Monday, February 14, 1972

Neil Young “The Needle and the Damage Done” released on Harvest

The Needle and the Damage Done

Neil Young

Writer(s): Neil Young (see lyrics here)

Released: February 14, 1972 (album cut on Harvest)

Released: April 17, 1972 (B-side of “Old Man”)

First Charted: July 17, 1993

Peak: 7 CL, 75 UK, 3 DF (Click for codes to charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 36.37 video, 47.68 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Neil Young’s fourth solo album, Harvest, was his best seller, hitting four million in sales in the U.S. and topping the Billboard album chart. In addition to the #1 song “Heart of Gold,” the album featured “Old Man” and “The Needle and the Damage Done.” The latter wasn’t released as a single, but was the B-side for “Old Man” and would eventually chart in 1993 when it was featured on Young’s Unplugged album. It was also featured on the 1977 Decade compilation and 2004’s Greatest Hits.

“The Needle” is “one of his most powerful songs to date.” ^AS Musician Debra Devi called it “one of the most perfect songs ever written.” ^DD It deals with Young’s first-hand observation of drug abuse, painting a "picture of the destructive patterns he witnessed.” ^AS “The song is one of the most famous anti-heroin songs because it is so simple and direct.” ^TC “Young was not used to being so prosaic in his lyrics, but when he does he’s very forceful.” ^TC

Young recorded a live version of the song in January 1971 at the University of California ^SF which featured him singing and playing acoustic guitar. This was the version featured on Harvest. ^WK He wrote it about Danny Whitten, his friend and bandmate in Crazy Horse, who was “spiraling from the effects of heroin addiction.” ^AS Young had to fire him when the band went on tour in 1971 because Whitten was so high he couldn’t hold up his guitar during rehearsals. ^SF

Whitten died from a drug overdose that year, although it was after the song was released. Young said, “I felt responsible. But really there was nothing I could do. I mean, he was responsible. But I thought I was for a long time. Danny just wasn't happy. It just all came down on him. He was engulfed by this drug. That was too bad. Because Danny had a lot to give.” ^SF

Gregg Allman, Tori Amos, Jake Bugg, Pete Doherty, Duran Duran, Green River, Dave Matthews, Our Lady Peace, the Pretenders, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Seether, Simple Minds, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam are among those who have covered the song.