Neil Young: "i have been overcome with sadness."
Neil Young is "sad".
From the latest batch of Letters on Times-Contrarian | NYA:
MY LETTER TO YOU
Thanks folks
i have been overcome with sadness. So two groups of letters in one batch here. I missed last week and am just catching up.
What a life!
love one another.
None of us are perfect.
PEACE
NEIL
While there is no specific reason given for Neil's sadness, it is assumed that the weight of the world is bearing down on him.
As we mentioned in a comment recently, Neil has gone quiet for awhile now. Historically that indicated he was writing/recording.
And while we all hope for the best, it is these situations where Neil has written and recorded some of his best works.
A modification of a popular quote. 1st the popular quote:
Or...
Love and war.
Neil Young:
Labels: archives, neil young, nya
11 Comments:
Yes, my first thought was that the sadness Neil was feeling was about the Russian war and all of the horrible human and environmental costs involved. Then, I keyed in on the line “what a life,” and I wonder if Neil was also a bit taken aback by the extreme attention and especially some of the blowback from the Spotify decision, people (wrongly) accusing him of ‘censorship.’ No matter who you are, it is disconcerting when you are being misunderstood, especially on such a large scale, and with the time of debate these days being so divisive, harsh and personal. In any event, I hope Neil will be in better spirits soon-he already sounded like that in yesterdays letters, saying how much he loved reading and responding. It is important and eminently understandable to be clear-eyed, worried and determined about the state of the world, but it is not healthy to be clinically depressed (certainly not “diagnosing” Neil, just more as a general statement).
✌️❤️
Supposed to be “tone” of debate above, sorry for the typo.
He is sad be ause he got taken in by the media scam that has been perpetuated on us all.
He's sad because Canada is ruled by a dictator.
@Senor
You sound like the anti-Neil.
As he said in Ambulance Blues to you, and to those who think like you:
"You're all just pissin' in the wind
You don't know it but you are."
I hate to think Neil is hurting, and we can only guess what is driving it. I hope he still has the best things in his life. The world is in trouble, no doubt. Neil Young has tried to literally force the world to be a better place. All the benefit shows, all the Bridge shows, the songs, like Ohio, Southern Man, Love & War, Who’s Gonna Stand Up? (Love Crazy Horse!).
I say that Neil Young HAS made the world a much better place. So many hearts have been encouraged by his powerful music. He has saved some lives. Some he could not save.
He was not censoring when he put Spotify on notice. He got a lot of negative attention from that, of course. Many people cheered him on!
Neil, don’t let sadness overwhelm you. An old African legend is that good battles evil, and in the end, goodness wins.
I know it’s hard to watch 1963 echo in Ukraine right now. And what else ails you. I have two children myself, now grown. I am quite concerned with the perils they will face in a climate gone haywire.
And social media is so very divisive and negative.
We love you, old friend! You have shape shifted your way down the musical Highways. You kind of invented Grunge. You can blow things up with your playing. I have felt the icy chill up my neck as you raged with Booker T & MG’s in LA ‘93. Ice water in my veins. So powerful. All those punk rock shows and Grateful Dead shows I hit didn’t get me all the way to where I wanted to be. It took a huge Neil Young song catalog to complete my lifelong musical quest. To feel the music! You have inspired us, blown us away. You have cracked open the Heavans above with Old Black and shaken the Halls of Valhalla. You fought your way through to this moment. Neil, the Aggressive Pacifist (a term I jokingly use to describe myself).
Neil, after 18 shows, and hundreds of other shows, I want to tell you that you rocked it harder than anyone else. But it’s the many sides, acoustic, piano, Harp. You can do it all: write, sing, and Play! A Triple Threat. And yet, a mere mortal(?!).
It has been my honor to share air with you in concert venues in 3 states (even sober!).
I must go to sleep. Be well. You have earned some rest! Your brother Alan in Seattle
Maybe Neil has some regrets about decisions he's made.
May NEIL have an easy time on this painful path and grow even stronger from his walk through it. Love and Only Love.
@ Rabbi Randy - good words. thanks for sharing.
@ Senor - evidence? speculation?
@ Brother Alan in Seattle - thanks. see
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2022/03/love-and-war-open-letter-to-neil-young.html
@ Andy - does your conscious bother you? Tell the truth.
@ Hounds That Howl - indeed, LAOL.
Lost me mum and dad me dad last year alan its been hard but i stopped reading when you said where with you old friend. He stopped me doing h the song i think when he heard the man who could make the guitar talk jimi hendrix i was lying in a burnt out basement, there was a time. My friends died of h im still hear neil not alone with deppression stay safe neil your still to me and others rocking in the free world brother always and forever love you thats all alan i'll finish reading your reply alan thankyou all the best alan and your family and friends stay safe ok.
Neil's guitar tech passed recently that was with him for awhile.Alot of his friends have passed in the last ten years, Elliott Roberts, Ben Keith,Ex wife Pegi Young, Rick Rosa's,Jonathan Demme, etc. Maybe it's hitting him at his age. Getting old does bring you down.
To Thrasher 'don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them'.
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