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/
You're My Girl
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up on the forest floor
'Cause I wanted to share some things
But it sure looked to me
Like you've been there before
It was such a natural thing.
You're my girl
And you're showing me now
Just how grown up you are
You're my girl
(My girl)
And I'll be letting you go someday
Please don't tell me that
You're leaving me just yet
Cause I know I got to let you go
(Let you go)
Please don't tell me that
You're saying goodbye
(Say good bye)
Well I lit a candle
On the Fourth of July
But it didn't bring you home to me
You went heading into summer
On a natural high
With the world at your feet
It's your time
(Your time)
And you're showing me now
Just how grown up you are
It's your time
(Your time)
And I'll be letting you go someday
Please don't tell me that
You're leaving me just yet
Cause I know I got to let you go
(Let you go)
Please don't tell me that
You're saying goodbye
(Say goodbye)
We went looking for faith
On the forest floor
And it showed up everywhere
In the sun and the water
And the falling leaves
The falling leaves of time
You're my girl
(My girl)
And you're showing me now
Just how grown up you are
You're my girl
(My girl)
And I'll be letting you go someday
Please don't tell me that
You're leaving me quite yet
Cause I know I got to let you go
Please don't tell me that
You're saying goodbye
In "You're My Girl," Neil Young sings about the bittersweet experience of watching someone he loves grow up and move away. He takes his loved one "for a walk/Up on the forest floor" as an attempt to hold onto his youth, but it became clear to him that she's already been there before him. Their bond is genuine and natural, which makes it even harder for him to come to terms with the idea of letting her go. While watching her grow and mature, he tells her that "It's your time/And you're showing me now/Just how grown up you are/It's your time/And I'll be letting you go someday."
Throughout the song, the singer repeatedly asks his loved one, "Please don't tell me that/You're leaving me just yet/Cause I know I got to let you go/Let you go/Please don't tell me that/You're saying goodbye." He's aware that the time will come when they will inevitably have to say goodbye, but he's not ready for it yet.
Overall, "You're My Girl" is a song about the universal experience of letting go. Nobody wants to see the people they love most grow up and move on to the next phase of life. However, it's also a song about appreciating the present moment, recognizing the beauty in nature, and acknowledging the inevitability of change.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I took you for a walk
I took you to the forest to share some thoughts and feelings with you.
Up on the forest floor
We were walking around in the forest.
'Cause I wanted to share some things
I had things that I wanted to talk to you about.
But it sure looked to me
It appeared to me that you were familiar with the place.
Like you've been there before
You seemed like someone who had been to the forest before.
It was such a natural thing
It felt natural to be doing this with you.
You're my girl
You are very special to me.
(My girl)
You are the person I love.
And you're showing me now
You are demonstrating to me.
Just how grown up you are
Your maturity level is becoming evident.
And I'll be letting you go someday
Eventually, you will leave my side.
Please don't tell me that
Please don't say to me.
You're leaving me just yet
You will soon depart from my life.
Cause I know I got to let you go
Because I understand I have to allow you to move on.
(Let you go)
I must permit you to leave my life.
Please don't tell me that
Please don't say to me.
You're saying goodbye
You want to say farewell.
(Say good bye)
You want to leave me.
Well I lit a candle
I lit a candle.
On the Fourth of July
During the Fourth of July.
But it didn't bring you home to me
It didn't make you come back to me.
You went heading into summer
You went departing towards the summer.
On a natural high
You were enthusiastic and happy.
With the world at your feet
You had the world at your disposal.
It's your time
It's time for you.
(Your time)
It's your moment.
And you're showing me now
You are demonstrating to me.
Just how grown up you are
Your maturity level is becoming evident.
And I'll be letting you go someday
Eventually, you will leave my side.
Please don't tell me that
Please don't say to me.
You're leaving me just yet
You will soon depart from my life.
Cause I know I got to let you go
Because I understand I have to allow you to move on.
(Let you go)
I must permit you to leave my life.
Please don't tell me that
Please don't say to me.
You're saying goodbye
You want to say farewell.
(Say goodbye)
You want to leave me.
We went looking for faith
We searched for something to believe in.
On the forest floor
While we were in the forest.
And it showed up everywhere
It emerged in every corner.
In the sun and the water
In the sun and water.
And the falling leaves
And in the leaves falling from the trees.
The falling leaves of time
The passing of time was marked by falling leaves.
Please don't tell me that
Please don't say to me.
You're leaving me quite yet
You won't leave me that soon.
Cause I know I got to let you go
I understand that I need to let you go.
Please don't tell me that
Please don't say to me.
You're saying goodbye
You want to say farewell.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind