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)
All Along the Watchtower
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
The song All Along the Watchtower by Neil Young & Crazy Horse is actually a cover of the original song written by legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, but Neil Young brought his own unique sound to the song, adding his personal touch to it. The song has a deep meaning, and it's all about seeking solutions to problems in the midst of confusion and chaos.
The starting lines "There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief, "There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief" refer to the feeling of helplessness and despair, where the joker and the thief are looking for a way out of their current situation. The thief tries to calm the joker down by stating, "there are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke," but the joker insists that they keep looking for a way out because he cannot find any relief from the chaos that surrounds them.
The lines, "All along the watchtower, princes kept the view, while all the women came and went, barefoot servants too," signify the powerful people in society, who keep a watch over everything, while others come and go, oblivious to their rulers. The song's final lines are "Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl," which depicts that something significant is about to happen, but what it is, we do not know.
Line by Line Meaning
There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief,
The joker and thief are feeling stuck in the current situation and are looking for a way out.
There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
The amount of confusion in their surroundings is overwhelming, and they can't seem to find a way to relax.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
People from different classes are taking advantage of the situation and profiting from it.
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.
Despite their involvement, none of them understand the true value or meaning of what's going on.
"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
The thief tries to calm the joker, suggesting that people have already faced situations like this before.
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
Others have the same cynical perspective as them, thinking that life is nothing but a pointless joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
Both the joker and thief have dealt with these situations before, and they don't want to let it define who they are.
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."
They can no longer keep pretending or lie to themselves; they need to act now before it's too late.
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
The princes are the ones in control, surveying the situation as it unfolds.
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Meanwhile, everyone else, including women and servants, come and go as they please, seemingly unaffected by the situation.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Outside of the immediate situation, something ominous is brewing, symbolized by the wildcat's growl.
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
The arrival of two riders and the howling wind signal the coming of change or a new phase.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Gargani
it has always amazed me how Neil Young can instantly go from grunge rock, to the sweetest slow ballads without missing a step...He is truly one of the most unique musicians of all time....
Jørgen Jacobsen
@Thorsten Nielsen füçl
Mass Hysteria
One of many thousands
Vedrana Olujić
He is with me
Whole my life
On radio, lp 💿
yt.......🥰🤎🖤💜
Michael Rohrman
Neil The Godfather of grunge
Conor Kennedy
he plays the music that is in hs heart.
Marcus
I caught this show; Willie played four different times; this was his last appearance of the day, and WHAT A FINALE!
Sheila Mitchell
Stumbled across this purely by accident and thought I'd give it a listen.......there are no words that can do this justice. Absolutely first class and Neil Young who I have always been a massive fan of just nails this. Fantastic musicianship throughout and everyone's input is heard loud and clear but anyone who down voted this needs immediate psychiatric assessment. Marvellous rendition and outstanding effort from all.
Conor Kennedy
the real deal
Michael Quigley
I concur with your conclusion!