The song “Old Man” first appeared in 1972 by Neil Young. Harvest album. With its punchy, poorly plucked acoustic guitar, high tenor lead vocal, and overall folksy sound and feel, “Old Man” has become one of Neil Young’s most memorable tunes. What was the inspiration behind this song and which famous musicians lent their talents to create this musical masterpiece?
“Old Man”, which peaked at no. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1972, opens with Young singing, “Man, look at my life, I’m a lot like you.” As listeners, we immediately find ourselves wondering about the old man’s identity. Was it Young’s father? grandfather? Of course, there is always the possibility that the “old man” is a metaphor and there really is no such thing as an old man per se. However, we have now learned that there was, in fact, a specific old man to whom Young was singing.
In 1970, Neil Young purchased the Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California. Apparently it is the caretaker of this ranch who is the subject of this song. In Young’s recent concert film Heart of Gold, he introduces “Old Man” by saying, “About that time, when I wrote Heart of Gold and I was on tour, I also had, you know, being a rich hippie for the first time. “I had bought a ranch, and I still live there today. And there was a couple that lived on it who were the caretakers, an old gentleman named Louis Avila and his wife Clara. And there was an old blue Jeep there, and Louis gave me he took me for a ride in this blue Jeep. He takes me up there on top of the place, and there’s a lake up there that fed all the pastures, and he says, “Well, tell me, how does a young man like you do, do you have enough money to buy a place like this?” And I said, “Well, good luck, Louie, best of luck.” And he said, “Well, that’s the most amazing song I’ve ever heard for him.”
Of course, knowing what we know now makes it much easier to understand the rest of the song’s lyrics, which include: “Old look at my life, twenty-four and there’s so much more. Live alone in a paradise that makes me think of two.” “. . Lost love, such a cost, give me things that are not lost. Like a coin that won’t be tossed, rolling home to you.”
Mystery solved. Which brings us to the question about the supporting artists of this classic song. The album’s liner notes confirm that singer/songwriter James Taylor played six-string banjo (with guitar tunings) and sang backing vocals on the song. Singer Linda Ronstadt also added her signature voice. This combination of mega talent of the day explains the unmistakable “sound” of the song. Young’s blend of raw singing and guitar playing is perfectly balanced by the sweet vocals and musical touches provided by Taylor and Ronstadt.
With a perfect combination of theme, strong (and haunting) melody, effective playing, and guest appearances by singers James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, “Old Man” remains one of Neil Young’s best songs.