About The Song
“Old Man” is a folk-rock song written and recorded by Neil Young for his sixth studio album, Harvest, released on February 1, 1972, by Reprise Records. Issued as the album’s second single in April 1972, with “The Needle and the Damage Done” as the B-side, it peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 3, 1972, spending nine weeks on the chart, and reached No. 42 in Canada. The album topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks, hit No. 1 in the UK, Australia, and Canada, and was certified 4x platinum by the RIAA. “Old Man” was one of two Top 40 hits from Harvest, alongside “Heart of Gold” (No. 1).
Recorded in February 1971 at Quadrafonic Sound Studios in Nashville, the track was produced by Young and Elliot Mazer. It features Young on acoustic guitar and vocals, backed by The Stray Gators: James Taylor on banjo and backing vocals, Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals, Ben Keith on pedal steel, Tim Drummond on bass, and Kenny Buttrey on drums. The song’s spare arrangement and introspective lyrics reflect on aging and shared human needs, inspired by Louis Avila, the elderly caretaker of Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California, purchased in 1970. Young, then 24, wrote it after Avila remarked on their similar dreams despite their age gap, as Young told Rolling Stone in 1972.
Young composed “Old Man” during a fertile period, writing much of Harvest while recovering from a back injury that limited his electric guitar playing, per Rhino’s archives. The song’s creation was spontaneous, recorded in one session with Taylor and Ronstadt, who were in Nashville for a Johnny Cash Show taping, adding harmonies on the spot, as Mazer recalled in Songfacts. Its banjo riff, suggested by Taylor, gave it a rustic edge, analyzed in American Songwriter. Young debuted it live at a February 1971 BBC Radio performance, later released on Live at Massey Hall 1971. The song’s simple chord progression and universal theme resonated widely, though Young later called it “too personal” in a 1988 Mojo interview.
Covers include Lizz Wright’s 2008 jazz version, The Wailin’ Jennys’ 2011 folk take, and Redlight King’s 2011 rock cover (No. 18 Billboard Rock Songs). The song appeared in films like Due Date (2010) and TV shows like Californication (2007). Young performed it consistently, including at his 1971 Toronto Massey Hall show and 2016 Desert Trip festival. Its recording process, detailed in Stereogum, involved minimal overdubs to preserve its raw feel. The track’s B-side, recorded live at UCLA in 1971, showcased Young’s solo acoustic style. “Old Man” remains a staple of Young’s catalog, with no notable controversies or chart rivals, per Billboard.
Video
Lyric
Old man, look at my life
I’m a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I’m a lot like you wereOld man, look at my life
Twenty-four and there’s so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of twoLove lost, such a cost
Give me things that don’t get lost
Like a coin that won’t get tossed
Rolling home to youOld man, take a look at my life, I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that’s trueLullabies, look in your eyes
Run around the same old town
Doesn’t mean that much to me
To mean that much to youI’ve been first and last
Look at how the time goes past
But I’m all alone at last
Rolling home to youOld man, take a look at my life, I’m a lot like you
I need someone to love me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that’s trueOld man, look at my life
I’m a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I’m a lot like you were