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This is about heroin use and what it will do to you in the end. Young wrote it about Danny Whitten, one of the original members of his band Crazy Horse. In 1971, Young went on tour and hired Crazy Horse and Nils Lofgren as backup. During rehearsals, Whitten was so high on heroin that he couldn't even hold up his guitar. Young fired him, gave Whitten 50 bucks (for rehab) and a plane ticket back to Los Angeles. Upon reaching LA, Whitten spent the 50 bucks on pure heroin, which killed him. (thanks, Dawn - Colonial Heights, VA)

Comments:

Ozzy's song "Suicide Solution" is about the dangers of alcohol, and is said to be about Bon Scott drinking himself to death
- Matt, kansas city, KS

Boy! talk about dreary! Nonetheless, this one was a rare thing for the time it came out, i.e. a song that discourages what was going too far and claiming not just lives, but also talent and motivation. Skynyrd are the only other band I can name off the top of my head who wrote similar songs, including "Poison Whiskey," "That Smell," and "The Needle and the Spoon."
- oldpink, New Castle, IN

The "Harvest" album version of this song was recorded in UCLA's Royce Hall.
- Raul, Los Angeles, CA

a great album and a great song. every junkie is like the setting sun. they are not rising they are almost gone.
- rick, tuscola, United States

I don't agree with those journalists, whoever they are. This song is entirely "Just Say No". The line "every junkie's like a setting sun" means that just like a setting sun, junkies don't last very long.
- Peter, NYC, NY

This song is obviously about what happens when you dont take care of your record collection. The rest of his songs are all about drugs though.
- Malicious Matt, Squatney

1994 -- In January, five prison guards at the Boise, Idaho, Maximum Security Institution were accused of taunting death row inmates by playing a 1971 Neil Young song "The Needle and the Damage Done" during a scheduled execution-by-injection.
- Laura, Detroit, MI

I don't think he should be criticized for the "setting sun" lyrics. It seems to me that, "Every junkies like a setting sun" means that people that are addicted to heroin can be good people that are self destructing. They can be beautiful people, but they are inevitably killing themselves. I think it's one of the great lines in pop music.
- Justin, Olympia, WA

I've read that some journalists criticize this song for not being "Just say no" enough, especially for using attractive imagery ("setting sun") at the end. Heartless bastards!
- fyodor, Denver, CO

neil young definetly wasnt drug-free back when harvest came out; barely any popular musician was. this song is touching and has a very important message.
- Dan, New York, NY

It wasn't until the 90's when Young was mostly drug free. I don't really count pot. No one in Vancouver does.
- rob, vancouver, Canada

I love this song. It's so sad though. He had obviously lost soemone who was important to him.
- Stefanie, Rock Hill, SC

I don't think Neil was setting himself up as a moral example. I think he was grieving over the death of a good friend and trying to keep others from falling into that trap.
- Jude, Thomasville, GA

the conert that neil had a coke nugget in his nose was the last waltz, when he was playing helpless with the Band, Great song.
- Emmett, Milwaukee, WI

i read a biography or autobiography of neil young, and he was by no means "mostly drug-free". he is an awesome musician/songwriter tho, and harvest is one of the greatest albums of all time. this is one of my fav songs to play on the guitar.
- Murray, Shellharbour, Australia

im with tedious toad where the hell did u get your info? neil young was addicted to coke and heroin for over 15 years theres a story that right before a neil young concert that martin scorcese was filming, neil young couldnt go onstage becuase he had a huge nugget of cocaine in his nose. in the special features it shows scorcese trying to airblow the coke nugget out of youngs nose
- Sam, Philadelphia, PA

Neil stayed mostly drug free? BALONY!
- Tedious Toad, Auckland, New Zealand

This song isn't the only one about Danny Whitten's heroin abuse. Neil Young's album Tonight's The Night also portrayed Whitten's tenure with the band and leading up to his death (also is the worst album he ever made).
- Robert, Chicago, IL

This is the best, most touching song about losing someone to drug addiction. Neil at his best.
- Amy, Chicago, IL

Neil Young - "I wrote that about Danny Whitten. He'd gotten so wasted, so strung out, that he ODedand almost died."
- Paulus, Tasmania, Australia

In the liner notes of "decade", a Young greatest hits collection, he wrote "I'm no preacher, but a lot of good people have been lost to heroin" or something to that effect...
- Roddy, Southampton, England