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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Tumbleweed
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life is full of little tricks and we can always pick up sticks
And build again, that's what we do
Harmony, the way we hold on when we tumble though the night
Life is full of strange delights and in the darkness we find lights
To make our way, back home again
Tumbleweed, it's all that I've got that's true
Bite me now, with your confusion, your happiness and delight
It will only hurt a moment, then it's gone and you can see
There's nothing left, to leave a mark
Animal, care for your kind, in the way you always do
When the flower moon is shining, it's eclipse and your lips smiling
Comfort me and I comfort you
Tumbleweed, your inner spirit is a peace sign to me
In "Tumbleweed," Neil Young sings about feeling connected to someone he admires, referring to them as "Tumbleweed." To Neil, Tumbleweed's inner spirit is a symbol of peace. In life, there can be ups and downs, but we always pick ourselves up again and begin anew. The song speaks to the idea that harmony is necessary, even when we're struggling. It's only in the darkness that we're able to find light and make our way back home.
Line by Line Meaning
Tumbleweed, your inner spirit is a peace sign to me
The carefree, wandering nature of a tumbleweed represents a sense of harmony and inner peace that is comforting to me
Life is full of little tricks and we can always pick up sticks
Life is full of challenges, but we can always find ways to overcome them and rebuild
And build again, that's what we do
We have the ability to overcome obstacles and build anew after facing setbacks
Harmony, the way we hold on when we tumble though the night
Harmony is achieved through our perseverance and steadfastness even in the darkness of night
Life is full of strange delights and in the darkness we find lights
Even in uncertain times, there are still moments of beauty and positivity that we can discover
To make our way, back home again
We are able to find our way back to a place of stability and comfort even after experiencing hardship
Tumbleweed, I'm baring my soul to you
The singer is sharing their deepest feelings and emotions with the carefree spirit of the tumbleweed
Tumbleweed, it's all that I've got that's true
The tumbleweed's peaceful nature represents the only true source of comfort and understanding that the artist has found
Bite me now, with your confusion, your happiness and delight
The artist is willing to embrace the uncertainty and unexpected joys of life, even if they may come with their fair share of pain
It will only hurt a moment, then it's gone and you can see
Suffering and pain are temporary, and eventually we can see beyond them to find enlightenment and growth
There's nothing left, to leave a mark
The difficulties we face may cause temporary pain, but they ultimately do not define us or impact us in a lasting way
Animal, care for your kind, in the way you always do
Like animals who look out for their own kind, we should care for and support those in our community
When the flower moon is shining, it's eclipse and your lips smiling
In moments of natural beauty, we can find joy and solace even in the midst of hardship
Comfort me and I comfort you
We are able to offer mutual support and solace to those around us
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind