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Neil Young: Music Can Actually Save the World, Sort Of

2/11/08, 1:51 pm EST

Neil Young raised some eyebrows at the Berlin Film Festival last week when he told reporters that music can’t save the world. “The time when music could change the world is past,” he said. “I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age. The world today is a different place, and that it’s time for science and physics and spirituality to make a difference in this world and to try to save the planet.” Since then, the man who wrote “Ohio” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” decided to elaborate on his views. Click below to read his statement:

A Song Alone.
By Neil Young

No one song can change the world. But that doesn’t mean its time to stop singing.
Somewhere on Earth a scientist is alone working. No one knows what he or she is thinking. The secret is just within reach. If I knew that answer I would be singing the song.

This is the Age of innovation. Hope matters. But not hope alone. In the age of innovation, the people’s fuel must be found. That is the biggest challenge. Who is up to the challenge? Who is searching today? All day. All night. Every hour that goes by. I know I am.

My friends write to me don’t give up. I am not giving up. I know this is the time for change. But I know that it’s not a song. Maybe it was. But it isn’t now. It’s an action, an accomplishment, a revelation, a new way. I am searching for the people’s fuel. Will I find it? Yes. I think so. I don’t know why I may have been chosen to help enable a discovery of this magnitude. I know I can only write a song about it when I find it. Until then I can write a song about the search or spend all my time looking. But a song alone will not change the world. Even so, I will keep on singing.

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Comments

hydrofan | 5/22/2008, 3:56 pm EST

Someone else wrote about a scientist who might be listening to a Neil Young song. Of course, we know at least one scientist was; a newly-discovered species of spider was recently named after Neil Young.

Dyan | 4/12/2008, 5:28 pm EST

Neil Youngs music may not beable to change the world but it certainly can influence society and make us want to change the world while we still can. His music has moved me and made me want to do my part in saving the planet and taking care of our brothers. thank you Neil.

Frank H | 2/13/2008, 3:39 pm EST

As Neil’s colleague Graham Nash once sang, “We can change the world, re-arrange the world.” It will be people who change things…but perhaps those people can be inspired by a song…perhaps that lone scientist has Neil Young playing on his iPod as he searches and explores and invents…

zencowboy | 2/12/2008, 11:54 pm EST

Every song changes the world, if only at the precise moment it enters the world like a new seed being sown. No pebble enters the pond without ripples. Maybe, Neil, the ripples are the new fuel.

colly51 | 2/12/2008, 9:11 pm EST

neil young has made some truly great music and his texts are often interesting and provocative. long may he strum and kerang and purr and howl.

Mike Jewell | 2/12/2008, 6:05 pm EST

was that crap written by rosie o’donnell?

the world doesn’t need to be changed.

it needs to be destroyed.

NOTHING will grow here.

let it all go.

Youngster | 2/12/2008, 3:20 pm EST

Neil is right! todays music is’nt effecting people. Neil you Rock! I wish more teenagers in my age would understand you music!

wtng2fish | 2/12/2008, 8:54 am EST

Neil is always right! And Neil, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE bring yourself and Crazy Horse to Seattle one more time so I can take my 20 and 28 year old sons to experience a true rock and roll genius! Thank You!

the note is eternal | 2/11/2008, 7:09 pm EST

Neil’s right, music cannot change the world, but it can change a person, and people can change the world…

Cheesecrop | 2/11/2008, 6:20 pm EST

I don’t really believe there ever was a time that rock & roll could change the world in any way. What all rock & roll does is open up potential viewpoints that might not be explored (if you’re talking intellectual here). So long as there’s an energy and physicality involved it’s good. Anything else (in any time) was just a bonus.

tim fontenot | 2/11/2008, 3:42 pm EST

Neil Young’s absolutely correct that music(rock n roll, rap etc) can no longer even cause a ripple in society. We as a world society are inundated with so much information that it overwhelms us. Thirty five years ago that wasn’t the case.

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