Neilstones (Key of J)

Key of J: Well that's how I always play it

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Neilstones

One of the great things about Neil Young is the fact that his songs often reflect milestones in a person's life. There are plenty of songs that achieve this goal, but the ones I really want to point out are the "coming of age songs" that pinpoint exact ages, and I think really capture the feeling you get when you hit that time in your life.

Sugar Mountain

When you're turning twenty, you know you're reaching a new part of your life. No longer a teenager, you have more responsibilities; you've been out on your own for a bit, and now you're starting to feel it. This is a time to really reflect on the past, and realize that even though you were in a rush to grow up, you start to realize that hey, maybe being young wasn't so bad after all...and you maybe miss it more than you think

Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain, with the barkers and the coloured balloons. You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain, though you're thinkin' that you're leaving there too soon.

Powderfinger

This isn't just one of my favourite songs of all time, it's also a great coming of age song. It's an allegory for suddenly finding yourself responsible for dealing with some big crisis or just life in general, and realizing that you're on your own; nobody's around to take care of it for you anymore. It's that first big step into the real world. When you're 22, that's when a lot of people are hitting that big career step; you're wrapping up school, or an apprenticeship, or maybe you're finally ready to start your own thing. And you find out in a big way that maybe you weren't as ready as you thought you were, but there's no turning back.

Daddy's gone, my brother's out huntin' in the mountains; Big John's been drinkin' since the river took Emmy Lou. So the powers that be left me here to do the thinkin'. And I just turned twenty-two, I was wonderin' what to do, and the closer they got, the more those feelings grew.

Old Man

The last of the milestones is 24. You've been out in the world and experienced a bit, and you start to identify a little more with your elders. You maybe see parents or other authority figures in a new light, especially as you start to find yourself in those very roles, and the roles you maybe resented when you were younger. It's finding that maybe you finally 'get' adults, if only a little. I waited to do this post until now, because today is the last of my Neil milestones. I turn 24 years old today, and I have to say, every one of these songs has more meaning for me having experienced what they seem to get at. If you haven't heard them, give them a shot; you may agree with what Neil's saying. I know I do.

Old man, look at my life, twenty-four and there's so much more. Live alone in a paradise that makes me think of two. Love lost, such a cost, give me things that don't get lost. Like a coin that won't get tossed, rolling home to you. Old man, take a look at my life, I'm a lot like you. I need someone to love me the whole day through. Ah, one look at my life, you can tell that's true.

Until next time,