“Neil Young” in Song Lyrics

 

     Is any living musician mentioned in lyrics more often than Neil Young? That was the question we asked ourselves while listening to the latest release by Nashville’s Moon Taxi. In their song “Highwave,” Moon Taxi approvingly states “Got Neil Young singing to us” as they drive down the road.
 
     Inarguably, the most notorious mention of Neil is Lynyrd Skynyrd's “diss-track” as a response to Young’s reference to Southern racism and slavery in his songs “Southern Man" and "Alabama." Lynyrd Skynyrd responded “Well I hope Neil Young will remember, a Southern man don't need him around anyhow” in their song “Sweet Home Alabama.”
 
     There are too many other mentions of Neil Young for a comprehensive list. But here is a partial list that shows he crosses into almost every genre:

• Bob Dylan in “Highlands” – “I'm listening to Neil Young, I gotta turn up the sound. Someone's always yellin', ‘Turn him down’."
  
• Grungy: Pearl Jam in “Santa Cruz” – “I got Neil Young on the stereo // He comes along whenever I go.”
• Hip-Hop:  In “Bokeem Woodbine,” Nas states, ” Motivation for the trappers livin' ounce-to-ounce // This is rockstar status, Neil Young with a bounce.”
  
• Sonic Youth in "Creme Brulee" – “Last night, I dreamed I kissed Neil Young. If I was a boy, I guess it would be fun."
• John Mayer in “Queen of California” – “Looking for the sun that Neil Young hung. After the gold rush of 1971.”
• Lady Gaga in “Then You'd Love Me" – “I scream your name across the bar.  I carry pictures of your Neil Young guitar.”
  
• Kris Kristofferson in “If You Don’t Like Hank Williams” – “Forgot to say John Prine, Neil Young, Lyle Lovett (God bless him), Chris Gantry, Jerry Jeff Walker, and David Allen Coe...”
  
• Drive-By Truckers in “Ronnie and Neil” – “’Southern Man’ and ‘Alabama’ certainly told some truth // There's a lot of good folks down here, Neil Young just wasn't around.”
• Weezer in “Byzantine” – “I want Neil Young on your phone speaker in the morning and fuck him if he just can't see this is how his songs are supposed to be heard. No more lectures on fidelity.”
  
• Lucinda Williams in “Ventura” – “Take the long way home so I can ride around. Put Neil Young on and turn up the sound.”
• HAYDEN in “Neil Young Song” – “And I left to put on a Neil Young song, and by the time I came back you were gone.”
• Juliana Hatfield in “Because We Love You” – “Neil Young on the radio. Four dead in Ohio.”
• Opera - Luciano Pavarotti in Certe Notti – “Certe notti la radio che passa Neil Young sembra avere capito chi sei.” TRANSLATION: “Some nights the radio playing Neil Young seems to have understood who you are.”

     “Highwave” by Moon Taxi

Lyrics of “Highwave” by Moon Taxi
Hey ey ey
Floating on a Highwave
I'm on a Highwave whenever I'm with you
 
Long drive up the coastline
No need to say a word
A promise we made in the past
That I'm forever yours
 
We got miles behind us
And we got miles to go
Got Neil Young singing to us
On the radio, singing
 
Hey ey ey
Floating on a Highwave
Hey ey ey
In a sky of blue
Hey ey ey
Floating on a Highwave
I'm on a Highwave whenever I'm with you
 
Got a drink in Boston
On the way to old St. John
With you I could get lost on
Every road we travel along
 
'Cause time just disappears
When we're sitting side by side
Watching the sunrise over the ocean
At the end of a long night, singing
 
Hey ey ey
Floating on a Highwave
Hey ey ey
In a sky of blue
Hey ey ey
Floating on a Highwave
I'm on a Highwave whenever I'm with you

[Repeat after the bridge]

“WHITE LIES” by First Day Of Spring – A Song Feature

 

     “WHITE LIES” arrived as the final of three volumes of the “HUMANFLESH” series from First Day Of Spring. The UK band considers it a credit-rolling closer. We consider the instrumental strength of the song to be the guitar with its upper-frequency dance atop the verses (initially on full display around 1:09). That guitar has chime and charm. But there are other contenders, such as the sax sound that begins around 4:34.
 
     Compositionally, the strength of “WHITE LIES” resides in the transition shortly after the four-minute mark. If you’re actively listening, this section of the song generates a sense of anticipation. It might be the start of an intensity decline leading to the end of the track. Or is it a standard bridge, so that the vocals will soon re-enter with another verse? No and No. The section reveals itself to be an interlude bridging the vocals-featured portion of “WHITE LIES” to the somewhat more instrumentally aggressive conclusion.
 
     First Day Of Spring comprise an ever-shifting live line-up, revolving around the songwriting of Southend-born Samuel D. Jones. They describe “WHITE LIES” as “ebbing, rising, and cruising off into the sunset; the track is lyrically inspired by an encounter with an East London mystic and their imparted philosophies on life, art and action.”
 
     As already noted, the song is the final volume of “HUMANFLESH,” which is a series of three releases concerned with personal breakthroughs, quests for self-fulfilment, and full-circle reflection. Sonically, the three tracks are bound together with a synth-fuelled infusion of Glam and British Psychedelia. The two previous volumes featured the bassline funk of “PARTYZEIT!” and the ponderous splendor of “THE RIVIERA (MODERN NATURE).”
 
     “WHITE LIES” by First Day Of Spring

Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/firstdayofspringband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstdayofspringband

Lyrics of “WHITE LIES” by First Day Of Spring
Do you ever get time to think that you would play on the right side?
Did you ever get time when time flies, and you’re in the way
There’s a falicy in games that’s trying to poison my mind
the commonality in pain, the disdain you feel every day
 
I’ve got a ten-foot mother floating around in my mind
Who comes out when another is wasting all of my time
And like the sun shines
Like the bird flies
Like a high tide
Like a long drive
I can feel it
White lies
I can feel it
White lies
 
If you tell me I’ll believe you again about the cries in your heart
Because I only wanna be around if I can die in your arms
I wanna see a big sensational change in my life
I wanna see you smile the same smile I see every day
 
I take time to discover the good things that speak to my mind
And take pride that a brother is left out by the wayside
And like a cold tan
Like a bad plan
Like a lost fan
Like a free man
I can feel it
White lies
I can feel it
White lies

"THE REAPER" by little image – A Song Feature

      Our latest mystery has to do with the Dallas band little image. The band is touring, and the stops are not immediately selling out. As one example, tickets to the San Francisco show (June 13) at the Brick and Mortar have been available for two months. By itself, it would be worthwhile to see the band preform “Kill the Ghost,” a diverse and energizing single released in late 2025. If your interested in the song, CLICK HERE. 
 
      Showcasing the band’s flexibility, little image recently shared “THE REAPER.” The song is more relaxed and introspective than their other tracks, allowing the vocal skills of the band to become a focus. The song is about an imploding relationship – “Please don’t make me start all ovеr again.”
 
     The members of little image are Jackson Simmons (vocals/guitar), Brandon Walters (bass/synth), and Troy Bruner (drums). The band’s tour schedule is available at https://littleimagemusic.com/tour.
 
"THE REAPER" by little image

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleimage
Website: https://littleimagemusic.com/

Lyrics of "THE REAPER" by little image
What is this about?
You never really want to
Used to talk it out
But now you call the lawyer
 
Don't tell me that you thought
You'd always get far
Without my help
I'm sorry I can't fall
Off the rooftop of your heart
Anymore
 
You're making me start over
Like strangers in the dark
I'll keep my self-composure
I'm falling all apart
I'm staring at the reaper
While tryna save a face
Hysterical deceiver
While I've been second place
 
You're making me start all over again
Please don’t make me start all ovеr again
 
Hiding in the house
Peacеful paranoia
Hold me inside out
Dancing in the foyer
 
Don't tell me that you thought
You'd always get far
Without my help
I'm sorry I can't fall
Off the rooftop of your heart
Anymore
 
You're making me start over
Like strangers in the dark
I'll keep my self-composure
I'm falling all apart
I'm staring at the reaper
While tryna save a face
Hysterical deceiver
While I've been second place
 
You're making me start all over again
Please don’t make me start all over again
 
I’m staring at the reaper
Please don’t make me start all over again
I’m staring at the reaper