Neil Young wrote some of the most profound and personal songs in rock music over his entire career. Taking listeners on journeys deep within his life’s long quest, the force of his words and music has resulted in many memorable experiences.
‘Ambulance Blues‘ and ‘Helpless‘ are the most emotionally moving songs. They are only the top of the iceberg, since Young’s music explores every aspect of his life, from heartache to his early days as an artist. He has frequently brought to life the counterculture era, when the dream of universal peace was prevalent.
However, due to a variety of causes, the verdant future that the countercultural youth desired did not materialize. By the time January 1st, 1970 arrived, it was evident to everyone that the new decade would not be the magnificent paradise predicted a few years earlier. The Cold War, drugs, and the Manson Murders had cast a shadow over the optimistic expectations. It turned reality into a darkly warped sequel to what had come before.
As a result, Young’s ideas in the 1960s are quite complex. One song he used to make sense of was ‘The Days That Used To Be’ by Ragged Glory. In the track, Neil Young makes his thoughts clear with lines. The line includes “‘Cause there very few of us left my friend / From the days that used to be” and “Seems like such a simple thing to follow one’s own dream / But possessions and concession are not always what they seem / They drag you down and load you down in disguise of security.”
In the song, the Canadian singer reflects on his youth in the 1960s, portraying himself as simply another idealistic hippy. He emphasizes creating art for the joy of the craft rather than for financial gain or the trappings of celebrity. Pointing to how things have changed since that heady moment, he laments how materialism has displaced passion and joy.
To bring it to life, he turned to Bob Dylan, the ‘Voice of Generation‘, whom many in the counterculture looked to for solace and inspiration. Musically, the song bears a strong resemblance to the Duluth troubadour’s ‘My Back Pages’ from Another Side of Bob Dylan. The song also has enormous countercultural significance. One of the most influential groups of the era, The Byrds, covered it on 1967‘s Younger Than Yesterday.
‘Days That Used To Be’ originally bore the name ‘Letter To Bob’ due to its close association with Dylan. However, when speaking with Musician in 1991, Young stated that his peer was just meant to represent individuals of his generation who believed in the hippy dream. “Yeah, but it’s about everybody from that generation,” Neil Young explained. “It’s to me as well as everybody else.”
