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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Walk On
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so grateful to have lived all these years
From the falling leaves to the snow in the trees
And the spring to the summertime we knew
As they came and they went and I rode along with life
In my ways with my memories and love
I look out at the change and I wonder how the Earth
Walk with me now to the ends of the Earth
And you'll see what the damage can be
Fight with me now to the end of the wars
And believe what they've done for you, if you now are free
The end of wars, the price of life
The cost of care, the toll of strife
I walk with you and count the days
Walk by my side as we enter the days
And we find what we have in store
Stand with me now as we walk through the land
And we wonder what we were fighting for
In Neil Young's song Walk On, the singer is aware of people who are talking negatively about him and spreading rumors. Despite this, he is determined to continue living his life and doing what he enjoys without letting their opinions affect him. He acknowledges that everyone has different coping mechanisms and ways of dealing with life's challenges, some turning to drugs or unconventional behaviors. The lyrics suggest that there used to be good times with wild parties and staying up all night, but now times have changed and money isn't as plentiful. However, the singer still tries to remain positive and live his life as best he can.
The chorus "walk on, walk on" can be interpreted as a message of resilience and perseverance. Despite the challenges and negativity thrown his way, the singer is determined to keep moving forward and not let the opinions of others hold him back. The line "sooner or later it all gets real" serves as a reminder that life eventually catches up to everyone, and it's important to live in the present and enjoy it as much as possible.
Overall, Neil Young's Walk On is a song about staying true to oneself and not letting the opinions of others deter one's path in life. It promotes resilience, perseverance, and living life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear some people been talkin' me down
Neil has heard that some people have been criticizing him and his actions.
Bring up my name, pass it 'round
These people are discussing and gossiping about Neil.
They don't mention happy times
The people talking about Neil are only bringing up negative things and not acknowledging any positive experiences or memories.
They do their thing, I'll do mine
Neil is acknowledging that everyone has their own path and he is not bothered by what these people are saying.
Ooh baby, that's hard to change
It is difficult to change people's opinions or perspectives about Neil and his actions.
I can't tell them how to feel
Neil understands that he cannot control how other people perceive him.
Some get stoned, some get strange
People react to difficult situations in different ways and may use negative coping mechanisms like drugs or strange behavior.
Sooner or later, it all gets real
The consequences of people's actions always come to light and catch up with them.
Walk on, walk on
Neil encourages himself to move past negativity and continue with his own path.
I remember the good old days
Neil reminisces about a time in his life when things were simpler and he was happy.
Stayed up all night gettin' crazed
Neil remembers a time when he was carefree and didn't have to worry about his reputation or what people thought of him.
Then the money was not so good
Even though he may not have had a lot of money during this time, Neil was content and enjoyed his life.
But we still did the best we could
Neil and his companions did what they could with the resources and circumstances they had at that time.
Walk on, walk on
Neil reminds himself to keep moving forward and enjoy life regardless of external factors.
Walk on, walk on
Neil repeats the line to further affirm his commitment to his own path and not letting others bring him down.
Walk on, walk on
Another repetition of the line to drive home the point that he will not be deterred by negativity and will continue to move forward.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind