in rock formations
They were trapped in their own superficial and escapist fantasies
Or became park bench mutations
They were reduced to mere spectators in their own lives, without making any progress
On the sidewalks and in the stations
In places meant for transience or commuting, full of strangers and disconnectedness
They were waiting, waiting
They were stuck in limbo, not knowing what to do next
So I got bored and left them there
I grew tired of their aimlessness and lack of direction, left them behind
They were just dead weight to me
They were holding me back, so I had to let go
Better down the road without that load
I had to leave the past behind and move forward without regret or hesitation
Brings back the time when I was eight or nine
Reminds me of a time in my life when everything seemed simple and clear
I was watchin' my mama's TV
I was innocent and naïve, letting myself be entertained by something else
It was that great Grand Canyon rescue episode
A memory of a time when heroes and rescues seemed tangible and exciting
Where the vulture glides, descending
In a place surrounded by death and decay
On an asphalt highway bending
In a fast-paced and artificial environment that seems to have no end
Through libraries and museums, galaxies and stars
Through the vast knowledge and wonders of the universe
Down the windy halls of friendship
Through the unpredictable twists and turns of social relationships
To the rose clipped by the bullwhip
To the beauty that is compromised and hurt by cruel forces
The motel of lost companions
A sense of nostalgia and longing for the people and things that are gone
Waits with heated pool and bar
A place where one can drown their sorrows and try to forget
But me I'm not stopping there
I won't be satisfied with sedation and distraction
Got my own row left to hoe
Have my own path and journey to undertake
Just another line in the field of time
Recognizing one's own place in the grand scheme of things
When the thrasher comes, I'll be stuck in the sun
When life gets tough and seems impossible, I'll still persevere and face it head-on
Like the dinosaurs in shrines
Like extinct creatures whose memory is preserved but whose relevance has passed
But I'll know the time has come
I will recognize the pivotal moment that requires action and change
To give what's mine
To contribute, to create, to make something worthwhile out of one's own life
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind