Neil Young - Needle Of Death Lyrics

This is a testament.

Found myself whistling along...

💯👍 Memorable...

Anyone who likes this should listen to the original by Bert Jansch. It will help you understand Neil's reason for recording this song and why Bert was such a big influence on Neil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA7npXJLQOU I wish I had seen them together. Neil knew Bert wasn't long for this world and asked him to tour with him to expose his fans to Bert and also to honor him. Also listen to some of Bert's other music, especially his early solo blues. You might see how Bert influenced so many more famous people, Jimmy Page (Blackmountainside is a cover of Bert's Black Waterside.), Paul Simon (Anji), Mike Oldfield, Donvan, and more.

This is a nice version. Bert Jansch wrote and released this song in 1965. https://youtu.be/oA7npXJLQOU

Holy shih tzu this is good.

When sadness fills your heart
And sorrow hides the longing to be free
When things go wrong with each day
You fix your mind to escape your misery

Your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To the needle of death

How strange your happy words
Have ceased to bring a smile from everyone
How tears have filled the eyes
Of friends that you once walked among

Your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To the needle of death

One grain of pure white snow
Dissolved in blood spread quickly to your brain
In peace your mind withdraws
Your death so near your soul can't feel no pain

And your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To the needle of death

Your mother stands a'cryin'
While to the earth your body's slowly cast
Your father stands in silence
Caressing every young dream of the past

And your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To the needle of death

Through ages, man's desires
To free his mind, to release his very soul
Has proved to all who live
That death itself is freedom for evermore

And your troubled young life
Might make you turn
To the needle of death

Bert jansch wrote this not Neil young. Neil young wrote need,e and the damage done which was inspired by Burt’s needle of death

I guess I'll call it sickness gone...

At 3:25 the ghostly image of Bert Jansch hoves into view. this was the first Bert Jansch song that swept me away, from his eponymous first album in 1965. Neil produces a beautiful, mournful, and harrowing version of it here. Kudos to Jack White for this bit of recording genius.

At the end of this song it sounds like Neil and jack could actually talk a little bit about the music they make and how nostalgic it can be.

Those hammer-ons are beautiful

Lost a friend this week... he died a young man... and ill miss him forever...
Time is precious and slipping...
I'll miss you brother, walk easy, rest well and we will meet again...

Jack and Neil are both amazing artists. But i gotta say I think there is an extra mic in the booth for Neil, cos all the official recording out of the booth at third man sound nothing like this mic, way worse, listen for yourself: https://soundcloud.com/third-man-record-booth

Neil I've just gotta share with you that a guy just now shared with me that back in the day he & buddy's did all that 70s folks did but another buddy came in all grey & they listened to live rust & they vowed to never go there, and they didn't & he's now made it to 50. So thank you for more than your music but for your messege. It's working.

Me 46 found this on accident and love it!!! Classic!!

The Deedle of Neath!! that's my dyslexia kickin in there!! I was whistling backwards too!! great song!!!

Just notice thats no Neil Yongs song, but Bert Jansch wrote and sang it before, . Sorry to have to say that Neil's version's little bit ...how could I say? well, it's a cover...

MY DADY AND MY MAM AND MY TEEN HOME .

This is a great version of 'Ambulance Blues'...

Actually it is the other way around. Bert Jansch wrote and recorded this song in 1965 on his first album. He was a big influence on Neil and also inspired Needle and the Damage Done. Here is the original by Bert. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA7npXJLQOU

The quality of this recording is just awesome, forget perfection and state of the art studios. The white noise is so relaxing

he do the music in the kitchine so good.

Love Bert Jansch ( his original version is a classic), really love Neil...saw them together in Edmonton small venue. Great night.

Thank you Neil for champion Bert Jansch and recording Needle of Death...

a great song done by a great guy but... come on it is 2016 smoking dope is legal, needles were more about lack of amounts and cut down content, now it is mostly smoke... and last years drug. Very few people get hooked on opium/heroin you really have to work and it is a downer. Fashion changes brother. Make them all legal and control the distribution. Misery loves company.. man

They played this video at the Celtic Connections tribute to Bert Jansch.
This song by Bert inspired Neil to write The Needle and the Damage Done.

Awesome!!!

And can't forget Ambulance Blues!

Hey neil, please take one of those needles, nobody needs you.

Its ironic that you choose to troll an artist that has genuinely saved lives with his music.

death itself is freedom forevermore

the coolest concert. Rock on Neil. Death to gmo's too!

Composer Bert Jansch did it better !!!

I just love Neal My kinda truth

Neil's haunting shaky voice fits this song PERFECTLY. 

Sounds like my life huh?

He is one of the best ever

In a world of corporate "music" this is like a cool fresh breeze.

An ambulance only goes so fast. It's easy to get buried in the past....

Maravilhoso!

Neil Young, You Forever ROCK!!! YOU will always be able to bring Me and so MANY OTHERS Back to Wonderful MEMORIES that NoONE ELSE CAN!!! Just hearin' your voice in song, cheers me up and Thank You for that!! :) k33

i like to much

This tune is by Bert Jansch, I can't believe it doesn't mention that anywhere.

Isn't he awesome?

@Timothy Ryan neil said that bert is to acoustic guitar what jimi is to electric guitar 

His work with Pentangle was... Different but some folks really like it. For other amazing acoustic guitar folks: John Fahey and Leo Kottke from the US. Dave Graham from England.

This afternoon I picked 3 Bert Jansch vinyl LP's, 3 of John Renbourn's, and two of John Fahey. Tomorrow I'm having a binge.

This was recorded in tribute to Bert. It was was recorded by Neil Young for a Bert Jansch tribute concert in Glasgow which also included a live performance by Robert Plant.

Grande dos grandes! Mestre!

you rock...

Beautiful.   Thanks, Neil!! 

Beautiful and sad song

awesome track. reminiscent of ambulance blues. love the sound produced by the vinyl recording booth.

Actually thinking about it...needles and old Men...hundreds of songs about those two...

pas de français qui love Young  !!!!,!, ??? yes philou adore   love Neil est géant terrible

read my comments below and take this song off the utube cause its horrible

i dont want to waste my time on trying to figure out neil young i have enought just to figure out what im singing and writing ive followed neil for 45 years and he would tell you the same thing as i just told you and that is drive your own bus  thanks

i just have not bothered to reply to that . i still think the song is below standard for neil young . hes written so much better perhaps he should keep this material for private use . cause the last time i checked the song is not a hit  

so incredibly lovely, thanks for the upload!

great stuff from the great man, yet again

Every song by Neil has the word 'needle ' in it....

I love this CD. This song makes me cry. I am fortunate that no one close to me has been through this, but too many beautiful young people in my locale have passed recently from drug overdoses. My heart breaks for the pain their families have gone through.

Grande Neil ........

I quess, these are the words between the lines of age..

awesome back to the roots of music 

Sounds like NY lifted Ambulance Blues from ole Bert.

per NY, "It's all the same song."

ah i love this!

Music tells stories, and I love Neil

Sorry about my fat fingers!!
Neil is the "only" person

Neil Young is the om;y person I know that sits on top od Maslow's Hierarchy of needs- self actualization! Everyone else in the World care what others think about them, not Neil- he is amazing!

Bert Jansch then Ambulance Blues (prefer Ambulance Blues)

Great song but why are ALL neil's songs about needles....?

I think Neil is trying to warn folks about the awful life you will have if you take to the needle, if the song helps one person it is worth listening to.

none of the songs on A Letter Home are Neil's songs

For the very same reason why all the Beatles' songs are about hard day's nights, and all the Rolling Stones songs are about certain satisfactions.

Ive counted over 100 songs he has written that mention needles....

@james .maddox Then I advise you to put off the autorepeat feature on your cd player :-)

I pray that the Narcos die transporting this evil drug.

The crypts in Mexico are large for the deceased narcos, but not large enough for the pain they have caused. Go ahead and pray for the safe passage of your drugs, and I pray that you end up in hell.

Don't  be afraid to comment! I am not afraid of you............

@Gloria Carson The devil is in the user honestly. I've not used heroin before, but I've dabbled with heavy opiates, I fear heroin due to the impurity found in prohibited market goods. I have done this for around 10 years now, no more than 10-15 times per year but the use, or desire to use has never increased, never experienced withdrawal effects.

Personally I think drug policy is more effective when it tackles demand and not supply. There will always be a supply to serve the demand. I think people need to be educated on such subjects and 'narcos' should definitely not go to jail. Addiction is in part a medical condition and in some cases, a mental heath disorder. These people need help, they don't need to be abandoned by society and put on the same level as murderers and rapists. 

I don't wish for the safety of impure crap to scam poor addicts to get transported, no. I also don't wish for our society to refuse to regulate this already dangerous industry any longer and I don't want to see victims of hard times going to jail when they haven't even harmed another person, most of them were just trying to get through the fucking day. 

I understand your intent and I completely sympathize with you, I assume from your passion that you are someone who has lost a loved one to severe substance abuse. I just think the way we tackle it is both a trample upon basic liberty and utterly ineffective and causes disastrous adverse effects. As sad as the stories of overdoses are, so are stories of the families of police officers (or governors in Mexico) who were killed by drug cartels who are fuelled by prohibition.

Likewise, there are in fact far more horror stories of losing loved ones through alcohol use. We understand with this substance for visceral social and cultural reasons that it does have it's issues, but that is a risk adults in a free society should be allowed to take. We also see that the better way of tackling it is to reach out addicts with helplines (at least in my country such campaigns are state funded) and group opportunities in order to know they're not alone, not vilified by society but concerned for, cared about by people extending their hands.

Peace and love and all that nonsense! : )  

I am living with an addict, his needle of death is killing us both. I personally wish to confront every Mexican Narco! Let them pray for the sweet passage of their drug into California! I pray that they die transporting black tar heroin.

I have bought suboxone, and the heroin abuser sold it for more heroin! It's a horrible addiction, and I will still pray that any member of a drug cartel dies a very painful death!

so bring on the comments!

Neil, you're going to do it until you keel over, obviously, and thank god for that.  I have followed you most of the way.  I have other obsessions, but I always come back to you.  Long may you run.  

kindred spirit to willie. it's nice to know people still do it for the love of it all

this was on bbc four a few weeks back quality tune

Thank´s Niel! Next time I hope that you confirm or validate your tour, do it early.
(I´m turning 52,...or 53), and I missed you beacuse lack of information. I´m looking forward to see you next time in Europe... (hopefully Sweden) I hope that you will enjoy, in particarliy Stockholm, during your visit. Of course you will bring your family with you... :-D (and of course )Sweden is what you and your family expected to be.....otherwise Swedish citizents will give the information you want. Please Niel, next time, Put your date early on your tour!........please! :-D
( I will by a ticket early next time, I missed you this time / Thomas) :-D....If my english isn´t good enough, Don´t worry folks! There are enough wiht issues   :-D

I like it when people state the obvious in a genius way that kind of makes you wanna laugh and cry but you don't do either. "That sounded good.", -"It's a heavy song.." -"Yeah, very...". ..............*Sigh*..

Reminds me of ambulance blues from on the beach!

very seldom do you see neil using a capo!

Bert Jansch did it better, but this is still amazing. Great interpretation - the man would be proud!

prefer  Ambulance Blues to them both 

God exists.

Super idea for a record. He sings it better than any man could. Totally a heavy song.

Damn, Neil has still got it! And he knows his shit. He has been there and definetly been through it. I love this song!

The low-fi sound reminds me of Daniel Johnston's recordings.

Is Dan related to Robt?

So fucking good.

Reminds me a little bit of Ambulance Blues. Real nice

didn't know he had pinch the melody from Jansch for Ambulance Blues, i do now. Beautiful. 

Incredible Neil Young ... This beautiful song was written by Bert Jansch, but Neil made it a SUPER song:
When sadness fills your heart
And sorrow hides the longing to be free
When things go wrong each day
You fix your mind to 'scape your misery

Your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To a needle of death

How strange, your happy words
Have ceased to bring a smile from everyone
How tears have filled the eyes
Of friends that you once had walked among

Your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To a needle of death

One grain of pure white snow
Dissolved in blood spread quickly to your brain
In peace your mind withdraws
Your death so near your soul can't feel no pain

Your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To a needle of death

Your mother stands a'cryin'
While to the earth your body's slowly cast
Your father stands in silence
Caressing every young dream of the past

Your troubled young life
Had made you turn
To a needle of death

Through ages, man's desires
To free his mind, to release his very soul
Has proved to all who live
That death itself is freedom for evermore

And your troubled young life
Will make you turn
To a needle of death

Genial, muy hermoso!

a beautiful rendition of a heart-breaking song.

Wonderful. A dream.

Fantastic!  in 2009  my  son Louis recorded this song  his rendition is too amazing from a 20  years old  -

Holy Fuck

Beautiful...

The sadness that fills my heart is that while the booth is novel, these songs sound terrible.. am I the only one that hears how bad this is sound..?  From his album, The Emperor's New Clothes?  Not a good value for your hard earned dollars.  (and I love Neil Young!)

No words... Neil live forever please.

what kind of guitar (i know it's a steel string) is neil playing?  just curious, i love small bodied guitars. 

What a musical groundbreaker to everyone.He's right up there with Bob Dylan and The beatles

beautiful as always!!! great to hear ya Neil!! Another hit for sure!!!

Neil did not write this song, he is just covering it. It was written in 1965 by Bert Jansch on the death of a friend, folksinger Buck Polly.

heart of go,ld

Can anyone tab this out for us, please? I'd be forever grateful. 

Cool stuff sounds like ambulance blues though

Only Neil would and could pull this off.  He's so out there and right on both and together