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Neil's beloved Pontiac hearse, "Mort" (a.k.a. "Mortimer Hearseburg"), was the inspiration for this song. Neil drove "Mort" from Toronto to Los Angeles, where he met Stephen Stills and formed Buffalo Springfield.
Neil was in Canada driving to Sudbury when 'Mort' broke down in Blind River, June 1965. (Which is contradictory to the lyrics; "well it was back in Blind River, in 1962, when I last saw you alive").
In 1976, Stephen Stills and Neil Young formed The Stills-Young Band and released an album called Long May You Run, which turned out to be somewhat ironic when the collaboration quickly stalled.
Stills and Young wrote separately for the album, which Stephen contributing four songs, and Young adding five, including the title track.
Stills is a longtime collaborator of Neil's, having worked with him first in Buffalo Springfield and then in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. However, they had a falling out only nine days into the Long May You Run tour. Young decided to abandon the project, leaving Stills with a mere telegram to explain his departure. It read: "Dear Stephen, funny how some things that start spontaneously end that way. Eat a peach. Neil."
In addition to Young's compilation album Decade this also appears on his 1993 album Unplugged. (thanks, Paulus - Tasmania, Australia, for all above)
The last ever Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on Friday January 22, 2010 finished in style when O'Brien's final musical guest, Neil Young, performed this song in what appeared to be a poke at NBC. O'Brien had been asked to move his slot to 12:05 a.m., and the TV host refused to move his show to such a late hour, and instead negotiated a $45 million exit deal.
Neil Young performed this song at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games to a rousing ovation of Canadian audience members. (thanks, Chris - Red Deer, Alberta, Canada)
Comments (42):
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1st para is certainly about a girl, that he reckons, and and his & her future.......
changes---constant--one should keep going.........she is chrome hearted girl
2nd para is a place near some river, in 1962.....y will he lie in his song about the year.....its about car/bike.....that was last seen then atleast as mentioned in the song! chrome hart shining is certainly a car
3rd para: beach boys---no idea--i didnt like "caroline no" .....girls backs to ----> the beach boys
last lines......Rollin' down
That empty ocean road
Gettin' to the surf on time.
that lifes all about
When Stills & Young were in the studio recording their album, Neil thought they should call in Crosby & Nash for additional harmonies. Unfortunately, after a few days in the studio, they started fighting and Stills & Young wiped C& N's harmonies off the master. But Neil kept the alternative copies and put it on Decade.
My grandfather, Albert (Maurice) Valiquette worked for Bill's garage in the 60's, Neil's Hearst broke down and was towed to this garage, where my grandfather helped work on it. Neil and his band or friends we're sleeping in the Hearst while it was being repaired. and during this time my grandfather had a few drinks and played the guitar with each other. like my grandfather and many other family still gather and do to this date. Neil Young is not related to the Young's in Blind River, he was not driving his bike thru Blind River, he was not singing about a love he lost to the beach boys and the date was 1962. so stop speculating and take the facts.
My husband Albert played guitar with Neil Young at Bill's garage while his hearst was in the shop waiting for parts to repair it,the year was 1962,they left Blind River with the repaired hearst.Bill's wife Mary gave them food and blankets because it was spring time and the nights were cold.My husband was working for Bill at the time.Neil was with two other fellows.
I 'm going to venture a guess that the "Natasha" you are wondering about is Natasha V. Her grandfather, Albert V., could have worked for my dad in the 60's and could have easily been involved in the Mort scenario.
Albert V. married Germaine M. The M. family lived next door to us...their house actually was situated due east across the laneway beside my dad's garage. The garage was Known as Bill's Garage in the 60's. Albert V. eventually
bought the garage from my dad when he retired.
Natasha's mom and dad now live in the M. homestead. Her dad Paul is a good friend of my son Max and has a garage of his own.
Interesting stuff....
Theresa.......
Interesting that you would forward this piece just now. I was watching the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics last night and thought about the song. Neil Young sang it again.
When the car (a big black hearse) broke down, my dad towed it to his garage...worked on it for about 2 or 3 days. Neil and a couple of his band members had little money. They looked like traditional hippies....one wore a traditional German helmet.
They were not very clean looking. The restaurants would not allow them in so my mom made them sandwiches each day. They just hung around the garage until the car was repaired. But my dad would not release the keys until he was paid. Neil's dad was a
sports writer for the Toronto Star. My dad called him....he sent the money and the future band was on its way!
Thanks for the look back into time.
Theresa
Thats a E-mail from my cousin, whose parents hosted the boys during their 60' stay. As a kid I loved going up to Blind River from Detroit. He not only had the only repair shop within 1 million miles, he also had a junk yard. At ten years old I was in heaven. She, Young and his then friends, are the only ones who know the true story. He even left a blanket there (now long gone) with the initials NY on it.
You're absolutely right!!
And to all others:
Who cars if it was originally about a car.
It still pulls at the heart srings because we identify strongly with a sense of loss, parting with a loved one/thing, saying goodbye, being left stranded by a sudden departure. Even more so as we grow older and mature. Which is why these songs stand the test of time.
30 years from now we'll still be singing it along with others like Time of your life (Green Day), I will remember you (Sarah Mclaughlin). These song sget seared into our hearts for some reason.
...And so it doesn't matter whether it's a car, dog, parent, house, child.
A hearse may have been the Neil's original subject of the song but he also has had this other lovely lady, the Ragland, to sing this song to.
Three times a year I make the wayward and often rough journey to do maintenance at this remote site. After I have drained and scrubed the tub, it is always my luxurious pleasure to sit in those sparklling, hot waters. Without fail, I spend time contemplating those carved words...and yes, the Ragland came this way, twice in fact...and I sing and hum Neil's songs and pray "Long May He Run".
It packs every human emotion, of parting, of reunion, into places in the soul I can't quite articulate.
After watching & listening several times times, Young's vocal & guitar/harmonica playing brought back memories of days gone by.
I am glad that I was able to DVR the program - so that I can enjoy the clip any time I want.
I wish I could download it somehow to my PC - but can't because of copyright protections. can anyone help ?
Ed, Alabama
Jonathan is most likely on the right path, The only thing stated wrongly here is that the car you should be looking for is a 1948 Buick Roadmaster Hearse. Neil had two hearses; a 1948 Buick and a 1953 Pontiac. The '48 Buick was likely a 'Flxible' hearse that would have been manufactured in Loudenville, OH. It would (probably) be a straight 8 cylinder engine with a 3-spd manual transmission. The chrome heart may have been the windshield wiper motor that was heart shaped and used on GM vehicles of the day. Another thought, it may have been a replacement hood ornament, or a cool way of noting the chrome angel hood ornaments of the day....
The Buick was being driven from Winnipeg to Sudbury ~6/15-18/1965, where it lost a trans-gear on the downhill run between Iron Bridge and Blind River. It was towed into Blind River and left there. Neil thought it an omen, left the car there and continued on to Toronto to play bass with the Mynah Birds (founder-Rick James of Funk fame). Rick James (Mathews) who was AWOL from the US Military was arrested and sent back to USA. In Feb. '66 Bruce Palmer (Buf. Sprgfld Bassist?) and Neil sold the PA equipment and amps, bought Mort II (the '53 Pontiac) Hearse and headed to LA, California to find Steven Stills. The '53 Pontiac was most likely a Meteor conversion built just 10 miles from me in Piqua, OH.
The car to look for is indeed, a 1948 Buick Roadmaster Hearse converted by Flxible Mfg. A photo of Mort's sister can be found here--
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/f/flxible/flxible_pics.htm
Second picture from the bottom.
That is my best assessment. Neil probably isn't interested, as this was seen as a timely omen, and the past is best to stay in the past.....Long May You Run!
Burky
As a 9 year old kid my family traveled through Blind River (May 1969). Dad was on a business trip from Montreal to Ohio via the Soo. We stopped in Blind River for lunch and fished for Perch on the old dock near the mouth of the Mississauga, just down from the spillway. I caught a Northern Pike on a small rod and reel, and nearly pissed myself. That August we returned and stayed at the Motel on the east side of the river. It was a 12 hour trip one way, but one that led to a great many more.
That summer we drove out Rt.555 to Birch Lodge on Lake Magog (Granery), run by The Browns. They were a sweet couple who rented cabins to tourists for fishing in the summer. Spent at least a week there every summer through 1978. I understand their grandson Brian may still live in the area and drive trucks.
I recall a garage operated on the east end of town (along Hwy 17). They worked on cars, sold outboard motors, motorcycles, and even had a small grocery next door that served hand-dipped ice cream. This may be the same place noted above. I will check through pics of the area from back in the day, to see if an old hearse may have been visible... mom always took too many pics...lol
Anyway, every-time I hear this song, I still cop a smile. Blind River was a wonderful memory from my youth. There was a bakery, a small meat market near the north end of Lawton St ? (run by an Italian Family), and a Chinese diner that had great food. Also, I recall my folks having a missionary friend named Sister Miss Thompson, who was a sweet old saint that also cared for her father (over 100) when they met.
Best part of the memory is; I took my own family there in 1996, and had the opportunity to watch my 9 year old son catch his first fish, a perch, from the same river spillway that I had fished as a 9 year old nearly 30 years earlier.
Back in the Day, Hwy 17 was 2-lanes, and still of gravel composition east of Blind River (near Sudbury). If Neil was on a motorcycle, whether '62, '65, or 1969, he was traveling some mighty desolate roads. Riding a motorcycle in the 60's on that road would have been some Iron-butt riding. This indeed, would be a great topic to share a cup of coffee over.
Lastly, I saw Neil with CSN in Columbus, OH a couple years back. Neil still has the energy of an 18 year old, and closed the show with "Rockin' in the Free World"!
Neil, long may YOU run!!!!!
The hearse Neil drove to LA from Toronto is a different one to the one that broke down in Blind River. The Young's in Blind River are not related to Neil.
As for the hearse, it's not in Blind River. Neil drove it to LA., with his friend bassist Bruce Palmer, where they picked up David Crosby hitchhiking. The song is actually about the motorcycle he drove out of Winnipeg to Toronto. Hearse's don't have "chrome hearts", but bikes do. It blew a gear, (or maybe the brakes?), "on that long decline" - a very long, twisting downhill run into Blind River on Hwy 17. I've driven it many times. I believe he got the hearse later, maybe in Sudbury, probably in Toronto. Nobody would drive from Toronto to LA via Blind River!! Look at a map. It's the longest possible way to go! It may not even have been possible in the early 60's. Across the border at Niagra Falls or Detroit would be far more likely.
Never mind the hearse, I'd like to find out what happened to that bike, or for that matter what make was it? Anyone know any info?
Tom, Memphis
Did anybody listen to the lyrics? This is, at least in part, a tribute to Brian Wilson.
D.C.