Album: After The Gold Rush (1970)

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Songfacts®:

• In describing "Don't Let it Bring You Down," Young said, ""Here is a new song. It's guaranteed to bring you right down, It's called 'Don't Let It Bring You Down.' It sorta starts off real slow and then fizzles out altogether."
  
  Young's statement is a humorous, self-deprecating take on a song that's lived a long, healthy life among fans and musicians alike. It was never released as a single, but Young never concerned himself with radio hits.
  
  The song's chorus appears to be encouraging, imploring listeners to find "someone who's turning" and get over all those unimportant "castles burning." Young's voice, the music, and the rest of the lyrics, though, suggest that the chorus is ironic, if not outright sarcastic.
  
  The rest of the song features an old man dying (and then dead) on the side of the road, a "blue moon sinking from the weight of the load," and various other images of despair. The song's general ambiance fits with the general melancholic feel of After The Gold Rush.
• The song uses a variation of D-modal tuning, or DADGAD. It's a popular technique in classic Irish music. Young liked the drone of the resulting sound.
  
  Other songs using this technique include "Ohio," When You Dance I Can Really Love," and "Cinnamon Girl."
  
  In Young's variation, according to HyperRush, it's CGCFAC, described as, "A combination of 'Dropped Standard' and 'Double Dropped D.' All strings are tuned down a tone/step, and then the 1st and 6th are tuned down another tone."
• Sting, Victoria Williams, and Annie Lennox have all covered this song (Lennox's version can be heard in the American Beauty film but is not included in the soundtrack). Guns N' Roses performed it during their Appetite for Democracy residency in Vegas.

Comments: 11

• David Sanders from Houston, TexasI noticed that Neil Young starts this song with the words “Old Man” as he does in the song “Old Man, take a look at my life”. Does Neil use the words “old man” in any other of his songs that he wrote?
• Gnarshhh from StlOptimalaca, the line you are talking about is from the live album "4 Way Street" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
• Alex from Slc, UtThe mentioned preface to the song as stated by young can be found on the album “4 way street” by CSNY
• Optimalaca from Las VegasThis has been driving me crazy. Anyone know which album has the live version where he actually says "Here is a new song. It's guaranteed to bring you right down, It's called 'Don't Let It Bring You Down.' It sorta starts off real slow and then fizzles out altogether."?
• Steve from UsaWhite cane lion. lions club established white canes in 1921 pertaining blind people, hence, white cane lion.
• Steve Dotwood from BelgiumMemphisbelle from Memphis, I totally agree. When I heard it for the first time, and still.
• Shari Mills from Fullerton CaWoke up an hour with Don't Let it Bring You Down in my brain. Wanted to revisit the lyrics and I found this site. Also learned that tomorrow is Neil's birthday. The universal "a little bird told me a secret" must have flown over my house. Rock on Mr. Young
• Mig from Ellwood City Pa.I WAS a child when Neil went solo, but thankfully my best bud had older brothers who turned me on to NEIL I'm now 52 and still love NEIL!
• Gábor from Székesfehérvár@Memphisbelle from Memphis, Tn: absolutely! one of my favorites from Neil
• Larry from Philadelphia I am a musician and I find The chord changes for this tune to be very unusual for pop music. Great song.
• Memphisbelle from Memphis, TnOne of Neil's finest. Y'all agree?

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