Needle and the Damage Done

About Needle and the Damage Done

"The Needle and the Damage Done" is a song by Neil Young that describes the destruction caused by the heroin addiction of musicians he knew including his friend and Crazy Horse bandmate Danny Whitten. It previews the theme of the Tonight's the Night album that reflects Young's grief over the heroin overdose and death of both Whitten and Bruce Berry, a roadie for Young and Crazy Horse. "The Needle and the Damage Done" first appeared on the Harvest album in 1972. Rather than rerecording it, he selected a live version from January 1971 that had him singing and playing acoustic guitar. It appeared on the compilation albums Decade and Greatest Hits. On the handwritten liner notes included in Decade, Young had this to say about the song: "I am not a preacher, but drugs killed a lot of great men." It appeared on the 2007 album Live at Massey Hall 1971. The album captured Young's introduction of his song thus: Ever since I left Canada, about five years ago or so... and moved down south... found out a lot of things that I didn't know when I left. Some of 'em are good, and some of 'em are bad. Got to see a lot of great musicians before they happened... before they became famous... y'know, when they were just gigging. Five and six sets a night... things like that. And I got to see a lot of, um, great musicians who nobody ever got to see. For one reason or another. But... strangely enough, the real good ones... that you never got to see was... 'cause of, ahhm, heroin. An' that started happening over an' over. Then it happened to someone that everyone knew about. So I just wrote a little song. more »

Year:

1986

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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 e€˜scape 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

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Neil Young

Neil Percival Young,OC,OM (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. more »

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