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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the way
Neil Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The first time I saw her face
I was approaching at the end of the line
The first time I ever saw her smile at me that way
I was sailing in the Milky Way
Losing track of memories that weren't that day
As the stars flew by, I did collide with memory
But somehow I survived
And became free
She was walking like she knew
Where she was going
Walking like she knew
She was walking right up to me
I was sailing in the Milky Way
Losing track of memories that weren't that day
Right by her side
As the stars flew by, I did collide with memory
But somehow I survived
And became free
The starry night with no moonshine
The day without a cloud
A long ladder but no one climbing
A stranger in the crowd
There's a mermaid in the Milky Way
With an ocean lion
There's no moon tonight so you might see her
And her ocean lion
Up in the stars
I was sailing in the Milky Way
Losing track of memories that weren't that day
Right by your side
As the stars flew by, I did collide with memory
But somehow, I survived
And became free
The song "The Way" by Neil Young could be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener's preference. Nonetheless, the lyrics seem to describe a pleasant encounter with someone that felt like a long-time friend. Neil Young could be described as lost in his own world, as he references being distracted by the Milky Way and losing track of memories that weren't that day. However, this distraction does not deter him from being in the moment and fully absorbing the company of the person he is with. Neil Young's collision with memories could be a metaphor for his past experiences that shaped him to be the person he is, but he is free now, and this encounter is part of his new chapter. The mention of a mermaid could be another metaphorical way of describing this pleasant encounter as if it was surreal and beautiful.
The chorus describes Neil Young being by someone's side as the stars fly by, which could be symbolical of the ebbs and flows of life, but the company of the right person has helped him weather everything. This person is described as walking like she knew where she was going, which could imply that this person is confident and uplifted Neil Young's spirits. The last stanza continues on his theme of being distracted by all the beauty around him and uses metaphors to describe it, such as the starry night with no moonshine and a long ladder with no one climbing it. Neil Young's encounter with this person has left him feeling free and present.
Line by Line Meaning
She was lookin' like a friend of mine
The woman he saw looked so familiar that he thought she was a friend of his.
The first time I saw her face
This was the first time he laid eyes on her.
I was approaching at the end of the line
When he first saw her, she was at the end of a line of people.
The first time I ever saw her smile at me that way
This was the first time he had ever seen her smile at him in a certain way.
I was sailing in the Milky Way
Losing track of memories that weren't that day
He was in a state of mind where he felt like he was floating through space, unable to remember anything before that moment.
Right by her side
As the stars flew by, I did collide with memory
But somehow I survived
And became free
Despite feeling lost in space, he was able to hold on to the memory of that moment and it helped him break free from his confusion.
She was walking like she knew
Where she was going
Walking like she knew
She was walking right up to me
The woman he saw had a sense of direction and purpose, and it was clear she was walking towards him.
The starry night with no moonshine
The day without a cloud
A long ladder but no one climbing
A stranger in the crowd
This verse describes a seemingly empty and quiet scene with no one else around.
There's a mermaid in the Milky Way
With an ocean lion
There's no moon tonight so you might see her
And her ocean lion
Up in the stars
This verse paints an imaginative picture of a mermaid and an ocean lion in space, which could be seen in the sky on a dark night.
Right by your side
As the stars flew by, I did collide with memory
But somehow, I survived
And became free
He was able to keep his memory of the woman he met at that moment, which helped him get through a difficult time and feel free again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Storytone Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind