The Needle and the Damage Done
Neil Young
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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 '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 And your troubled young life Might make you turn To the needle of death
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Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Broken Fiddle Music
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
6 facts about this song
Origins"The Needle and the Damage Done" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young.
- The song was written and performed by Young, and was included in his 1972 album "Harvest".
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InfluenceYoung wrote the song as a reaction to the heroin addiction and subsequent death of bandmate and Crazy Horse member, Danny Whitten.
- The song's title is a reference to the detrimental impact of drug addiction, referring to the "needle" of a syringe and "the damage done" as the harm caused to the user and those around them.
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CompositionThe song relies on an acoustic guitar line and features no chorus.
- Young's performance of the song is filled with raw emotion and genuine sadness.
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Live PerformancesA live performance version of "The Needle and the Damage Done" was included in the album "Harvest" because Young felt it was urgent to expose the world to the dangers of heroin.
- Although a studio version was recorded, Young opted to use the live version because he believed it captured the song much better.
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LegacyThe song is one of Neil Young's most recognized and frequently covered songs.
- It has been covered by several artists over the years including Simple Minds, Duran Duran, and Dave Matthews.
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RecognitionRolling Stone magazine placed "The Needle and the Damage Done" at number 294 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
- The song remains a vital piece of music history as a stark and earnest commentary on the struggles and dangers of addiction.
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Citation
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