Neil Young » Tracks » Old Man

Neil Young – Old Man (3:24)

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About This Track

“Old Man” is a song written and performed by Neil Young on his 1972 album Harvest.

The song was written for the caretaker of the northern-California Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased for $350,000 in 1970. The song compares a young man’s life to an old man’s and shows that the young man has, to some extent, the same needs of the old one. James Taylor played six-string banjo (tuned like a guitar) and sang on the song, and Linda Ronstadt also contributed vocals.

In the movie Heart of Gold, Young introduces the song as follows:

“ About that time when I wrote that song , and I was touring, I had also — just, you know, being a rich hippie for the first time — I had purchased a ranch, and I still live there today. And there was a couple living on it that were the caretakers, an old gentleman named Louis Avala and his wife Clara. And there was this old blue Jeep there, and Louis took me for a ride in this blue Jeep. He gets me up there on the top side of the place, and there’s this lake up there that fed all the pastures, and he says, “Well, tell me, how does a young man like yourself have enough money to buy a place like this?” And I said, “Well, just lucky, Louie, just real lucky.” And he said, “Well, that’s the darndest thing I ever heard.” And I wrote this song for him.”

He tells a similar story when introducing the song at a February 23, 1971 performance broadcast by the BBC (in which he says that he purchased the ranch from “two lawyers”).

Covers
Bob Dylan regularly covered this song at a number of concerts on his 2002 tour, including one at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Dylan played the keyboard on his arrangement of the song.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Harvest
    Neil Young Play
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  • Greatest Hits
    Neil Young
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  • Decade
    Neil Young Play
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  • Decade (disc 2)
    Neil Young
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See all 18 albums

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  • eyaj

    ...love the sound...

    Thursday afternoon

  • arryaardvark

    Neil Young is so good in a way that is totally unique.

    15 days ago

  • lilywildchild

    Great song... :)

    17 days ago

  • Nakkinak

    Redundant lyrics since everyone needs love. Old men often are bitter even if everyone loves them; "Oldness" is a pretty rad state of mind. What is an "old man" anyway, 50 years? 60 years? 90 years? Is it even a question of age? Answers, the song does not give, neither does it even asks the right questions. Dumb lyrics. Also, what is love anyway. A young bunny rabbit fucks and thinks a shallow relationship he has is true love and cries when she goes away for another walking cock. Old men lived like 50 years with the same person. Ever met someone who lost his wife 30 years ago and actually looked him in the eyes? His love died when young men even weren't born. The old men silently weep, that is love, not this shallow kawaii bullshit in this song.

    17 days ago

  • scientist4u

    Were all getting old , great song !!

    last month

  • PattySauce

    One of my dear friends fave song, reminds me of him... Hope he is doing well :(

    last month

  • cesvclark

    Sometimes there's that song. This is that song. Wonder how my Pops is doing?

    last month

  • Siffiona

    I can't ever get enough. This song makes me feel

    last month

  • EvilMonkeyRec

    Neil Young - I'm Happy That Y'all Came Down - Vinyl bootleg >> http://theevilmonkeysrecords.blogspot.it/2012/03/neil-young-im-happy-that-yall-came-down.html

    last month

  • lottadogs

    Oh Yeah....

    March 2012

  • nola872

    old man take a look in my eyes im alot like you i need some loving me the whole day through <3

    March 2012

  • jimboeck

    This song really hits home. i can remember listening to it when it came out. Liked it then -- although from a different perspective.. Now that I am " the old man ", it means even more...... But I don't feel old ???? How can a life time go by sooooooooo fast ???? Thanks God >> for giving me a great life !!

    March 2012

  • Mactele52

    Classic Neil

    March 2012

  • NorthernExile

    You won't be scared of getting older if you keep a positive atitude and look forward with optimism and backwards with joy.

    March 2012

  • MaUBeenOnMyMind

    @BikerWriter You obviously haven't listened to much Neil. What about "Long May You Run", "Out on the Weekend", "Harvest", "White Line", "Country Home", plus so many more!

    March 2012

  • mirrormont

    Massey Hall 1971 performance is absolutely incredible.

    February 2012

  • MikesDmusic

    Old man look at my life - I was like you now I am you.

    February 2012

  • BikerWriter

    This is one of the great Neil Young songs...and there aren't that many of them.

    February 2012

  • jharmon5

    Sooooooooooo good

    February 2012

  • BoxMonster44

    how the hell have i not listened to neil young before?! this is SO GOOD.

    February 2012
See all 337 shouts

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