Crazy Horse is best known for its long association with Young, despite having released five albums of its own over a 19-year span. It has been co-credited with Young as Neil Young and Crazy Horse on 15 albums, "Americana" and "Psychedelic Pill" from 2012 being the latest.
The band recorded a concept album entitled "Greendale" (2003) that told the story using metaphors of murder and crime to represent the destruction of a small town community. The final song "Be The Rain" is one of Neil's classic epics, pleading for the world to be like the rain -- recycle and conserve to save our planet.
Discography: the studio albums "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" (1969), "Zuma" (1975), "Rust Never Sleeps" (1979), "Re-ac-tor" (1981), "Life" (1987), "Ragged Glory" (1990), "Sleeps With Angels" (1994), "Broken Arrow" (1996), Greendale (2003), "Americana" (2012), Psychedelic Pill (2012) and live albums "Live Rust" (1979), "Weld" (1991), "Year of the Horse" (1997), "Live at the Fillmore East" (2006)
A Man Needs A Maid
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know who to trust anymore
There's a shadow running through my days
Like a beggar going from door to door
I was thinking that maybe I'd get a maid
Find a place nearby for her to stay
Just someone to keep my house clean
A maid
A man needs a maid
A maid
It's hard to make that change
When life and love turns strange
And old
To give a love, you gotta live a love
To live a love, you gotta be "part of"
When will I see you again?
While ago somewhere I don't know when
I was watching a movie with a friend
I fell in love with the actress
She was playing a part that I could understand
A maid
A man needs a maid
A maid
A man needs a maid
When will I see you again?
The song A Man Needs a Maid by Neil Young is a ballad that explores the struggles of adjusting to major changes in life, particularly in relationships. It describes a man who's feeling lost, seeking comfort in the idea of hiring a maid. The opening lines suggest a profound confusion and uncertainty about a man's life that is becoming more and more evident every passing day. The shadow that's running through his days represents a metaphor for his inner turmoil, something that's unsettling him and making him feel like a beggar going from door to door.
The chorus of the song, "A man needs a maid," brings to light the man's profound loneliness, his longing for love, and companionship. The song's lyrics depict a man who's struggling to keep his life in order after a significant change in his relationship status. He goes on to describe how he's thinking of finding a maid who he can hire to clean and cook for him. This line suggests a desire to have someone in his life who will care for him, albeit superficially. The lyrics then jump back to the chorus to reiterate the man's need for a maid before moving to the second verse.
The second verse reveals that the man is watching a movie with his friend, and he falls in love with the actress who's playing a role that he can relate to. He once again emphasizes that "a man needs a maid," hoping that one day he'll find what he's looking for. The song ends where it began, with the last lines of the chorus, "When will I see you again?"
Overall, the song portrays the vulnerability and loneliness of a man who's struggling to make sense of a significant change in his life. The lyrics express his desire for companionship and love, but he feels unable to navigate these emotions, so he turns to hiring a maid to fill that void in some small way.
Line by Line Meaning
My life is changing in so many ways
I'm going through a lot of changes and uncertainties in my life.
I don't know who to trust anymore
I'm having trouble trusting the people around me.
There's a shadow running through my days
I feel a sense of darkness or sadness in my everyday life.
Like a beggar going from door to door
I feel like I'm wandering around aimlessly, without a clear direction or purpose.
I was thinking that maybe I'd get a maid
I've been considering getting a maid to help me keep my life in order.
Find a place nearby for her to stay
I'm thinking of finding a place for the maid to live near me.
Just someone to keep my house clean
I want the maid to help me keep my living space clean.
Fix my meals and go away
I want the maid to cook for me and then leave me alone.
A maid
A man needs a maid
A maid
I feel like having a maid is necessary for me to live a happy life.
It's hard to make that change
I'm finding it difficult to make the changes necessary in my life.
When life and love turns strange
When things in life and love become unfamiliar and unpredictable.
And old
When things start to feel worn out and tired.
To give a love, you gotta live a love
In order to give love, you have to experience love yourself.
To live a love, you gotta be "part of"
To truly experience love, you have to be an active participant in it.
When will I see you again?
I'm wondering when I'll have the chance to experience love again.
While ago somewhere I don't know when
Sometime in the past, but I'm not sure when or where.
I was watching a movie with a friend
I was watching a movie with someone I know.
I fell in love with the actress
I became infatuated with the actress in the movie.
She was playing a part that I could understand
The actress was playing a role that resonated with me.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jwanda10
i think this is the most beautiful song ever written. i absolutely love it
@totalt6600
You aren't exaggerating. Perfect in every way.
@11soun
Perfect voice on perfects chords
@11soun
He makes me play piano guitar harmonica and banjo....
@allanspence1347
Yes.
@jwanda10
i say this is a candidate for the best song of all time... a masterpiece of the highest order!
@michaelcohen7343
Yup! I agree
@michaelcohen7343
I’m going through hell right now and I thought of this song. I have chills
@zerofox1551
So, 51 years have passed and this song still tears me up. Love you Neil Young!
@simply.darius
Very sad song... Saying it's sexist is a complete misunderstanding. You must read between the lines to understand. "A man needs a maid" is the point of view of a heartbroken guy who fears to get attached and suffer again. Hiring a maid is a way for him to have a woman's presence in his life without taking the risk of being heartbroken again : the maid come by to clean his house, cook and then leave. You can also understand A man will always needs a "maid" (in the sense of a "young woman") in his life. It's really deep...