Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 "Afraid...a man feels afraid..." So emotionally raw and appropriate. Wonder why he changed the lyric on Harvest? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Probably the same reason Elliott Smith took "I must make it through this afternoon" and made it "All day on easter afternoon". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
owl Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Probably the same reason Elliott Smith took "I must make it through this afternoon" and made it "All day on easter afternoon".Are there any recorded versions of the alternate ES lyric? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Yeah, I'd YSI but I don't know if that's allowed... cause it was the b-side to the Pretty Ugly Before 7" he released just before he died. It's better lyrically and it's got some cool keys on it but nothing beats the production on the album version. Double tracked drums? Heck yes! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamin' Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 "Afraid...a man feels afraid..." So emotionally raw and appropriate. Wonder why he changed the lyric on Harvest?I always skip past "A Man Needs A Maid" on Harvest, but it's one of my favourite performances on Massey Hall. Neil should have left that line alone because it reveals a deeper meaning. ... Or maybe that's why he took it out. (I've always thought the Robin Hood explanation was highly suspect. ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I always skip past "A Man Needs A Maid" on Harvest, but it's one of my favourite performances on Massey Hall. Neil should have left that line alone because it reveals a deeper meaning. ... Or maybe that's why he took it out.I skip that one too. I heard it on the radio the other day, and thought: Of all the Neil Young songs they could be playing...Without all that orchestration plus the added benefit of the lyric change, I look forward to hearing the Massey Hall version. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Willkoman Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 "Afraid...a man feels afraid..." So emotionally raw and appropriate. Wonder why he changed the lyric on Harvest? I was shocked and brought to the edge the first time I heard the Massey Hall version. It's one of my very favorite Neil moments now. Maybe he wasn't prepared to let so much of his inner Neil to be seen for all of eternity on vinyl back then. I've never once to my knowledge skipped the Harvest version, I'm quite fond of it. I have run into a lady or two who didn't share my same fondness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 I was shocked and brought to the edge the first time I heard the Massey Hall version. It's one of my very favorite Neil moments now. Maybe he wasn't prepared to let so much of his inner Neil to be seen for all of eternity on vinyl back then. I've never once to my knowledge skipped the Harvest version, I'm quite fond of it. I have run into a lady or two who didn't share my same fondness. Sweet Fancy Moses...here I am resonding to a response to my original thread...I need to get a life. Maybe the reinforcement of the 'Afraid...a man feels afraid' was a little too overt for Neil. The context was always there...and maybe he wasn't afraid anymore when he recorded it. (I always understood the 'Maid' line to be in the context of a married woman...in other words...a wife.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Ah! I just listened to it. This was always my least favorite tune on Harvest but this solo version with the different lyrics is really haunting.Also I think the highlight, at least for me, is when Neil says "I wrote this song in Vancouver" and three people applaud. Oh Toronto! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamin' Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Neil says "I wrote this song in Vancouver" and three people applaud. Oh Toronto! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thermocaster Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Ah! I just listened to it. This was always my least favorite tune on Harvest but this solo version with the different lyrics is really haunting.Also I think the highlight, at least for me, is when Neil says "I wrote this song in Vancouver" and three people applaud. Oh Toronto! How on earth could "A Man Needs a Maid" be inferior to "There's a World"? Granted, both suffer from the same problems (over-orchestration), but at least there's a decent song underneath in "Maid". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Ummm I guess I just always preferred "There's a World"? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thermocaster Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Ummm I guess I just always preferred "There's a World"? Fair enough. Sorry, I overreacted. "There's a World" has always been my least favorite NY song, and there aren't many NY songs that I even partially dislike from that era. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 To be fair, I never really liked either of those songs from Harvest. But probably disliked 'Maid' more cause it interrupts the "Out on the Weekend" - "Harvest" - "Heart of Gold" country vibe. But you're right, there is a good song underneath it, as I realized today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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