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)
The Loner
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a cross of himself and a fox
He's a feeling arranger
And a changer of the ways he talks
He's the unforeseen danger
The keeper of the key to the locks
Know when you see him
Nothing can free him
It's the loner
If you see him in the subway
He'll be down at the end of the car
Watching you move
Until he knows, he knows who you are
When you get off at your station alone
He'll know that you are
Know when you see him
Nothing can free him
Step aside, open wide
It's the loner
There was a woman he knew
About a year or so ago
She had something that he needed
And he pleaded with her not to go
On the day that she left
He died, but it did not show
Know when you see him
Nothing can free him
Step aside, open wide
It's the loner
Neil Young's 'The Loner' is a mesmerizing and enigmatic song that tells the story of a man who lives a solitary life on the outskirts of society. The lyrics are poetic and mysterious, giving the listener little insight into the main subject's background or motivations. The verses are full of striking imagery, with the titular 'loner' compared to both a cross of himself and a fox and an 'unforeseen danger.'
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase 'know when you see him, nothing can free him, step aside, open wide, it's the loner.' This creates a sense of foreboding, as if the subject is a force of nature that can't be escaped or reckoned with. The third verse introduces a woman from the loner's past, who had 'something that he needed' and ultimately left him. The song suggests that this event had a significant impact on the loner, causing him to 'die' inwardly while still appearing alive outwardly.
Overall, 'The Loner' is a haunting song that captures the essence of loneliness and isolation. It's unclear whether the loner chooses this life or if it's forced on him by circumstance, but the lyrics suggest that he's both feared and pitied by those who encounter him.
Line by Line Meaning
He's a perfect stranger
He's like no one you've ever met before
Like a cross of himself and a fox
He's got traits of both himself and a fox, sly and cunning
He's a feeling arranger
He's skilled at manipulating emotions
And a changer of the ways he talks
He can change his communication style to fit the situation
He's the unforeseen danger
He's a risky and unpredictable presence
The keeper of the key to the locks
He knows how to get into places others can't
Know when you see him
Be wary of him when he comes into view
Nothing can free him
He's trapped by his own personality traits
Step aside, open wide
Get out of his way and let him pass
It's the loner
This describes the person everyone is talking about
If you see him in the subway
He could be anywhere, even in a crowded place
He'll be down at the end of the car
He'll be watching from a secluded spot
Watching you move
He's analyzing your behavior
Until he knows, he knows who you are
He's trying to learn all about you
When you get off at your station alone
He's interested in knowing where you're going and if you're by yourself
He'll know that you are
He'll figure out your situation
There was a woman he knew
He had a connection with someone in the past
About a year or so ago
It was recent enough for him to remember
She had something that he needed
He was dependent on her
And he pleaded with her not to go
He didn't want to lose her
On the day that she left
The day she went away
He died, but it did not show
He was heartbroken, but it didn't show on the surface
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Beth
on We Never Danced
i desperately want to know who painted aunt lisa's paintings in the movie