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/
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Bruce Berry was a working man
He used to load that Econoline van
A sparkle was in his eye
Well, late at night when the people were gone
He used to pick up my guitar
And sing a song in a shaky voice
That was real as the day was long
Tonight's the night, yes it is, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, yes it is, tonight's the night
Early in the mornin' at the break of day
He used to sleep until the afternoon
If you never heard him sing
I guess you won't too soon
'Cause people let me tell you
It sent a chill up and down my spine
When I picked up the telephone
And heard that he'd died out on the mainline
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Bruce Berry was a working man
He used to load that Econoline van
Well, early in the morning at just about the break of day
He used to sleep until the afternoon
Tonight's the night, yes it is, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, ooh, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night, whoa
"Tonight's the Night" by Neil Young & Crazy Horse is a touching tribute to Bruce Berry, Young's roadie whom he worked with closely. In the opening lines, the repetitive structure emphasizes the significance of the night, alluding to the sense of anticipation and nervousness before a big event. The following verse describes Bruce Berry, who was the backbone of Young's touring, loading the heavy equipment into the Econoline van. Despite the tough job, a Sparkle was always in his eye, hinting at his enthusiasm and passion for music.
The lyrics move to describe Berry's other talent – singing. Late at night, once the people were gone, Berry would pick up Young's guitar and sing out loud. The shaky voice hinted at the raw, unpolished beauty of his performance, which could not mask the sincerity and genuineness behind it. Young's admiration for Berry's musical talent is evident in his evocative line - "real as the day was long." But, tragically, Berry passed away, and in the last verse, Young remembers him fondly. He hints at the significance of Berry's voice when he states that you won't hear him sing again.
The song is a heartfelt tribute to Bruce Berry, who meant a lot to Young, and his demise had left him with a deep sense of loss. The lyrics use repetition, poignant imagery, and sincere emotions to convey the unspoken grief of losing someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Bruce Berry was a working man
Bruce Berry was a man who worked for a living
He used to load that Econoline van
Bruce loaded the Econoline van as part of his job
A sparkle was in his eye
Bruce had a twinkle in his eye that hinted at his passion for music
But his life was in his hands
Bruce had control of his life and his choices determined his fate
Well, late at night when the people were gone
When the night was quiet with no one around, Bruce would start playing music
He used to pick up my guitar
He played music on Neil Young's guitar
And sing a song in a shaky voice
Bruce had an unsteady but heartfelt voice when he sang
That was real as the day was long
His music was authentic as the day is long
Tonight's the night, yes it is, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Early in the mornin' at the break of day
In the early hours of the morning, right before sunrise
He used to sleep until the afternoon
Bruce used to wake up late in the day
If you never heard him sing
If you never had the chance to hear Bruce sing
I guess you won't too soon
It's unlikely that you will hear his music anytime soon
'Cause people let me tell you
Because I want to tell you something
It sent a chill up and down my spine
Hearing about Bruce's death was shocking and unsettling
When I picked up the telephone
When I received a call
And heard that he'd died out on the mainline
Learning that Bruce died tragically on the main highway
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Bruce Berry was a working man
Bruce Berry was a man who worked for a living
He used to load that Econoline van
Bruce loaded the Econoline van as part of his job
Well, early in the morning at just about the break of day
Early in the morning when the sun was about to rise
He used to sleep until the afternoon
He would wake up late in the day after sleeping in
Tonight's the night, yes it is, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, ooh, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Tonight's the night, tonight's the night, whoa
The night where something significant will happen, tonight is the night
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind