Heart of Gold by Neil Young

Album: Harvest (1972)

Charted: 10 1

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

With a straightforward metaphor and complete lack of pathos, this is not a typical Neil Young song. It finds him mining for a "heart of gold," which depending on your perspective, is either a touching and heartfelt sentiment, or a mawkish platitude. Rolling Stone took the churlish view, complaining that the album evoked "superstardom's weariest clichés." The listening public and Young's fans were far more accepting, and the song became his biggest hit.
Young wrote this in 1971 after he suffered a back injury that made it difficult for him to play the electric guitar, so on the Harvest tracks he played acoustic. Despite the injury, Young was in good spirits (possibly thanks to the painkillers), which is reflected in this song. The next few years were more challenging for Young, as he suffered a series of setbacks: His son Zeke was born with cerebral palsy, his friend Danny Whitten died, and he split with his girlfriend, Carrie Snodgress. His next three albums, which became known as "The Ditch Trilogy," expressed these dark times in stark contrast to "Heart of Gold."
This song was recorded at the first sessions for the Harvest album, which took place on Saturday, February 6, 1971 and were set up the night before.

Neil Young was in Nashville to record a performance for The Johnny Cash Show along with Tony Joe White, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt. Elliot Mazer, a producer who owned nearby Quadrafonic Studios, set up a dinner party on February 5, inviting the show's guests and about 50 other people. Mazer was friends with Young's manager Elliot Roberts, who introduced the two at the gathering. Young and Mazer quickly hit it off when Neil learned that Elliot has produced a band called Area Code 615. Young asked if he could set up a session the next day, and Mazer complied.

Nashville has an abundance of studio musicians, but getting them to work on a Saturday could be a challenge. Mazur was able to get one member of Area Code 615: Drummer Kenny Buttrey. The other musicians he found were guitarist Teddy Irwin, bass player Tim Drummond, and pedal steel player Ben Keith. All were seasoned pros.

Keith, who had never heard of Neil Young, recalls showing up late and sitting down to play right away. He says they recorded five songs before they stopped for introductions.
By far, this was the biggest hit for Young as a solo artist, reaching #1 on the Hot 100 on March 18, 1972 (the Harvest album went to #1 a week earlier, supplanting Don McLean's American Pie).

A very influential musician, he was never too concerned about making hit records. His next-highest Hot 100 entry was his next single, "Old Man," which reached #31.
James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt sang backup; they don't come in until the end of the song. Like Young, Taylor and Ronstadt were in town to appear on The Johnny Cash Show (the song's producer Elliot Mazer had produced Ronstadt's 1970 Silk Purse album). Young convinced them to lend their voices to this track, and they came in on Sunday, February 7, 1971, the day after the rest of the song was completed.

When it was their turn to add harmonies, the task proved rather arduous. Ronstadt recalled to Mojo: "We were sat on the couch in the control room, but I had to get up on my knees to be on the same level as James because he's so tall. Then we sang all night, the highest notes I could sing. It was so hard, but nobody minded. It was dawn when we walked out of the studio."

At the time, Taylor and Young were huge stars, but Ronstadt had yet to land a big hit. Her talent was obvious to those around her, but poor song selection and promotion kept her from the top ranks. Young exposed her to arena crowds when he brought her along as the opening act on his Time Fades Away tour in early 1973, but it was another two years before she landed that elusive hit, going to #1 with "You're No Good."
In the liner notes to his Decade collection, Young said: "This song put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon became a bore so I headed for the ditch."

This statement reflected Young's aversion to fame, and was not meant to demean the song. In a later interview with NME, he clarified: "I think Harvest is probably the finest record I've made."
Before separating them into two songs, Young wrote this together with "A Man Needs A Maid" as a piano piece - he described it as "like a medley."
This was the song that tweaked Bob Dylan; Young had made no secret that he idolized Dylan, but when Dylan heard "Heart of Gold" he thought this was going too far. As quoted in Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History, Dylan complained, "I used to hate it when it came on the radio. I always liked Neil Young, but it bothered me every time I listened to "Heart of Gold." I'd say, that's me. If it sounds like me, it should as well be me."
This song was recorded in just two takes. The musicians were not familiar with Young or the song, but knew how to play. This spontaneity created just the right feel for the track - something that would have never come about through additional tweaking. This style of recording, where top-tier studio musicians are asked to give total focus to a take with little instruction, is something Bob Dylan often did. It's also a throwback to the analog days when tape (which was expensive) was rolling, making additional takes costly and cumbersome.
"Heart Of Gold" is the name of the spaceship stolen by Zaphod Beeblebrox in Douglas Adams' book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. >>
Suggestion credit:
Charles - London, England
Young became the first Canadian to have a #1 album in the US when Harvest topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks in April 1972.
This song appears in the 1984 film Iceman, and on the soundtrack of the 2010 movie Eat Pray Love.
Lady Gaga references this in her song "You and I." The line goes, "On my birthday you sung me 'Heart of Gold,' with a guitar humming and no clothes."
In 2005, the CBC Radio One series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version declared "Heart of Gold" to be the third best Canadian song of all time.
Stryper frontman Michael Sweet covered this for his 2014 I'm Not Your Suicide album. He also recorded a second duet version with country artist Electra Mustaine, who is the daughter of Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine.
Young revived the guitar riff for this song on CSN&Y's "Slowpoke" in 1999.
Young has made it clear that the musicians who played on his tracks had a lot to do with their success. In an interview with the Musicians Hall of Fame, he said that "Heart of Gold" would not have been a hit without drummer Kenny Buttrey.
Tori Amos covered this on her 2001 album Strange Little Girls. She was trying to demonstrate how men and women hear different meaning in the same songs.

Comments: 31

George William Taylor from Glencoe Nsw AustraliaI am intrigued as to how Neil chose to construct the progression as a 6, 4, 5, 1. It sounds right but seems quite unorthodox. Definitely not something I would see as accidental. I also don't get why Dylan saw the song as seemingly meant for his style of music. A great song.
Yeil Noung from TorontoNeil said “heart of gold’ wouldn’t have been a hit without the drummer Kenny Buttrey”..but according to Kenny, “Neil wouldn’t let me play. He wouldn’t let me use my high hat. Just bass and snare. I hit the Tom Tom and got yelled at by Neil. He wouldn’t let me use my left hand. I had to sit on it, so i wouldn’t be tempted to use it. Ridiculous.”
Seventhmist from 7th HeavenYoung always sounded like Bruce Dern with a stuffed nose to me whenever I heard this song.
Jef from Passaic, Nj"A Horse with No Name" by the band America replaced Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" at the #1 spot on the U.S. pop chart. That song's resemblance to some of Young's work aroused some controversy. "I know that virtually everyone, on first hearing, assumed it was Neil", Dewey Bunnell from America says. "I never fully shied away from the fact that I was inspired by him. I think it's in the structure of the song as much as in the tone of his voice. It did hurt a little, because we got some pretty bad backlash. I've always attributed it more to people protecting their own heroes more than attacking me."
Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaNot all Tourette's involves spastic swearing - most just involves occasional facial twitches.
Ashwin from Vacoas, MauritiusI interpreted the song as Neil young being lonely and searching for love. He is lonely ( i want to live i want to give),wants to love and fears he might not find love( and i'm getting old). I might be wrong but that's how i'm actually feeling...
Danny from Fairmont, WvNeil Young is one the the best Artists of all time.
Perry Gaffney from Gainesville, GaNeil Young had tourette syndrome....He over came it OBVIOUSLY
Dominic from Phoenix, Azneil young is a god when it comes to music!
Andy from Columbus, OhIn response to Ekristheh, I've never heard that Neil had epilepsy before, but if its true thats a shame. My dad used to play this song and "Harvest", I think, really loud a lot. I pictured Young as some blond, mustachioed,Stetson wearing cowboy until I heard Cinnamon Girl on the radio a few years back, then I really got into his stuff. All I've ever really listened to is Decade, though. Also, in deepest respect, what are you guys smokin'!?! I've always heard it as "I've been in my mine, it's such a fine mine." As in gold mine, perhaps?
David from Huntington Beach, CaThe reason this song even works as being more then a "hit" is the fact that Neil is so genuine. The composition isn't difficult or anything but it catches your ears. The lyrics aren't jaw dropping, but they are sung so compassionately that you know the singer is actually feeling the emotions he is singing about. Great song.
Nikhil from Mumbai, Indiawhat an amazing song!God bless neil
Marc from Perth, AustraliaIt's interesting to read above that James Taylor sang backup for this song. Another great artist whose work has some of his subjects wrestling with despair.
Marc from Perth, AustraliaOne of my favourite songs.

I've never read how Neil Young defined the meaning of this song but to me it's clearly about Neil's search for his capacity to feel compassion and his grappling with the looming despair of never finding it. I interpret the first verse to be an introspective search for compassion within himself (for the kingdom within perhaps). He begins with an aspiration - He wants to live and give. He admits, however that he has not realised his aspiration yet, but intends to continue the search (although he's "getting old"). The second verse alludes to the inevitable search-outside-himself that takes him far away from home (and perhaps his mission is driving him crazy? - I've been in my mind, its such a fine line). The final verse refers to a second party (you keep me searching for a heart of gold) who, for whatever reason, tries his patience but ultimately this vexation only further drives him to continue the search.

In the end (the "story-so-far") the subject is still in the hunt to realise his opening aspirations (i.e. he has not despaired) but he suspects that time (and I'm getting old - also a metaphor for the corrosion of cynicism, perhaps) may defeat him.

I have been intrigued by Neil Young's early 70s live rendition of this song for a long time. To me it evokes the atmosphere of a man at the edge of despair but not quite ready to give up on himself. I have juxtaposed the song's ambience with one of Kurt Cobain's unplugged doleful, desperate renditions (for example, "Where did you sleep last night?") and they appear to manifest an eerie symmetry. One the one hand there's Neil's subject, still holding out hope for the existence of internal compassion; On the other there's Kurt who's descended beneath despair and cast himself into the abyss of nihilism. Whatever the specifics are for their motivations behind their respective interpretations, these two great artists appear to be driven by a deep awareness of/fear for the dark side of human nature gaining the ascendancy and thus defining one's ultimate character.
Alan from Singapore, SingaporeBoney M did a cover of this song as well.
Emmie from Long Island, NyThis is my favorite song to play on guitar so far. Of course, I'm still a beginner, but I love this. I'd only heard this song before on a VH1 show, but I didn't remember too much of it. When my guitar teacher taught me it last Friday, I haven't stopped listening to it.
Lee S from Hopkins, MiAn interesting version of this song is sung by Timothy Hutton and John Lone in the movie "Iceman".
Ekristheh from Halath, United States"I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line" is less likely a reference to cocaine than to Young's persistent epilepsy. Because he can tell when he is going to have a seizure, he can often keep them from happening just through willpower; but because he often has pleasant subjective experiences during one (according to what he said in the McDonough book), he had, for a while, a tendency to let go and allow it to happen. It is a very tempting, seductive thing in some ways, and he must often have found himself "on the fine line". However, it is not usually productive to attempt to interpret Young's lyrics. By his own report, even he does not always know what they mean, or if they even had an exact meaning or if they were meant simply to create ambience. By
Fyodor from Denver, CoI wonder if this was the first #1 hit since early Beatles songs to feature a harmonica so prominently? And has it happened since? Funny that he sang about getting old in his mid twenties! Brought on the tears to see him sing it in his recent movie of the same name...
Brandon from Saskatoon, Canadai love the harmonica riffs in this song
Petter from Ã?ngelholm, SwedenJohnny Cash covered it on Unearthed II: Trouble in Mind (the Unearthed box set with Cash is well worth the money: aside of the "Best of Cash on American" there are four discs with a lot of nice songs recorded by Cash the 90's to his death, for example a amazing, epic cover of Neil Young's Pocahontas, a cover of Bob Marley's Redemption Song where Joe Strummer of The Clash is a guest artist, some of Cash's own songs, and some rock, folk and country classics).
Mike from Warwick, RiI remember hearing this song on AM radio when I was 5 or 6 riding in my Mom's maverick. Makes me smile every time I hear it - still one of my all time favorites.
Sam from Provo, Utim just begging to play harmonica and i love the harp line. it gives me chills every time!
Kendall from Thomasville, GaI love the first two lines I wanna live, I wanna give you can tell exactly what kind of person the artist was, this song is filled with so much emotion, it ranks as one of my all time favorites! It makes me sad everytime I listen to it though...
Doug from Pittsburgh, PaOn Harvest Neil Young performed with a band he called The Stray Gators (he names his bands whatever he wants to) and he reassembled that band in the 90s for Harvest Moon.

I think what he means when he says "I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line that keeps me searcher for my heart of gold" it he's just weary and he can see that he won't hold on much longer, it's a fine line between continuing and breaking down.
Brett from Watertown, SdIt could be talking about a line of cocaine but who knows forsure. Great song, i love the harmonica part
Brian from Old Lyme, CtI always heard that line as "I've been in my mind, it's such a fine wine", maybe referring to how memories get better with age. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.
Brendon from Paxton, IlMatchbox 20 has covered this song in concert with the bassist on lead vocals, and Rob Thomas on harmonica.
Brady from Fort Stockton, TxAll right. I love this song, and i'm glad somebody mentioned the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy.
Shana from Pembroke, CanadaThis is an great song...it seems depressing to me though, I'm not too sure about its meaning. I remember my dad listening to it when i was little and its cool to listen to it now, it brings back good memories.
Kathy from Jasper, Al This is one of my all time favorites. However, I have always wondered what he meant when he says "I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line."

see more comments

More Songfacts:

JealousLabrinth

When Adele needed to cry during the filming of the video for "Hello" she played Labrinth's 2014 single "Jealous." "You could play it at my kid's birthday and I'd burst into tears," she said.

Start Me UpThe Rolling Stones

One of the first hit songs used in a major marketing campaign was "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones. Microsoft paid $3 million to use it in commercials for Windows '95.

Do You Believe In Love?Huey Lewis & the News

The first Huey Lewis & the News hit, "Do You Believe In Love?," is a cover of a song Mutt Lange wrote three years earlier called "We Both Believe In Love."