Heart of Gold
I can't wait for this song to hit. Anybody heard it? When I think of Neil, I think of him playing in the laundromat where he dug in at age 19 after dad Scott kicked him out of the Etobicoke home for smoking pot. I think of him playing later in the Village defining himself. I think of the concert in Buffalo when he turned the stadium upside down with a short anti war speech right after carlos santana played. A sudden a rush of Neil inspired emotion spreading like a wave through a crowd turning violent. I think of how he sped his words to print in 1970 and with one song catalyzed the youth of an entire nation into motion. I think of Neil sounding the battle call that finally ended a needless war and broke the back of a corrupt US Government.
I think of Neil capturing the ideas, thoughts and feelings of an entire generation of our people. A strong voice echoing the great Canadian wilderness, a phenomena and spirit he somehow musically captured.
Neil sang about our Canada during our time. His feelings and ideas where also my feelings and ideas, and likewise the ideas of all my friends too. He rendered an era into song, threading the needle that stitched together our impressions of life. If you don't share that time, maybe try instead to appreciate the wonder of a strong Canadian voice connecting all the other voices of his time into one very powerful chord.