Canadian singer and songwriter Neil Young includes his personal garage band… Read Full Bio ↴Canadian singer and songwriter Neil Young includes his personal garage band Crazy Horse ("second best backing band in the world") to make raw and unpolished rock. Their gritty style of rock has influenced countless artists and music styles.

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 Losing End
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I went into town to see you yesterday
But you were not home
So I talked to some old friends
For a while, before I wandered off alone

It's so hard for me now
But I'll make it somehow
Though I know I'll never be the same

Won't you ever change your ways?
It's so hard to make love pay
When you're on the losing end
And I feel that way again

Well, I miss you more than ever
Since you've gone, I can hardly maintain
Things are different 'round here every night
My tears fall down like rain

It's so hard for me now
But I'll make it somehow
Though I know I'll never be the same
Won't you ever change your ways?
It's so hard to make love pay
When you're on the losing end
And I feel that way again

It's so hard for me now
But I'll make it somehow
Though I know I'll never be the same
Won't you ever change your ways?
It's so hard to make love pay

When you're on the losing end
And I feel that way again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Neil Young & Crazy Horse's song The Losing End tell the story of heartbreak and the pain of unrequited love. The singer journeys into the town to see his lover, but she is not at home, so he spends some time talking to old friends before wandering off alone. The singer reflects on his pain, stating that it is hard for him, but he will make it somehow. He knows that he will never be the same again and asks his lover to change her ways. He feels that it is challenging to make love pay when you are on the losing end, and he feels that way again.

The song appears to be about the emotional turmoil of a break-up. The singer seems to long for love and the person whom he loves. He reflects on the changes that the break-up has caused and his tearful nights. The song is a reflection on the pain of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on from someone whom you still love.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse's The Losing End is a poignant song with heartfelt lyrics that express the universal themes of heartbreak and unrequited love. The song demonstrates the power of music to capture and convey emotions that are sometimes difficult to express in words. The instrumentals in the song also add to the melancholic mood of the vocals, making for a moving and memorable listening experience.

Line by Line Meaning

I went into town to see you yesterday
I tried to see you yesterday by going to town

But you were not home
You were not home, so I couldn't see you

So I talked to some old friends
I spoke with some old friends instead

For a while, before I wandered off alone
I talked to them for a bit before leaving alone

It's so hard for me now
Things are difficult for me at the moment

But I'll make it somehow
I'll find a way to cope somehow

Though I know I'll never be the same
I realize that things will never be the same

Won't you ever change your ways?
Can you please change the way you behave?

It's so hard to make love pay
It's difficult to make a relationship work

When you're on the losing end
When you're the one who is always getting hurt

And I feel that way again
I'm feeling that way once more