Neil Young's Lyrics

COMES A TIME
(From: Comes A Time)

Comes A Time
Comes a time when you're driftin'
Come a time when you settle down
Comes a light feelin's liftin'
Lift that baby right up off the ground

Chorus: Oh, this old world keeps spinning round
It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down
There comes a time

You and I we were captured
Comes a time when you settle down
We were right we were giving
That's how we kept what we gave away

Chorus: Oh, this old world keeps spinning round
It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down
There comes a time.

PRAIRIE WIND

(2005) CD+DVD

"It's a long road behind me / And I miss you now."
(From opening track "The Painter")

Recorded in Nashville, PRAIRIE WIND is quintessential Neil Young, a masterpiece that completes the trilogy of his best-selling albums Harvest and Harvest Moon. Direct yet poetic, country and folk yet rock.

Young wrote these 10 songs after traumatic moments in his life, including the death of his 87-year-old father and his own brain aneurysm. He recorded them in Nashville with some longtime musician friends, including guitarist Ben Keith, keyboardist Spooner Oldham and singer Emmylou Harris.

DVD: Multiple cameras shot the recording of every note and musician of Prairie Wind. The accompanying DVD features this footage plus bios and discography. The audio streams of the entire album are Hi-Resolution PCM Stereo, DTS, Dolby 2.0 and Dolby 5.1.

Also available on CD: American Stars 'N Bars, On The Beach, Hawks & Doves and re-ac-tor.

Sailing heartships through broken harbours
Out on the waves in the night
Still the searcher must ride the dark horse
Racing alone in his fright.
Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,
When you're old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me lies later, come and see me
I'll be around for a while.
I am lonely but you can free me
All in the way that you smile.

Well, I dreamed I saw the knights in armour coming, sayin' something about a queen.
There were passants singin' and drummers drummin' and the archer split the tree.
There's a fanfare blowin' to the sun that was floating on the breeze.
Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen seventies.
Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen seventies.

I was lyin' in a burned out basement with the full moon in my eyes.
I was hopin' for replacement when the sun burst through the sky.
There was a band playin' in my head and I felt like getting high.
I was thinkin' about what a friend had said I was hopin' it was a lie.
Thinkin' about what a friend had said I was hopin' it was a lie.

Well, I dreamed I saw the silver spaceships flyin' in the yellow haze of the sun,
there were children cryin' and colours flyin' all around the chosen ones
All in a dream, all in a dream the loading had begun.
Flying Mother Nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun.
Flying Mother Nature's silver seed to a new home.

When you were young and on your own
How did it feel to be alone?
I was always thinking of games that I was playing.
Trying to make the best of my time.

But only love can break your heart
Try to be sure right from the start
Yes only love can break your heart
What if your world should fall apart?

I have a friend I've never seen
He hides his head inside a dream
Someone should call him and see
If he can come out.
Try to lose the down that he's found.

Southern man better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book said
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burning fast Southern man

I saw cotton and I saw black
Tall white mansions and little shacks
Southern man when will you pay them back?
I heard screamin' and bullwhips cracking How long? How long?

Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown
I've seen your black man comin' round
Swear by God I'm gonna cut him down!
I heard screamin' and bullwhips cracking How long? How long?

I'm gonna give you till the morning comes
I'm only waiting till the morning comes.

Everybody's going out and having fun
I'm a fool for staying home and having none.
I can't get over how she set me free. Oh, lonesome me.

There must be some way that I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about my past and find someone new
I've thought of everything from A to Z Oh, lonesome me.

I'll bet she's not like me.
She's out and fancy free,
Flirting with the boys with all her charms
But I still love her so,
And brother don't you know
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms.

Old man lying by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by,
Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load
And the building scrape the sky,
Cold wind ripping down the allay at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes,
Don't let it bring you down - it's only castles burning,
Find someone who's turning and you will come around.

Blind man running through the light of the night
With an answer in his hand,
Come on down to the river of sight
And you can really understand,
Red lights flashing through the window in the rain,
Can you hear the sirens moan?
White cane lying in a gutter in the lane,
If you're walking home alone,
Don't let it bring you down - it's only castles burning,
Just find someone who's turning and you will come around.

Lover, there will be another one
Who'll hover over you beneath the sun
Tomorrow see the things that never come
Today

When you see me
Fly away without you
Shadow on the things you know
Feathers fall around you
And show you the way to go
It's over, it's over.

Nestled in your wings my little one
Is special morning brings another sun
Tomorrow see the things that never come
Today

When you dance, do your senses tingle?
Then take a chance?
In a trance, while the lonely mingle with circumstance?

I've got something to tell you you make it show.
Baby come over, I know you know
When you dance I can really love.

I can love, I can really love, I can really love
Like a mountain that's growing a river that rolls
Baby come over, I know you know.

Now that you found yourself losing your mind are you here again?
Finding that what you once thought is real is gone, and changing?

Now that you made yourself love me
Do you think I can change it in a day?
How can I place you above me?
Am I lieing to you when I say
That I believe in you?

Coming to you at night I see my questions I feel my doubts
Whishing that maybe in a year or two we could laugh and let it all out.

All alone the captain stands
Hasn't heard from his deck hands.
The gambler tips his hat and walks towards the door.
It's the second half of the cruise.
And do you know he hates to lose.

Hey, hey cripple creek ferry
Bulling through the overhanging trees
Make way for the Cripple Creek ferry
The waters going down it's a mighty tight squeeze.

MY MY, HEY HEY (OUT OF THE BLUE)
(from: Rust Never Sleeps)

My my, hey hey,
Rock and roll is here to stay
It's better to burn out, than to fade away
My my, hey hey

It's out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that
And once you're gone you can never come back
When you're out of the blue, and into the black

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
This is a story of a Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out than it is to rust
The king is gone but he's not forgotten

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture, than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my

HEY HEY, MY MY (INTO THE BLACK)
(from: Rust Never Sleeps)

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll will never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my

Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
Once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue, and into the black

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the story of a Johnny Rotten?
It's better to burn out, 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye
Hey hey, my my.............................

Got out of town on a boat goin' to southern islands.
Sailing a reach before a followin' sea.
She was makin' for the trades on the outside,
And the downhill run to Papeete Bay.

Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline.
Nicely making way.
In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you.
But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away.

Think about how many times I have fallen,
Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world, lookin' for that woman, girl, who knows love can endure.
And you know it will. And you know it will.

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time,
You understand now why you came this way.
'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small.
But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day.

So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dyin'.
And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain.
I have my ship and all her flags are a flyin'
She is all that I have left and music is her name.

Think about how many times I have fallen,
Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

I have been around the world, lookin' for that woman, girl, who knows love can endure.
And you know it will. And you know it will.

So we cheated and we lied and we tested
And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do.
You will survive being bested.
But somebody fine will come along make me forget about loving you.
At the Southern Cross.

I AM A CHILD
(from: Live Rust)

I am a child
I last a while
You can't conceive
Of the pleasure in my smile
You hold my hand
Rough up my hair
It's lots of fun
To have you there

I gave to you now
You give to me
I'd like to know
What you are
The sky is blue now
And so is the sea

What is the colour
When black is brown?
What is the colour?

You are a man
You understand
You pick me up
And you lay me down again
You make the rules
You say what's fair
It's lots of fun
To have you there.

I gave to you now
You give to me
I'd like to know
What you are
The sky is blue now
And so is the sea

What is the colour
When black is brown?
What is the colour?

I am a child
I last a while
You can't conceive
Of the pleasure in my smile (fade)

I wanna live with a cinnamon girl
I could be happy the rest of my life
with a cinnamon girl.....

Ten silver saxes, a bass with a bow
The drummer relaxes and waits between shows
For his Cinnamon girl

My mother sent me money
now I'm gonna make it somehow
I need another chance
you see your baby loves to dance
yeah...yeah...yeah.....

I wanna live with a cinnamon girl
I could be happy the rest of my life
with a cinnamon girl.......

I want to live
I want to give
I've been a miner for a heart of gold.
It's these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.

I've been to Hollywood
I've been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold
I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line
That keeps me searching for a Heart of Gold

And I'm getting old.

SUGAR MOUNTAIN
(from: Decade)

Oh, to live on sugar mountain
With the Barkers and the colored balloons
You can't be twenty on sugar mountain
Though you're thinking that
You're leaving there too soon
You're leaving there too soon

It's so noisy at the fair
But all your friends are there
And the candy floss you had
And your mother and your dad

Oh, to live on sugar mountain
With the Barkers and the colored balloons
You can't be twenty on sugar mountain
Though you're thinking that
You're leaving there too soon
You're leaving there too soon

There's a girl just down the aisle
Oh to turn and see her smile
You can hear the words she wrote
As you read the hidden note

Oh, to live on sugar mountain
With the Barkers and the colored balloons
You can't be twenty on sugar mountain
Though you're thinking that
You're leaving there too soon
You're leaving there too soon

Now you're underneath the stairs
And you're giving back some glares
To the people who you met
And it's your first cigarette

Oh, to live on sugar mountain
With the Barkers and the colored balloons
You can't be twenty on sugar mountain
Though you're thinking that
You're leaving there too soon
You're leaving there too soon

Now you say you're leaving home
'Cause you want to be alone
Ain't it funny how you feel
When you're finding out it's real
Oh, to live on sugar mountain
With the Barkers and the colored balloons
You can't be twenty on sugar mountain
Though you're thinking that
You're leaving there too soon
You're leaving there too soon

Oh, to live on sugar mountain
With the Barkers and the coloured balloons
You can't be twenty on sugar mountain
Though you're thinking that
You're leaving there too soon

Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
Gonna get down to it soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been down long ago
What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know.
Gonna get down to it soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been down long ago
What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know.

POWDERFINGER
(from: Weld)

Look out, Mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river
With a big red beacon, and a flag, and a man on the rail
I think you'd better call John, 'cause it don't
look like they're here to deliver the mail
And it's less than a mile away
I hope they didn't come to stay
It's got numbers on the side and a gun
and it's makin' big waves.

Daddy's gone, my brother's out
hunting in the mountains
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmy-Lou
Seems the Powers That Be left me here to do the thinkin'
And I just turned twenty two
I was wonderin' what to do
And the closer they got,
The more those feelin's grew.

Daddy's rifle in my hand felt reassurin'
He told me, "Red means run, son,
and numbers add up to nothin'"
When the first shot hit the docks I saw it comin'
Raised my rifle to my eye
Never stopped to wonder why.
Then I saw black, and my face splashed in the sky.

Shelter me from the powder and the finger
Cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger
Think of me as one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love, I know I'll miss her.

THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE
(from: Harvest)

I caught you knocking at my cellar door
I love you baby can I have some more
oh, the damage done

I hit the city and I lost my band
I watched the needle take another man
gone, gone the damage done

I sing the song because I love the man
I know that some of you don't understand
milk blood to keep from running out

I've seen the needle and the damage done
a little part of it in everyone
but every junkie's like the setting sun

Are You Passionate?

"Are you passionate?
Do you live like you talk?"

Are You Passionate? sees Booker T. & The MGs as Young's backing band. Crazy Horse plays only on "Goin' Home".

"Going after Satan on the wings of a dove."

The track No. 5, "Let's Roll", tells one of the most legendary acts of heroism ever recorded in history: the story of Flight 93.
"Let's roll for freedom,
let's roll for justice,
let's roll for truth."

Neil Young a patriot? We mustn't forget that he is a Canadian, he lives in the States as a Green Card owner...