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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When I Watch You Sleeping
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There’s nothing that you hide
When I smell you breathing
There’s a sweetness from inside
And when I feel you stirring
And the day is about to break
Outside wings are whirring
And the sky is there to take
I wonder how I got so close to you
And see the chances that you take
Without thinking I’m going there too
These are the promises you make
When your eyes are blinded by love
And the history of fate
When I hear you purring
Like a kitten and a lion
And I feel your softness
How you got it without trying
Then you roll and tumble
With your dreams still holding on
And I hear that rumble
In the stomach of the dawn
Today I paint my masterpiece
Tonight I trace my tears
Thinking through the road I took to you
And where I stumbled through the years
Today I paint my masterpiece
Tonight I trace my tears
Thinking through my path to you
And where I stumbled through the years
That’s when I knew I’d never hold you down
Repeating old roads and fears
Now the crows are calling
And the blackbirds sing in my ear
You got one eye open
And I’m smiling through my tears
But you’ll never see them
Here inside with my fears
In a place that’s fading away
And taking on new years
The lyrics of Neil Young's song, “When I Watch You Sleeping,” convey the feeling of watching and observing someone while they are asleep beside him. He expresses his emotions of admiration, love, and gratefulness. The first verse captures the beauty of the moment when the person is sleeping; the singer feels that he can truly see and understand everything about the person he is watching. The second verse describes the person's physical characteristics and movements while asleep, and the third verse reveals the singer's thoughts about their relationship.
When the singer watches the person sleeping, he feels comfortable and privileged, as if he has been granted access to their innermost secrets. It seems like he's trying to understand the person's innermost thoughts and the way they feel about themselves. As he listens to the sound of their breathing, he feels like he's becoming a part of them, and everything else in the world fades away.
The chorus "Today I paint my masterpiece/ Tonight I trace my tears/ Thinking through the road I took to you/ And where I stumbled through the years" suggests that the singer’s experience is simultaneously profound and flawed. The “Masterpiece” he is working on can represent his relationship with this person, and the time he spent with them. With a vision of where he wants things to go, he traces his own tears as if they were an integral part of his communication with the person beside him.
Overall, the song expresses the beauty of watching someone you love while they sleep, and how it creates a moment so pure and serene that it can inspire profound self-reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
When I watch you sleeping
I am fascinated by observing you near me while in deep sleep
There’s nothing that you hide
Your real self emerges uncensored in this peaceful state
When I smell you breathing
I am attracted to the pleasant fragrance of your breath
There’s a sweetness from inside
Your inner beauty is charming and delightful
And when I feel you stirring
As you move, I experience a sense of your awakening
And the day is about to break
This moment marks the end of a beautiful night and the start of the new day
Outside wings are whirring
Birds flying outside announce the advent of a new day with their flapping wings
And the sky is there to take
The open sky awaits the sun, which brings a new day along with it
I wonder how I got so close to you
I am amazed and curious about how we formed such a connection
And see the chances that you take
I observe the risks you take regularly, knowing the outcomes could be positive or negative
Without thinking I'm going there too
It is almost instinctive for me to follow you into new experiences
These are the promises you make
Such adventurous decisions are indications of promises you make to yourself
When your eyes are blinded by love
When you are deeply in love, you lose track of the reality and become oblivious to everything else
And the history of fate
You forget your past experiences and believe in a chance driven destiny
When I hear you purring
I am enchanted by the melodic sound of your breathing in slumber
Like a kitten and a lion
Your breathing sounds are a fluctuation between softness and ferocity, but equally beautiful
And I feel your softness
I am in admiration of your naturally gentle touch
How you got it without trying
I am amazed by how your genuine nature requires no effort
Then you roll and tumble
Seeing you move in your dreams and your reactions enriches my admiration of you
With your dreams still holding on
You retain a grip on your aspirations as you sleep, and this is admirable
And I hear that rumble
I am attuned to the rising sound of the world beyond
In the stomach of the dawn
This is symptomatic of the time when the transition of night to the morning is about to occur
Today I paint my masterpiece
I am planning to initiate my personal masterwork creation today
Tonight I trace my tears
This night will be dedicated to contemplating my past choices and anything regrettable
Thinking through my path to you
My reflection process will include examining the route taken to be with you
And where I stumbled through the years
In doing so, areas where I made errors in judgment will surface
That's when I knew I'd never hold you down
During this reflection time, I realize the importance of allowing you space for personal growth
Repeating old roads and fears
It is impractical to keep returning to previous mistakes and avoidable worrisome thoughts.
Now the crows are calling
The calls of crows suggest that it is early morning, and another day has started
And the blackbirds sing in my ear
Beautiful sounds of blackbirds communicate the evolving surroundings on this new day
You got one eye open
You are waking up, and one of your eyes is now open
And I’m smiling through my tears
Lingering emotions from my past reflections have resulted in tears, but my happiness of witnessing you awaken wipes them off my face
But you’ll never see them
You will never witness my tear-filled eyes
Here inside with my fears
My internal worries and concerns cannot be shared outwardly
In a place that’s fading away
The serenity of morning is making disappear the silence, and tranquility of early dawn
And taking on new years
As time advances, newer challenges and experiences are welcomed in my thoughts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind