25 Neil Young Quotes From The Music Icon

Get acquainted with one of Canada’s most influential musicians with our Neil Young quotes. 

Neil Young is one of the most accomplished artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

Find out what makes this rock legend keep going with our Neil Young quotes. 

Who is Neil Young?

Neil Young is a Canadian American musician, singer, and songwriter.

He has released critically acclaimed albums over a career that has spanned decades. 

Below are some of Neil Young’s most acclaimed albums:

• Harvest
• Rust Never Sleeps
• Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere

How has Neil Young impacted music?

In the eighties and nineties, I was a child.

I grew up in an African American household where music was an essential aspect of how culture was shared. 

In our home, you could hear anything from Nat King Cole, James Brown, Public Enemy, or Whitney Houston.

Despite our hip-hop and jazz traditions, artists like Neil Young also got play in our home.

His music is deeply personal, and how he blends folk, rock, and soul makes for music that appeals to diverse populations. 

Neil Young’s musical success

Neil Young is no stranger to success.

Young has won Juno and Grammy Awards, and his records are certified multiple platinum. 

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice!

One time for his work as a solo artist and again for his work with the bank Buffalo Springfield.

He has directed several films and worked on the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed film Philadelphia with Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. 

Neil Young’s philanthropy and health challenges 

Neil Young is celebrated for his efforts to maintain the health of our environment. 

He has worked hard to limit harmful fuel emissions and continues to advocate for Mother Earth. 

Young suffered a brain aneurysm in 2005. 

His brush with death inspired him to push himself to keep making new music. 

Today he tours and writes new songs for his dedicated fan base. 

To learn more, check out our Neil Young quotes below. 

Short Neil Young quotes about true love and music 

Check out these short and sweet Neil Young quotes. 

1. “Holding back is so close to stealing.” — Neil Young

2. “True love opens the gates of time.” — Neil Young

3. “If you wanna write a song, ask a guitar” — Neil Young

4. “If you follow every dream, you might get lost.” — Neil Young

5. “Learning from other people is what music is all about.” — Neil Young

The top Neil Young quotes about seeing the big picture

Below Neil addresses everything from art to our planet. 

6. “There’s more to a picture than meets the eye.” — Neil Young

7. “Listen to your own voice. Don’t listen to someone else’s.” — Neil Young

8. “It’s going to take a lot of love to make things work outright.” — Neil Young

9. “As you go through life, you’ve got to see the valleys as well as the peaks.” — Neil Young

10. “Respect Mother Earth and her giving ways or trade away our children’s days.” — Neil Young

Famous Neil Young quotes about the best way to live

Neil has been around for a while; here are some of his observations on improving our quality of life. 

11. “There’s something ahead worth fighting for.” — Neil Young

12. “One good thing about the past is that you can’t change it.” — Neil Young

13. “Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle for where we’re going.” — Neil Young

14. “The only thing you can change is right now and what’s happening next.” — Neil Young

15. “To me, the way to live is to always move forward; to keep searching for whatever it is that interests you.” — Neil Young

Neil Young quotes and sayings to live by

Check out these interesting quotes from Neil. 

16. “It’s better to burn out, than to fade away.” — Neil Young

17. “I’ve always been better moving than I am standing still.” — Neil Young

18. “Some get stoned, some get strange, but sooner or later it all gets real.” — Neil Young

19. “For whatever you’re doing, for your creative juices, your geography’s got a hell of a lot to do with it.” — Neil Young

20. “You really have to be in a good place, and then you have to be either on your way there or on your way from there.” — Neil Young

The best Neil Young quotes about corporations and vinyl

Find out why Neil Young is a stickler for vinyl records below. 

21. “Corporations don’t have children.” — Neil Young

22. “The record companies have figured out that people want vinyl.” — Neil Young

23. “Steve Jobs was a digital pioneer, but when he went home, he listened to vinyl.” — Neil Young

24. “A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realize that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl.” — Neil Young

25. “And they’re only making CD masters in digital, so all the new products that come out on vinyl are actually CDs on vinyl, which is really nothing but a fashion statement.” — Neil Young

Be like Neil, keep loving, and keep rocking

Neil Young is an optimist who believes in love. 

He once reminded us about the power of love, noting:

“Love and only love will endure. Hate is everything you think it is. Love and only love will break it down.”

What is your favorite Neil Young song?

Be sure to let us know in the comments below.