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"Harvest"
Song by Neil Young
from the album Harvest
ReleasedFebruary 1, 1972
RecordedApril 1971
Genre Country rock
Length3:11
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s)Neil Young
Producer(s) Elliot Mazer, Neil Young

"Harvest" is a song written by Neil Young that was the title song of his 1972 album Harvest.

Music and lyrics

"Harvest" is a slow country dance tune. [1] [2] It has a slow tempo, and Uncut magazine contributor Graeme Thomson describes it as having a "calm, strangely hypnotic quality." [3] Young is backed on the song by the Stray Gators, with the addition of John Harris on piano. [2] [4] The piano plays a prominent role in the instrumentation. [4] Sound on Sound editor Sam Inglis describes the drumming as "minimalist," with drummer Kenny Buttrey using only one hand and playing only the snare drum and bass drum. [4]

The lyrics of "Harvest" are obscure. [4] Music critic Johnny Rogan describes the lyrics as presenting rhetorical questions about a relationship with a woman. [5] To Rogan, the singer wonders how much love he will receive from the relationship and the extent to which we will be able to accept – or harvest – that love. [5] Music journalist Nigel Williamson regards the lyrics as reflecting Young's "inability to accept happiness at face value." [2] Williamson sees the refrain of "Dream up, dream up/Let me fill your cup" as another reference to the "harvest" in the title. [2] Another interpretation of the lyrics is that they reflect the passage of time. [1] Yet another interpretation is that the lyrics are about "maturing out of adolescence." [6] Young biographer Jimmy McDonough interprets lyrics such as "Did she wake you up to tell you that/It was only a change of plan" as referring to his then mother-in-law's previous suicide attempts. [4] [7] Inglis also interprets the line "Did I see you down in a young girl's town/With your mother in so much pain" as referring to this situation. [4] Young biographer David Downing feels that the song works like a dream, being "so full of recognition, yet so short on sense." [8]

Young has stated that this song, as well as " Out on the Weekend" and " Heart of Gold" from the same album, were inspired by his then blossoming love for actress Carrie Snodgress. [9]

Recording

"Harvest" was recorded in April 1971. [7] Unlike most of the songs on Harvest, which required a lot of mixing work, the released version of "Harvest" is a live two-track mix. [4]

Reception

Inglis describes "Harvest" as one of Young's best confessional songs where he expresses his guilt about being unable accept and reciprocate all the love that a woman wants to give him. [4] Thomson describes "Harvest" as "underrated" and "the prettiest song on [Harvest]." [3] Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald described it as having a "retrained, artless grace that is truly timeless." [1] McDonough regards it as "the one truly great moment on Harvest." [7] In 2014 the editors of Rolling Stone Magazine described "Harvest" as a "lesser-known gem." [10] On the other hand, in his initial review of the Harvest album, Rolling Stone Magazine critic John Mendelsohn criticized the Stray Gators playing as a "flaccid imitation" of Young's other backing band of the period, Crazy Horse. [11]

Young himself declared that "'Harvest' is one of my best songs. That is the best thing on Harvest." [7] [10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Greenwald, Matthew. "Harvest". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  2. ^ a b c d Williamson, N. (2002). Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young. Hal Leonard. p. 39. ISBN  9780879307417.
  3. ^ a b Thomson, Graeme (2017). "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere". The Ultimate Music Guide: Neil Young. Uncut. p. 24.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Inglis, Sam (2004). Harvest. Continuum. pp. 76–79. ISBN  9780826414953.
  5. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. Omnibus Press. p. 38. ISBN  978-0711953994.
  6. ^ Bielen, Ken (2008). The Words and Music of Neil Young. Praeger. p. 21. ISBN  9780275999025.
  7. ^ a b c d McDonough, Jimmy (2003). Shakey: Neil Young's Biography. Anchor. pp. 299–302, 739. ISBN  9780679750963.
  8. ^ Downing, D. (1994). A Dreamer of Pictures: Neil Young, the Man and His Music. Da Capo. pp. 87–88. ISBN  9780306806117.
  9. ^ Neil Young (February 1, 2022). Neil Young Radio. Sirius XM.
  10. ^ a b "The 100 Greatest Songs". Neil Young. Rolling Stone. 2014. p. 88.
  11. ^ Mendelsohn, John (March 30, 1972). "Harvest". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
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