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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Transformer Man
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You run the show
Remote control
Direct the action with the push of a button
You're a transformer man
Power in your hand
Transformer man, transformer man
Sooner or later you'll have to see
The cause and effect
So many things still left to do
But we haven't made it yet
Every morning when I look in your eyes
I feel electrified by you, oh, yes
Transformer man, transformer man
Transformer man
Still in command
Your eyes are shining on a beam
Through the galaxy of love
Transformer man, transformer man
Unlock the secrets
Let us throw off the chains that hold you down
Transformer man, transformer man
Sooner or later you'll have to learn
The cause and effect
So many things still left to do
But we haven't made it yet
Every morning when I look in your eyes
I feel electrified by you, oh, yes
Transformer man, transformer man
Transformer man, transformer man
Transformer man, transformer man
Transformer man, transformer man
The song "Transformer Man" by Neil Young seems to be about an individual who is in control of everything and everyone like a remote control or a transformer. This person has the power to direct action and is at the center of it all. However, the song suggests that this person may also be aware of the fact that there is still so much left to do and so many things to accomplish. There is an almost sci-fi element to the song, with references to beams that employ love and release individuals from chains that currently bind them.
Line by Line Meaning
Transformer man, transformer man
Addressing the titular character, introducing him and shining a spotlight on him.
You run the show
The Transformer Man is in control of everything and responsible for making things happen.
Remote control
The Transformer Man has power over things that are not physically near him, he can direct action from afar.
Direct the action with the push of a button
The Transformer Man has an effortless ability to influence the course of events.
Power in your hand
The Transformer Man has an immense amount of power at his disposal, at his fingertips.
Sooner or later you'll have to see
The Transformer Man is eventually going to have to come to terms with reality and realize certain truths.
The cause and effect
Everything that happens has a consequence, and the Transformer Man will have to face those consequences eventually.
So many things still left to do
There is a lot of work to be done, and it is up to the Transformer Man to see it through.
But we haven't made it yet
Despite the Transformer Man's efforts, we haven't reached our ultimate goal yet.
Every morning when I look in your eyes
The artist is addressing the Transformer Man directly, indicating that this is a personal message and complimentary remark about his leadership and ability to energize people.
I feel electrified by you, oh, yes
Being around the Transformer Man is invigorating and inspiring the singer to keep pushing forward.
Still in command
The Transformer Man is still the one in charge, even as the work progresses.
Your eyes are shining on a beam
The Transformer Man is focused and driven, keeping his eye on the end goal.
Through the galaxy of love
The Transformer Man is motivated by love for humanity and a desire to do good in the world.
Unlock the secrets
There is more to learn, more to understand, and the Transformer Man has the power to unlock the secrets that will help us reach our end goal.
Let us throw off the chains that hold you down
The Transformer Man is being held back by something, and removing that restraint will allow him to fully realize his power and potential.
Sooner or later you'll have to learn
The Transformer Man will inevitably have to confront and come to terms with the consequences of his actions.
Transformer man
Reiterating the focus of the song on this character.
Lyrics © Silver Fiddle, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind