The Story of Neil Young's "Southern Man"

‘SOUTHERN MAN’ by Neil Young
State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN - January 29, 2019 (3M/POLAR VORTEX TOUR)
via Neil Young Archives

Earlier this week, Neil Young streamed a 2019 solo acoustic version of ‘SOUTHERN MAN’ on Neil Young Archives.

On the album Decade, Neil Young's writes in the liner notes about the song "Southern Man":

This song could have been written on a civil rights march after stopping off to watch "Gone With The Wind" at a local theatre.

But I wasn't there so I don't know for sure. Actually I think I wrote it in the Fillmore East dressing room in 1970.

In light of current global events, Neil Young's song "Southern Man" has taken on new relevance about an old story. There were likely many drivers for featuring the song "Southern Man", but probably a key lyric is the line: "Don't forget what your good book said", given U.S. President Donald Trump's walk from The White to St Johns Church in Washington, DC on June 2, 2020.

"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"
U.S. President Donald Trump @ St Johns Church
Washington, DC - June 2, 2020

Here is some additional background and context on The Story of Neil Young's "Southern Man", courtesy of the essential Sugar Mountain.

From Neil Young concert on May 16, 1974 at The Bottom Line, New York City:

I have to tell you a story about Southern Man.

I was at the Oakland Coliseum. I was playing away. I was having a pretty mediocre time actually. It wasn't that hot you know. Show number fifty-eight. We were all tired. The band wasn't right in the first place. It was one of those things you know. By the time we got there - Southern Man - everybody, every night would yell "Southern Man, Southern Man". I could dig it you know. It was nice. But I went to sing it. And I was singing away and I started off...and by then you know I sang it with Crosby, Stills & Nash and I sang it by myself and I was singing it with these guys. By then I was starting to sort of feel like a Wurlitzer. Even though I really believed the song, where I was at, where I wrote it and everything. But anyway, I was singing away, "Southern Man better keep your head, don't forget what the good book...". This guy in the front row as far away as me and you. He jumped up, "right on, right on, I love it". He felt really good I could tell. All of a sudden this, this black cop just walked up to him - it just was the scene, the way it looked to me - and he just crunched him. And I just took my guitar off and put it on the ground and got in the car and went home.

A lot of those people couldn't understand it because they couldn't see from the other end. They thought I had just freaked out or something. But something about it - and ever since then I've never sung the song. I don't know why. I don't know. I sang it a lot. I sang it every night for a long time and I really - that's the story anyways. I couldn't do it. I don't feel it right now.

Filming "Journey Through The Past"
Columbus, GA - October 1972
photo by Joel Bernstein
via Neil Young Archives

From "Shakey" by Jimmy McDonough:

JM: Are you preaching in “Southern Man”?

Neil Young: No. I’m warning. Warning. “Southern Man” was an angry song. I wrote “Southern Man” in my studio in Topanga. Susan was angry at me for some reason, throwing things. They were crashing against the door ’cause I was down there doin’ I don’t know what the fuck. We fought a lot. There’s some reason for it, I’m sure. It was probably my fault … everybody can relate to that.

“Southern Man” was more than the South—I think the civil rights movement was sorta what that was about. The far North and the deep South are not very different. They’re extremes. Look at Robbie Robertson—an Indian from Canada who wrote a lot about the deep South. I’m sure it’s the same kinda thing.

Southerners, northerners, they’re extremists. I mean, look at the people who live up in Canada. And look at the people who live in the deep South. They’re out there. I love Canada, with the hockey games and the fuckin’ spirit—everybody gets so fuckin’ into it. It’s so real. And there’s that real family thing about the South—everybody gets together and has barbecues, ya know what I mean?

“Southern Man” is a strange song. I don’t sing it anymore. I don’t feel like it’s particularly relevant. It’s not “Southern Man”—it’s “White Man.” Heh heh. It’s much bigger than “Southern Man.”

We hope you remember that a Southern Man needs Neil Young around anyhow. Now, more than ever.

Also, see Northern Man, Southern Man and The Un-Civil Wars of Donald Trump & Neil Young and Southern Man and Northern Man: Ronnie and Neil, The Un-Civil Wars & Rebels with Causes.

‘SOUTHERN MAN’ by Neil Young
State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN - January 29, 2019 (3M/POLAR VORTEX TOUR)
via Neil Young Archives

And then there is the story of Merry Clayton's Southern Soul Cover of Neil Young's "Southern Man". Southern soul for a southern man from a southern woman.

Merry Clayton

Hey, Hey, My, My, this is the story of Donnie, Ronnie and Neil.

Donnie, Ronnie & Neil + Merry: Southern Man and The Un-Civil Wars of Donald Trump & Neil Young or Rebels with Causes w/ Northern Man
See https://t.co/kWVSBe9ZK9
☮️♥️@NeilYoungNYA @dhlovelife @drivebytruckers pic.twitter.com/WsoYYWPTVX

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) June 4, 2020

And, so why exactly might a southern black woman cover a white Canadian man's ode to racism in the Confederate south again, now anyhow?

Keep Calm, No Fear, Shut It Down, and Keep on Rockin'!

---

---

Comment of the Moment: Neil Young Official Bootleg Series Announced | NYA

"I’m So Happy That Y’all Came Down"
Neil Young: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles - February 1st, 1971

Last week, Neil Young provided more details on plans to release vintage bootleg recordings with improved sound and original art.

Posting images of front and back of the widely bootlegged "I’m So Happy That Y’all Came Down" of the solo acoustic Neil Young concert at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on February 1st, 1971, Neil writes on NYA that he wants to release Official Bootlegs with "better sound from our masters".

In reaction to the announcement, the Comment of the Moment from the intrepid Scotsman who said:

I'm sure yet more early-seventies solo acoustic performances will be the popular option; but I would like to hear the complete Jones Beach 1988 tape, from the same audio source as used on Bluenote Cafe.

And I'd like to hear Nurburgring 2002, a fantastic live performance with Poncho and the MGs that would be superseded in quality by the lossless master tape in the Archives.

But more than that, I'd like to hear more of the great shows that WEREN'T already bootlegged. Using cleaned-up soundboard tapes (with some added reverb to simulate the venue ambience, when necessary) or multi-tracks from the Archives.

Pier 84 from 1988. Pier 84 from 1985. Rotterdam 1989. The Weld Series from the multi-tracks. Concord 1993. Nurnberg 2002. Etc etc etc etc etc. There are literally hundreds of examples.

And of course, although the bootlegs are more well known, many of the most thrilling shows were not widely bootlegged. They exist as fun-sounding audience recordings. But Neil might as well release some of them himself from better-sounding tapes.

And no, I don't think it should all be about EXTREME audio quality. I'm fed up with this. No, Neil can't hear audio frequencies above 20khz, and you can't, either.

Yes, audio quality IS very important. I agree with this. I am an enthusiast about it myself. But like most things, taking it to its logical extreme doesn't often improve the experience. And it also excludes so much of the great live music recorded during the David Briggs era.

In other words, many of the live tapes are "only" in CD quality (and many of Neil's best albums are in fact "only" in CD quality). And thankfully, that is just fine. It is low-bitrate or poorly encoded mp3s that you have to worry about, and Neil is bang on the money in this respect.

So I do appreciate the desire to present the best quality experience. But there's also the very real and present danger that you will devolve into that mysterious breed of creature known as "the audiophile". You have been warned.

Anyway, careening back on topic. Neil has made so much of his most exciting music on the live stage, much of it taped in very usable quality, and there is simply too much of it to release as part of the semi-mainstream Performance Series. I think MANY of the existing live tapes deserve to be released, maybe as a classily-presented download option for a small price each (or as part of a second tier subscription). This is something that wouldn't have been feasible in the past, but certainly is now.

What's the alternative? To keep that great complete soundboard of Catalyst 1996 tucked away on the shelf until anyone who would enjoy hearing it is dead? We already know it sounds great, becuase we heard excerpts from it on Year Of The Horse.

I think there is a passionate niche market for this sort of stuff, and it would be unfortunate to waste the opportunity. Especially when live music is off the agenda for a while.

So starting with pre-existing bootlegs and upgrading the tapes from the Archives would be a very welcome idea, I'm excited about this, but I hope Neil and Warner are both enthusiastic and ambitious about releasing some more live shows via an online store: including those that weren't "officially" bootlegged. I think there really is a lot of potential and a lot of great live recordings that want to be heard.

Scotsman.

As we mentioned, thanks for the in depth comment. As always Scotsman,your insightful contributions -- once again demonstrate that Neil fans/rusties are some of the most knowledgeable and articulate music fans out there. So glad you can stop by to visit and share.

Yet another worthy Neil announcement, although we're very curious as to where Elliot Roberts would have stood on this issue.

There are so many concerts worthy of "Official Bootleg Series", especially those that were never even actually bootlegged. Bottom Line 1974, Jones Beach 1989, would be nice.

Another comment by NYBD11-12 with a bunch of great suggestions:

I agree that "Glad y'all..." should not be one of he first bootleg releases because the track list and performances are very similar to Massey Hall. I agree that the 1974 Bottom Line show would be a good one to release -- nearly all of the songs were unreleased at the time (many from ONTB) The challenge with the Bottom Line show is that the existing bootleg sounds like it was an (intimate) audience recording.

My selection criteria is based on historical heft, and shows with many unreleased (at the time) songs.

The Boarding House '78 World Tour would be a great one to release. It had many of the first live versions of Comes a Time and Rust Never Sleeps songs. I would also like to hear a cleaned up version of the Neil/PJam show from 1996 (?) recorded at Golden Gate Park without Eddie Vedder, who was ill.

If the tape exists, I would like to hear the 1969 CSNY set at Celebration at Big Sur. Stills fights with a tripping audience member. I actually saw this film in a theater! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CboU0iUefv4

The CSNY Altamont set has historical value, but I have no idea about sound quality or song selection.

Neil did a live, solo set on KQED in 1969 that includes different versions of old standards.

The SNACK concert in SF 1975 with Neil, Dylan, Sanatana and several Band members would be a valuable addition to the cannon.

Other potential boots could come from CA Coast Bar tour 1975, but without the Crazy Horse songs since they are weak. (eg: "She's Hot" is cliche ridden boogie.) the Echo's at Princeton Landing (1996?) would be welcome.

I have most of these bootlegs. An upgrade in sound quality would enhance their enjoyment and influence.

Thanks NYBD11-12 for suggestions! Hope you share w/ NYA.

Neil Young Goes "Bootleg Record Shoplifting" - 1970/1
via NYA
(Also, see Neil Young Goes "Bootleg Record Shoplifting".)

More on Neil Young Official Bootleg Series Announced | NYA.


Neil Young Vinyl Shopping - April 16, 2011
Plan9 Music, Richmond, Virginia
Photo by Emaleigh Franzak | Plan 9 Music

---

---

‘SOUTHERN MAN’ by Neil Young: POLAR VORTEX Tour | NYA

‘SOUTHERN MAN’
Neil Young from POLAR VORTEX
via Neil Young Archives

Currently streaming on Neil Young Archives is Neil Young performing a solo acoustic version of ‘SOUTHERN MAN’ from the POLAR VORTEX tour.

Directed by Bernard Shakey and Camera by CK Vollick, Neil writes on NYA:

Here’s me as an old guy singin’ his 50 year old song that was written after countless years of racism in the USA. . . . and look at us today! This has been going on for way too long. It’s not just Southern Man now. . . . .It’s everywhere across the USA. It’s time for real change . . . . new laws . . . . new rules for policing . . . . “Change gonna come at last . .. .”

‘Southern Man’ is from the forthcoming ‘POLAR VORTEX’ live performance longform here at NYA.

ny

(More on Neil Young's 2019 Solo "Big 3M Theater Tour"/"POLAR VORTEX" below.)

"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"
U.S. President Donald Trump @ St Johns Church
Washington, DC - June 2, 2020

Also, see Northern Man, Southern Man and The Un-Civil Wars of Donald Trump & Neil Young and Southern Man and Northern Man: Ronnie and Neil, The Un-Civil Wars & Rebels with Causes.

We hope you remember that a Southern Man needs Neil Young around anyhow. Now, more than ever.

Hey, Hey, My, My, this is the story of Donnie, Ronnie and Neil.

Neil Young Features ‘SOUTHERN MAN’ Stream on NYA
Donnie, Ronnie and Neil, The Un-Civil Wars & Rebels with Causes + Northern Man, Southern Man and The Un-Civil Wars of Donald Trump & Neil Young
See https://t.co/kWVSBe9ZK9
☮️♥️@NeilYoungNYA @dhlovelife @drivebytruckers pic.twitter.com/ZNzQMf7tzH

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) June 4, 2020

And then there is the story of Merry Clayton's Southern Soul Cover of Neil Young's "Southern Man". Southern soul for a southern man from a southern woman.

Merry Clayton

And, so why exactly might a southern black woman cover a white Canadian man's ode to racism in the Confederate south again, now anyhow?

Neil Young's Solo "Big 3M Theater Tour" - January 2019
Photo via NYA

• Neil Young's Solo "Big 3M Theater Tour"/"POLAR VORTEX" Begins Tonight: Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 23
• Neil Young Solo: Madison, Wisconsin, January 24
• Neil Young Solo Minneapolis Residency: #1 - Pantages Theatre, January 26
• LIVE STREAM: Neil Young Solo Minneapolis Residency: Night #2 - Orpheum Theatre, January 28, 2019
• LIVE STREAM "TEST" TONIGHT: Neil Young Solo Minneapolis Residency: Night #3 - State Theatre, January 29, 2019
• Neil Young Solo Minneapolis Residency: Night #4 - Northrop Auditorium, January 31, 2019

Neil Young
Polar Vortex Tour January 2019
photo by dh

Keep Calm, No Fear, Shut It Down, and Keep on Rockin'!

---

---

Neil Young Official Bootleg Series Announced | NYA

Neil Young Goes "Bootleg Record Shoplifting" - 1970/1
via NYA

In not entirely surprising news on Neil Young Archives, Neil Young has announced that he plans to release vintage bootleg recordings with improved sound and original art.

In the above short film from 1970/1 (that we embedded here in back in 2016, but scrubbed and now hosted on NYA), Neil Young is seen shopping in a record store and just so happens to come across his own music on bootleg albums.

The clip is from Neil Young Archives Volume #1 and is quite amusing on a number of levels. The sheer audacity of Neil essentially stealing back his own work, the non-flummoxed record store clerk trying to handle the situation, and of course that '70's vibe all make for a vintage time capsule.

When we posted on artists shoplifting their own work, we received the following comment by TOM who said:

Thrasher:

you should be ashamed of yourself for publishing a video of Neil "following his muse" by bullying a record store clerk who obviously has no control of the Bootleg Industry, an actual legit issue.

It wasn't funny, clever or interesting;
Just Neil being a bully

Shame on NY and shame on you.

Right, shame on us for sharing an artist trying to protect his legacy.

As the surreal world becomes ever more surreal, note that Neil Young had already previously announced in 2019 that the Archives will eventually be hosting "Bootleg Albums".

via Times-Contrarian | Neil Young Archives - April 2019

While Bob Dylan unarguably holds the lead in the "official bootleg releases" category, Neil's latest move demonstrates that The Joker and The Thief remain in neck and neck in the friendly competition for singer-songwriter of the century.

"I’m So Happy That Y’all Came Down"
Neil Young: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles - February 1st, 1971

Posting images of front and back of the widely bootlegged "I’m So Happy That Y’all Came Down" of the solo acoustic Neil Young concert at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on February 1st, 1971, Neil writes on NYA:

“We have ripped off all of the original art from the bootlegs.

No expense will be spared. The only difference will be the radically better sound from our masters.

“We are going full bore with our series right now, so write letters in to me with your favorite bootlegs and we will find them and use the best audio we can locate, either from the NYA vaults or somewhere else. Watch for this coming soon. We are building it starting today."

In the meantime, here's a comment on the scrubbed YouTube video (incidentally, the irony of a pirated video of pirated bootleg albums about " Official Bootlegs" is not lost on us):

But the point is that artists need to be paid for their work.

That is all this is about. Forget it’s Neil Young.

It’s very simple.

If you were an artist - musician, actor, photographer, painter, whatever - you would have no trouble comprehending the spirit of what he’s doing in this clip. This is where this notion of taking from artists started, back then. And look where it’s left us. People ripping shit off all over the internet. It’s not fair and you would understand if someone at your job said “Well Jim, sorry but we’re only gonna pay you for some of the work you did. The rest of it we’re giving out for free.” Neil was making a statement, plain and simple, and yes, you’re right, hardly any of this affected him monetarily him back then or now or will in the future.

Personally it’s a whole other story when that is your work. He’s doing it for the greater good, which is in fact pretty awesome.

Neil Young Vinyl Shopping - April 16, 2011
Plan9 Music, Richmond, Virginia
Photo by Emaleigh Franzak | Plan 9 Music

---

---

"Grandpa's Interview" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse | NYA

"Grandpa died like a hero
fightin' for freedom of silence
tryin' to stop the media
tryin' to be anonymous"
"Grandpa's Interview" - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
via frame from "RETURN TO GREENDALE" | NYA

"That guy who just keeps singing, can't somebody shut him up!" , cries Grandpa.

The song "Grandpa's Interview" from "RETURN TO GREENDALE" film is scheduled to premiere today in Hearse Theater Screen #2 | Neil Young Archives.

Directed by L.A. Johnson and Bernard Shakey, RETURN TO GREENDALE is performed live in Toronto with full cast. A premiere screening of the film RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was held at Balboa Theater in San Francisco, CA on Jan 28, 2020, where much of the cast and crew attended, as we reported. Each Monday features a chapter from Greendale on NYA.

The song "Grandpa's Interview" recounts the Green Family, who are hounded to tragedy by both the media and the police. After Jed Green is pulled over for a taillight violation while hauling drugs, he panics and shoots a cop. This leads to a media frenzy from the local TV stations clamoring for a comment from the Green family. Grandpa Green shrugs off a TV correspondent but then becomes a victim due to the stress.

"It ain't an honour to be on tv and it ain't a duty either
the only good thing about tv is shows like 'leave it to beaver'
Shows with love and affection like mama used to say
a little mayberry livin' can go a long way"
Larry Cragg as "Grandpa"

Neil writes on NYA:

"When they showed up to interview Grandpa on the porch, they had no idea what was about to happen! The Media had pushed Grandpa too far."

"Re-Elect Our President"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Greendale @ Radio City Music Hall, New York, March 18, 2004

Photo by thrasher

"You got too many secrets.
Bob Dylan said that.
Somethin' like that." ~
~Neil Young's "Bandit"
via frame from "RETURN TO GREENDALE" | NYA
(More on "Bandit" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse | NYA )

"Carmichael was a good cop. Everybody missed him."
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
via frame from "Greendale" | NYA
(More on "Carmichael" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse | NYA )

"Are Protesters Terrorists?" - 2003
[Then: "War on Terror" - Now: "War on Germs"]
"Leave The Driving" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
via "Return To Greendale" World Premiere | NYA
(More on "Leave The Driving" - RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse | NYA )

"Devil's Sidewalk"
Neil Young's Greendale (2003)
(More on Going Back to Greendale #4: "Devil's Sidewalk" from Neil Young's RETURN TO GREENDALE | NYA )

Also, see Chapter I: "Falling From Above" from "Greendale" | Neil Young Archives and Chapter II: "Double E" from "Return To Greendale" | Neil Young Archives .

"Double E"
Chapter II: "Double E" from "Return To Greendale" | Neil Young Archives

"Falling From Above"
Chapter I: "Falling From Above" from "Greendale" | Neil Young Archives

"Everything You're Looking For" - Bandit

LEAVING GREENDALE
POP. 25,810

Neil Young News: Premiere; RETURN TO GREENDALE by Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Balboa Theater, San Francisco, CA - Jan 28, 2020
See https://t.co/hTt0IDeLud
---#CrazyHorse4HOF @NeilYoungNYA @CrazyHorse4HoF pic.twitter.com/UdjixWOKSy

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) February 2, 2020

Greta, Julia Butterfly & Sun Green
Neil Young's Prophetic Greendale: Sun Green + Julia Butterfly
See https://t.co/7iH6U4aIMC
"Be a goddess in the planet wars" #BeTheRain @NeilYoungNYA @CrazyHorse4HOF @dhlovelife pic.twitter.com/g6qv5TFPoN

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) February 10, 2020

Neil Young writes on "RETURN TO GREENDALE" | NYA:

Greendale, the story of Sun Green coming of age in the world, and seeing all of the threats against the Earth, is one of my favorite films in the Shakey Pictures library. Sun Green was played by one of my daughter Amber’s friends, Sara White. I discovered her at a school play we went to see when Amber was in high school.

Larry Johnson and I shot Greendale on super 8 film cameras. I wlll never forget it. Getting up before dawn and heading to nearby Half Moon Bay from my ranch everyday, driving in Grandpa’s big white eldorado with a cup of coffee, I would meet Larry and we would plan and shoot the day. So many of my friends are in Greendale; Gary Burden as the Captain, Eric Johnson as the Devil, Mazzeo as Earl Green, Sun Green’s dad. Pegi Young as her mom Edith. Larry Johnson was the cop. Erik Markegard was Earth Brown. Erik was the son of my foreman at the ranch, Larry Markegard. Karin Markegard, Erik’s mother, played a part as well.

These folks were all my friends. I will never forget Greendale, one of the biggest highlights of my filming life.

"Support Our War"
["War on Drugs Terror Germs"]
(i.e., "The Invisible Enemies")
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Greendale at Radio City Music Hall, New York City - March 18, 2004
photo by thrasher

Neil Young in Greendale - Massachusetts 2003
Photo by Brian Babineau
Broken Arrow Issue Number 91, August, 2003

"Be The Rain"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Greendale @ Radio City Music Hall, New York, March 18, 2004
Photo by thrasher


What's So Funny About
Peace, Love, & Understanding & Music?

"You can make a difference if you really try"
(so be the rain!)

---

---

NASA Plays Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" Prior to SpaceX Launch

As always, the playlist includes Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World," which is always tonedeaf in association with Trump but today is especially... pic.twitter.com/hHl6U6DFKc

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) May 30, 2020

NASA played a clip of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" just prior to the SpaceX launch yesterday.

This comes after Neil Young's song “Devil’s Sidewalk” was played at a Ford plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan before U.S. President Donald Trump visited and spoke last week.

Donald Trump Plays Neil Young's song “Devil’s Sidewalk” From Greendale
See https://t.co/SW74jSX8hS
☮️♥️ pic.twitter.com/kYea5gsb1n

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) May 22, 2020

President Donald J. Trump has used Neil Young's song "Rockin' in the Free World" at his campaign rallies also, much to Neil Young's consternation and frustration.

"'Fuck You, Donald Trump" Says Neil Young Onstage; Posts Video Clip to His Facebook Page

Rockin' in the Free EARTH with Neil Young

Also, explore the connection between ZUMA and SpaceX on ZUMA Mission: Top Secret Payload Launches on Elon Musk's SpaceX Rocket.

ZUMA Mission: Top Secret Payload Launches on Elon Musk's SpaceX Rocket

Keep Calm, No Fear, Shut It Down, and Keep on Rockin'!

More on what it means to Keep on Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young lyrics analysis).

---

---