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"The Old Laughing Lady"
Song by Neil Young
from the album Neil Young
ReleasedNovember 12, 1968 (1968-11-12)
Recorded1968
Length5:58
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Neil Young
Producer(s)

"The Old Laughing Lady" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1968 debut solo album Neil Young.

Music and lyrics

Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald describes "The Old Laughing Lady" as a "striking mood piece." [1] He describes the music as being "built on some simple, downcast chord changes, in a modal D guitar tuning," which he says gives the song depth and grandeur. [1] Music critic Johnny Rogan describes the song's use of string instruments and a "ghostly girl chorus" as giving it an "eerie effect." [2]

Young biographer Jimmy McDonough remarks on the song's "sweet, sad countermelodies passing from strings to French horn with beautiful restraint." [3] According to music critic Nigel Williamson, the production by Jack Nitzsche helps give the song a sense of mystery. [4] The song contains four verses but no refrain. [5] The changes in mood and tone over the course of the song are reminiscent of Young's earlier song " Broken Arrow" that he wrote and performed as a member of Buffalo Springfield. [6]

Rolling Stone Magazine critic Gary Von Tersch considers "The Old Laughing Lady" to be the more effective of the two, because he considers it to be "tighter, more mature and [have] more of the quiet explosion to it that Young obviously intends. [6]

The themes of "The Old Laughing Lady" include love, death, alcoholism and alienation. [1] [7] The old laughing lady of the title can be a metaphor for either death or alcohol. [2] [4] [8] The song describes how the old laughing lady affects the lives of those she interacts with. [5]

Writing and recording

"The Old Laughing Lady" was written earlier than most of the songs on Neil Young. According to Young, he wrote it one day on a napkin while drinking coffee in a coffee shop without knowing what prompted it. [3] [8] A version was recorded by Buffalo Springfield for their 1968 album Last Time Around in January 1968. [1] [4]

An even earlier version was tried out during the sessions for Buffalo Springfield's earlier album Buffalo Springfield Again. [4] In the version on Neil Young, Nitzsche used a vocal muting technique that makes Young sound "a million miles away, but right there." [3]

Reception

Neil Young FAQ author Glen Boyd described "The Old Laughing Lady" as having "stood the test of time" since Neil Young was released. [9] Pitchfork contributor Mark Richardson describes the song as having "echoes of the great music to come" from Young's later career. [10] In 2014 the editors of Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it as Young's 63rd all time greatest song , describing it as "California psychedelia with the sun sucked out." [8]

Young included "The Old Laughing Lady" on his 1977 compilation album Decade. [2] [11] A live version was released on Young's 1993 album Unplugged, although Rogan felt that version lacked the mystery and sadness of the original. [2] [5] [12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Greenwald, Matthew. "The Old Laughing Lady". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  2. ^ a b c d Rogan, Johnny (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. Omnibus Press. p. 13. ISBN  978-0711953994.
  3. ^ a b c McDonough, Jimmy (2003). Shakey: Neil Young's Biography. Anchor. pp. 136, 294. ISBN  9780679750963.
  4. ^ a b c d Williamson, N. (2002). Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young. Hal Leonard. p. 22. ISBN  9780879307417.
  5. ^ a b c Bielen, Ken (2008). The Words and Music of Neil Young. Praeger. pp. 8–9. ISBN  9780275999025.
  6. ^ a b Von Tersch, Gary (April 5, 1969). "Neil Young". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  7. ^ Downing, D. (1994). A Dreamer of Pictures: Neil Young, the Man and His Music. Da Capo. p. 46. ISBN  9780306806117.
  8. ^ a b c "The 100 Greatest Songs". Neil Young. Rolling Stone. 2014. p. 88.
  9. ^ Boyd, Glen (2012). Neil Young FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Iconic and Mercurial Rocker. Backbeat Books. p. 30. ASIN  B008RYZ7WM.
  10. ^ Richardson, Mark (December 11, 2009). "Neil Young". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  11. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Decade". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  12. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Unplugged". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
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