Neil Young » Tracks » Helpless

Neil Young – Helpless (3:32)

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About This Track

“Helpless” is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, most famously recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their 1970 album Déjà Vu.

Helpless was originally recorded with Young’s band Crazy Horse in early 1969, before Young’s new CSNY bandmates (he had joined the then-trio in mid-1969) convinced him it would suit them better. The song was simple, at its core effectively the repetition of one melody over a descending D-A-G chord progression, but despite (or perhaps because of) its simplicity the group found difficulty deciding on an arrangement and many different versions of the song were recorded before the group finally decided on the slow-paced version that appeared on the album. On this final version Young was in the foreground, singing the verses and the chorus with his bandmates providing the “helpless” refrain, while the instrumentation came in the form of acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar (or electric guitar with volume pedal), and piano. It became one of the most revered songs from the Déjà Vu album (Q magazine’s Peter Doggett regards it as “one of (the album’s) showpieces”), and has remained a live favorite of Young’s for over thirty years. Experimental rock artist Bill Nelson recorded a version of the song. K.D.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Greatest Hits
    Neil Young
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  • Unplugged
    Neil Young Play
    Buy
  • Decade
    Neil Young Play
    Buy
  • 1974-05-16: New York, NY, USA - Citizen Kane…
    Neil Young Play
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See all 17 albums

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  • jjarichardson

    The Live at Massey Hall version is absolutely timeless.

    yesterday evening

  • oldiesfanjohn

    Classic Neil...was watching "The Last Waltz" recently..RIP Levon...Neil`s,"They got it now,Robbie" line, Robbie and Rick`s rolling eyeballs upwards and the smiles,etc were classic theater!!!

    last month

  • Mactele52

    Awesome

    March 2012

  • toto47

    Aus dem großartigen Film "Blutige Erdbeeren" orig. "The Strawberry Statement" von 1970

    December 2011

  • runningear

    Gets better everytime i hear it.Keep going neil.

    December 2011

  • ruffi21

    The Band & Neil Young Helpless http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2z7LXpAX3Q

    December 2011

  • oldiesfanjohn

    loved this on bands last waltz,too

    September 2011

  • sweetblack88

    sweetie, sing with me some how.........

    September 2011

  • TheFatChocobo

    I love Dylan, but I definitely prefer Neil!

    August 2011

  • fancykatya

    I'm glad I finally achieved the maturity to appreciate Neil Young finally, one of my favourite songs~

    August 2011

  • petross85

    I'm having a 'Helpless' sandwich, starting with the Unplugged version, then CSN&Y, and Massey Hall (best til last) TASTY

    June 2011

  • Thisbespence

    One of my favorites

    May 2011

  • tomvecc

    "Blue blue windows behind the stars Yellow moon on the rise Big birds flying across the sky Throwing shadows on our eyes" so beautiful

    May 2011

  • wildflowersmr

    My 1,000th Neil Young scrobble! Probably my favorite Neil song, too. Maybe my favorite song ever.

    March 2011

  • Bird_Cooder

    Love it! Just love it!

    February 2011

  • thenervetattoo

    Neil Young doesn't get the respect he deserves.

    January 2011

  • hanstone

    Neil is brilliant. Dylan is indispensilble.

    January 2011

  • daverichards99

    Looks like Neil 2, Bob 0. God help you all...

    January 2011

  • MIKEH3875

    the last couple years i've listened to quite a bit of bob dylan and neil young and i just seem to prefer neil when it all comes down to it.neil seems to have more emotion in his work.

    December 2010

  • fivecent

    knocking on heavens door is neither bob dylans biggest song nor a direct ripoff of this song. there are similarities but they are both fantastic songs in their own right.

    October 2010
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