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/
Try
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To my heart and I've been hopin'
That you won't be the one
To struggle with the key
We got lots of time
To get together if we try
The waitin' time is over
Walkin' in the rain and comin' home dry
There's something missin' there
It's easier to care and try
And I try to wash my hands (ooh)
And I try to make amends (ooh)
And I try to count my friends (ooh)
Ooh, ooh (ooh, ooh)
Ooh, ooh (ooh, ooh)
Ooh, ooh (ooh, ooh)
I'd like to take a chance
But shit, mary, I can't dance
So here's to lookin' up your old address
Golly, what a mess
We gotta take the rest and try
We got lots of time
To get together if we try
We got lots of time
To get together if we try
(Ooh, ooh)
The lyrics to Neil Young's song "Try" speak of a relationship that is struggling to get off the ground. The singer is addressing his lover, letting them know that the door to his heart is open and he hopes that they will not struggle with the key to unlock it. He acknowledges that they have plenty of time to work on their relationship if they both try, and that they need to take the chance to do so before it's too late.
The second verse develops the idea that the waiting and the uncertainty are over: "No man sees around the corner / Walking in the rain and coming home dry / There's something missing there / It's easier to care and try". The singer seems to be saying that they have finally overcome the obstacles that have been keeping them apart, but that there is something still holding them back. He acknowledges that he has made mistakes and tries to make amends, but also recognizes that he needs to take more proactive steps to repair the relationship.
The chorus reinforces the idea that there is time to work things out if they both try, but it also highlights the singer's reluctance to take risks: "I'd like to take a chance / But shit, mary, I can't dance / So here's to lookin' up your old address / Golly, what a mess / We gotta take the rest and try". The use of the phrase "Golly, what a mess" suggests that the relationship has been strained for some time, and that there is a lot of work to be done to repair it. Overall, the lyrics of "Try" suggest that relationships can be fragile and difficult, but that they are worth pursuing if both parties are willing to work at it.
Line by Line Meaning
Darlin', the door is open
I am inviting you to my heart.
To my heart and I've been hopin'
I want you to enter my heart and I am hoping you feel the same.
That you won't be the one
I hope you won't struggle to enter my heart.
To struggle with the key
I hope you won't have difficulty in understanding my feelings.
We got lots of time
We don't need to rush; we have plenty of time to be together.
To get together if we try
We just need to work together to make our relationship successful.
The waitin' time is over
Our time waiting for each other to be ready to love is finished.
No man sees around the corner
We can't predict what our future holds.
Walkin' in the rain and comin' home dry
We may face difficult times, but we can learn from them and find ways to overcome them.
There's something missin' there
Something is not right between us.
It's easier to care and try
It's easier to put effort into our relationship than to let it fall apart.
And I try to wash my hands (ooh)
I am trying to let go of my past mistakes to move forward in our relationship.
And I try to make amends (ooh)
I am trying to fix any issues we had in the past to make our present and future better.
And I try to count my friends (ooh)
I am grateful for the support of my friends, but they cannot substitute for a romantic partner.
I'd like to take a chance
I want to take a risk on our relationship.
But shit, mary, I can't dance
I admit I am not perfect; I have flaws in things like dancing.
So here's to lookin' up your old address
I am willing to dig up past issues and address them to move forward with you.
Golly, what a mess
The situation we are in is troublesome, but we can work through it.
We gotta take the rest and try
We need to put in effort and continue trying to achieve a successful relationship.
We got lots of time
We still have plenty of opportunities to make our relationship work.
To get together if we try
We just need to work together and try to make our relationship successful.
(Ooh, ooh)
This refrain further emphasizes the importance of working together and trying.
Lyrics © Silver Fiddle
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tony Brock
Sounds fresh for a 40 year old song, having not been released. Just proves Neil Young never goes stale, even setting on the shelf.
Ethan Joseph
Why did u say setting 🌞
Manika Subba
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DENVEROUTDOORMAN
No sounds wimpy whole album way too mellow and boring...
J Nunez
"And I try to wash my hands". Covid-19 advice from 40 years ago. Neil has always been ahead of the times.
Scott Shea
Professionally mixed. Doesn't have that raw, garbage bootleg sound.
Whole in the sky
Amazing song I love it
Raul Izquierdo
To me is the best song of 2020.
Mikey Ramone
One of his best yet. This should have been out back then... His funky piano playing. I dig it so, so, so much. The live version in 2007-2008 is one of a kind, also.
Brian Carr
Long live rock & roll. Always Try!