Wow, I was never a big fan of Neil Young - until now.

Love how FOX declares those lyrics an "Exclusive" when they were posted earlier on Neil Young's blog (http://livingwithwar.blogspot.com/2006/04/album-info.html).

Something I was wondering, and maybe someone here knows: Did Neil Young ever become a U.S. citizen? Or is he just some crazy Canadian telling us how to run our country?

Watch the CNN interview on YouTube. Besides the interviewer unknowingly making it highly entertaining, Neil responds to your question about being an American:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7utryGZ25dg

Thanks. That hot pink jacket is hilarious.

So he IS just here to take our women and bitch about our government.

Well, to be fair, I'm sure Canadians don't much like many of the Americans who cross the border to take advantage of their lower drinking age (19) and the occasional American who manages to lie his or her way to free Canadian medical care.

Though Neil is still a Canadian ciizen, he has lived in America for nearly 40 years, during which his songs have very often made some real impact touching on subjects of American culture and history (Powderfinger, Pocahontas), and immediate protest (Ohio, This Note's For You). It's also worth noting that he's a father of three American children.

"Something I was wondering, and maybe someone here knows: Did Neil Young ever become a U.S. citizen? Or is he just some crazy Canadian telling us how to run our country?"

Kind of like America telling the rest of us how the world should be run, I guess.

I like how Fox News calls Bob Dylan "the original rock protest singer," especially since he so often/readily talks about how Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie influenced him profoundly.

P.S. This song is corny as hell.

"And shipping all our money out the door"
-corny stupid forced rhyme

"Breaking every law in the country"
-really? He committed every possible type of parking violation?

The whole thing is corny, fifth-grade level rhyming. Those are just the two best examples. Also, what makes Neil Young a political authority? Ohhhh, of course, the same thing that makes Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins political experts: a massive ego and a misguided sense of self-purpose.

Doesn't Bush have "a massive ego and a misguided sense of self-purpose" himself?

anonymous 2, how does your observation detract from any of anonymous 1's arguments about the lazy, inept lyricism of the song and the fact that neil young has no political credentials?

True, my observation doesn't address the criticism of the lyrics. I only managed to point out the irony of criticizing a person with "a massive ego and a misguided sense of self-purpose" for expressing his or her opinion of the President when the President himself has "a massive ego and a misguided sense of self-purpose."

Neil Young doesn't read. Seriously, he doesn't read books. Ask him yourself. That's probably why his lyrics are for shit.

anon 3--how does your comment (ostensibly in defense of anon 1) do anything more than criticize anon 2? This is meta-laziness in conceptual analysis...

And criticizing the form of the lyrics or one example of hyperbole is also to select a superficial aspect of something to direct your criticism at in the hopes that a valid point on a collateral matter will somehow obscure any discussion on the actual issue and will gain you some much desired and little deserved intellectual credibility

does anyone else think it's funny that this report was from FOX NEWS?

wasn't neil the guy who recorded that immortal paean to the heroes of flight 93/exhortation to new heights of jingoistic idiocy, "Let's Roll"?
Ah yes... yes, he was. Some lyrics from that lovely little ditty:

No one has the answer,
But one thing is true,
You've got to turn on evil,
When it's coming after you,
You've gota face it down,
And when it tries to hide,
You've gotta go in after it,
And never be denied,
Time is runnin' out,
Let's roll.

Let's roll for freedom,
Let's roll for love,
We're going after satan,
On the wings of a dove,
Let's roll for justice,
Let's roll for truth,
Let's not let our children,
Grow up fearful in their youth.

I've never been a fan of neil young... and i'm still not.

Wait. Didn't Neil Young write "Helpless"?:

There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory
to spare,
and in my mind I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there,

Blue, blue windows
behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds
flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.

Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me
now?
The chains are locked and tied across the door,
Baby, sing with me somehow.

Blue, blue windows
behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds
flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.

Is the tendency to make 5th grade-level rhymes proof of no musical talent? Don't tell the Beatles.

I agree that Living With War is far from Neil's best album. It appears to me that he wanted to get it out fast, considering the urgency and danger to all of the citizens of the world in these times.

If every art was supposed to be looked at literally, of course it's going to sound stupid.

It"s amazing,really amazing- Here we have people
bashing Neil's quality of lyrics,when all he's trying to do is unite the people and say -hey there's something wrong here! I guess no one realizes the power that free citizens have. If everyone sticked together and used common sense, boycotts, and intelligent voting and got off their ass's we might not have trillions in deficit,near 4.00 a gallon gas,people going to war for rich oil companies,corporate America raping peoples retirement money and work going to overseas country's- Yeah- go ahead pick apart his lyrics. It's like telling Paul Revere he wore the wrong socks while riding his horse.

If somehow criticism would just disappear there'd be no reason for Mr. Young to write this album, this conversation would have never occured and the world would be a better place. Ironic how my statement criticizes. Oh well...

I find it interesting to watch people of a seemingly younger generation "attack all fronts" as a reaction to the world renowned artist's position and "opinions". It is simply more proof of a sweeping and contagious apathy shared by most of our young americans. These selfish, lazy vibes just didn't exist back when Young was a young man. The fact that there wasn't a huge protest in our streets back when the Bush administration "straight jacked" the election, let alone what the feeble minded coke-head redneck from hell did AFTER he stole the presidency. How we doin? Nice. Real Nice. By the way using religion for political gain is lovely also.

neil young rules

im 15 and i love neil

I dont think that it really matters if his lyrical ability is weak, the message he is trying to convey is strong. When will Americans realize that they need to stand up and be strong people, rather than a strong government? Thats when things will really happen and change for the better of society.