Neil Young's Time Fades Away (Release it again, Neil!)

With Greendale, Neil Young proved he is absolutely no nostalgia act. Not that there was even a bit of a chance. Here are the lyrics to Don't Be Denied on his 1973 record Time Fades Away. This record has never been released on CD and has been criminally out of print for decades now. I have always loved it, and admit it is one of the few bootlegs I own. . . Not only does it contain the great title track, but also a beautiful ballad, The Bridge, and Don't Be Denied...one of the rawest and most ragged tunes he ever released (but great nonetheless).

It was almost an act of insanity to release it. Virtually no one but The Grateful Dead had ever released a live album of unreleased material. The recordings are murky, dark and erratic, and you can hear mike bumps and other mistakes. This (along with Tonight's The Night) shows an artist poised on the brink of disaster...almost publicly unraveling. Neil has said it is the worst record he ever made (ergo he has not re-released it).

Explaining his direction on those two albums, and on On The Beach, he said:

"Heart of Gold put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon became a bore so I headed for the ditch."

Don't Be Denied

When I was a young boy,
My mama said to me
Your daddy's leavin' home today,
I think he's gone to stay.
We packed up all our bags
And drove out to Winnipeg.

When we got to Winnipeg
I checked in to school.
I wore white bucks on my feet,
When I learned the golden rule.
The punches came fast and hard
Lying on my back
in the school yard.

Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Don't be denied, don't be denied.

Well pretty soon I met a friend,
He played guitar.
We used to sit
on the steps at school
And dream of being stars.
We started a band,
We played all night.

Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Don't be denied, don't be denied.

Oh Canada
We played all night
I really hate to leave you now
But to stay just wouldn't be right.
Down in Hollywood
We played so good

The businessmen crowded around
They came to hear the golden sound
There we were on the Sunset Strip,
Playing our songs
for the highest bid.
We played all night
The price was right.

Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Don't be denied, don't be denied.
Don't be denied, don't be denied.

Well, all that glitters isn't gold
I know you've heard
that story told.
And I'm a pauper
in a naked disguise
A millionaire
through a business man's eyes.
Oh friend of mine
Don't be denied.
---o0o---