Three-Alarm Fire Severely Damages Neil Young's Warehouse

A fire has destroyed part of Neil Young's warehouse in San Carlos, California, where he kept guitar cases, vintage cars, paintings and other artifacts. The fire at the 10,000 square-foot warehouse was reported at 2:55 AM, and by the time fire-fighters had put it out it had caused at least $1 million in damage. Officials estimate that 70 percent of the items in the warehouse were salvaged — though it's unclear how damaged they were. Arson is not suspected, and there is currently no official report on what was actually destroyed.

Watch Neil Young recording Le Noise

Local news clips show people from Young's staff salvaging items from the wreckage and moving them to an adjacent warehouse. A source who took a tour of two of Young's warehouses in San Carlos two years ago tells Rolling Stone he observed numerous vintage cars, one room with video cassettes and another with video material — though he believed they were sturdy enough to withstand serious damage, and were possibly even fire-proof.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

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