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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Who's Gonna Stand Up?
Neil Young Lyrics
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Protect the land from the greed of man
Take out the dams, stand up to oil
Protect the plants and renew the soil
Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?
Who's gonna say that she's had enough?
Who's gonna take on the big machine?
This all starts with you and me
End fossil fuel, draw the line
Before we build one more pipeline
End fracking now, let's save the water
And build a life for our sons and daughters
Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?
Who's gonna say that she's had enough?
Who's gonna take on the big machine?
Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?
This all starts with you and me
Damn the dams, save the rivers
Starve the takers and feed the givers
Let's build the green and save the world
We're the people known as EARTH
Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?
Who's gonna say that she's had enough?
Who's gonna take on the big machine?
Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?
This all starts with you and me
Neil Young's song "Who's Gonna Stand Up" is a call to action for the protection of the Earth and its natural resources. The lyrics urge listeners to take action and stand up against the greed of man, protect the land, and prevent the destruction and exploitation of natural resources. The song argues for the end of fossil fuel use, fracking, and damming rivers, and for the implementation of environmentally-friendly practices to save the Earth for future generations.
"Who's gonna stand up" is a rhetorical question that highlights the need for collective action by individuals, as well as the imperative to hold powerful institutions and corporations accountable for their role in environmental destruction. The chorus emphasizes that the responsibility to save the Earth lies with everyone, and that it all starts with individual actions to protect our planet now and for future generations.
In conclusion, Neil Young's "Who's Gonna Stand Up" is a powerful call to action for environmental sustainability and represents the urgent plea to protect our planet.
Line by Line Meaning
Protect the wild, tomorrow's child
We must safeguard the environment to ensure that the future generations have a healthy and sustainable world to inherit.
Protect the land from the greed of man
It is crucial to maintain the natural habitat and protect it from human activities that are fueled by greed and disregard for nature.
Take out the dams, stand up to oil
We need to remove the artificial barriers that impede the free flow of water to restore the natural course of waterways, resist the powerful oil industry.
Protect the plants and renew the soil
We must nurture the plants and ensure that the soil is healthy and fertile, which is vital for a sustainable ecosystem.
Who's gonna stand up and save the Earth?
Who has the courage and the vision to take concrete actions to protect the planet and all life forms that inhabit it?
Who's gonna say that she's had enough?
Who will be the voice of reason and speak up against the atrocities being inflicted upon the Earth?
Who's gonna take on the big machine?
Who will challenge the powerful corporations whose actions threaten to destroy the Earth?
This all starts with you and me
We all have a responsibility to take action to create a better world for ourselves and future generations.
End fossil fuel, draw the line
To save the planet, we must transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, and set clear boundaries to prevent future damage.
Before we build one more pipeline
We have to stop constructing more pipelines that endanger the environment and support environmentally conscious policies.
End fracking now, let's save the water
Fracking has catastrophic effects on the environment, and it is important to stop this practice to preserve the water resources.
And build a life for our sons and daughters
Our actions today will have consequences that will impact the lives of our children and the generations to come.
Damn the dams, save the rivers
We should eliminate the dams that obstruct the natural flow of rivers and conserve them to maintain ecological balance.
Starve the takers and feed the givers
We should reduce the consumption of resources by those who exploit them and empower those who work for the preservation of nature.
Let's build the green and save the world
We need to promote green technologies and protect the environment to create a sustainable future for the planet.
We're the people known as EARTH
We are all inhabitants of this planet Earth, and we have the duty to protect and preserve it for ourselves and generations to come.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NEIL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind