Neil Young speaks about Failure, Songwriting and Doubt

"Be sure to welcome failure!" Some advices from musician Neil Young to young filmmakers. Together with filmmaker Jonathan Demme in a rare public dialogue at the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival.

[@musikiev]

Shakespeare said it well: "Pain pays the income of every precious thing".

[@musikiev]

Obrigado dear Cora~

[@MikeKelsoJr]

Yes he’s right sometimes I get songs or thoughts of songs ! I record them as fast as I can cuz if you don’t there gone !!👍🎸🎤

[@Deliquescentinsight]

Yep, 'failure' is not a disaster unless we refuse to learn from it - otherwise it is a navigation tool, it lets you see the way forward!

[@jpkatz1435]

At best.

[@vickielee9213]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY NEIL YOUNG HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY COUNSELOR & THERAPIST THROUGH THIS LIFETIME, VERY WISE MAN & GREAT SPIRIT, MAY THE ALMIGHTY SPIRIT BLESS & KEEP YOU & YOURS NEIL, LOVE YOU ALWAYS ✌💞🕊

[@claygainey8684]

really, wow. Ok

[@ProfessorTime]

Sage advice. Youngsters, take notes.

[@gordonm.7387]

It's easy to fail. Success isn't that great either. What is good is laughter. Tell your own story. "Where the eagle glides ascending there's an ancient river bending..." - Neil

[@marissadower-morgan3313]

no one can say when a relationship is over but the people involved , judge not lest ye be judged

[@Purpleskyshorizon]

He is such a down to earth guy. God bless Neil!

[@errorsofmodernism9715]

This is a contradiction. Neil does not believe in God yet you ask something that he does not believe exists to bless him?

[@claygainey8684]

meh

[@artvallejos1460]

Don't Cry No Tears.

[@musicrelic8958]

Neil! You gotta' quit sugarcoating this stuff!! Give it to the people STRAIGHT! Don't mince words and try to be so PC!!!! Awesome advice in this! Truly is!

[@paulyuellig6711]

I have a song that sat in a box for many years. It was in that box because I could not get it right (musically). There were doubts, yes but not because of the song but because I wanted it to come immediately and it wouldn't, it wouldn't "finish". Years later, sometime prior to recording my first CD, 'TIS OF THEE (now, on KZbin in its entirety) I pulled it from the box to see if it would finish. Long story short, it did; it finished--not because IT was weak but because I had been weak when I wrote it years before. I had later on, developed musically and creatively...or, maybe my muse felt its time had come and IT finished the song through me. It's called "Rollingstone"...go to KZbin, search Allus Cats and see if you think it was worth the wait....

[@andyedden7195]

Hey man, I checked it out and thought it was a really sweet song, the banjo and the accordion roll by so gorgeously like the wind, it's got an effortless groove and made me think of the grateful dead. Hope you keep creating and wishing you all the best

[@rmartin7558]

Great advice.

[@DylTyrril]

You are the man, Neil!

[@miked7295]

This is actually helpfull to me as a beginner. Thanks Neil. :)

[@SPAC3MANxSPL1FF]

he means "the film" meaning "the movie", meaning your life story, your journey with whatever you do with your life. Hes talking in psychedelic terms. "Ken Kesey used to always say, "Stay in your own movie". At least I think thats what Neil is referring to.

[@jeremyg7972]

He means film as in film because he's talking to aspiring filmmakers at the Sundance film festival

[@josephcharbonneau8740]

Awesome advice TY so much!!! 😍

[@zigzagz_8423]

He's so serious.

[@ponzo1967]

What a great musician to still have around in 2020

[@revolvermaster4939]

Yeah, advocates cancellation and censorship for people he disagrees with while singing rocking in the free world. He’s a communist moron and a southern man don’t need him around anyhow!

[@artvallejos1460]

@@revolvermaster4939 ok karen, since you don't like Neil Young why then did you click on this video.

[@revolvermaster4939]

@@artvallejos1460 I used to until he became a cheerleader for the establishment

[@artvallejos1460]

@@revolvermaster4939 Don't Cry No Tears Around Me.

[@revolvermaster4939]

@@artvallejos1460 not crying Art, just pointing out this Marxist for his hypocrisy

[@stageactor1958]

I love Neil. What a mind.

[@theefguitars]

This man shook my hand

[@jliz6435]

Good advice Neil 😀

[@frodoggbooboo]

Wise words.

[@jrpipik]

No one else matters: the Neil Young motto.

[@filograves6669]

Thank you thank you thank you

[@heidyflores5495]

Thank you!!

[@propjoe1060]

Neil is a genius

[@veronicayoung8737]

Thankyou!

[@lucienmontandon8003]

I love neil and his music but i dont have the same opinion about doubt. I am a producer and artist and i think doubt is something really important. It isn't something bad. if you don't have any doubt about your work, than it hasn't a value for yourself. Don't let doubt destroy yourself but i take it as a big indicator that something is important for myself. If you start singing and never would have any doubt about your lyrics or vocals, than you will never progress, because it is important to you to be a good singer so you doubt. listen to steven pressfield the war of art. Wonderful book about life, art and creation process. on the other hand i can understand what he means. Maybe there are many forms of doubting something...

[@michaelneary888neary7]

i think it depends on word usage , i imagine Niel would say that he is it not "happy" about a vocal or a song or lyrics, but doubt is some thing else... if he doubts its value then he don't do it.

[@lovehategoddie]

The most prolific Canadian solo artist of all time. A fountainhead of folk rock from 1968 to 1973.

[@vinayseth1114]

But isn't it important to listen to your doubt, just as you would listen to the ideas to be put into a song?

[@sirfrancisdrake4285]

Feets don't fail me now.

[@brittdavid8591]

Thanks Neil......................chs

[@pappyprimetime7510]

RIP

[@dr.daverobbo2407]

Every Song has its Season: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3LRiIeCe66Ff5I Enjoy

[@idivpizdu9530]

Neil,Youre in the very highest tier of singer songwriters,the very very highest.Gee the air must be thin up there...yup theres john lennon....at least you have good company....

[@TheFossie12]

Yea that's true idiv but at least it's not crowded like the bottom. There's plenty of room up there.....

[@jpkatz1435]

@@TheFossie12 Yup, he's the one on the stage, we're in the nose bleed seats.

[@patm5086]

i'm doubting what he preaches. am i a failure

[@ktpinnacle]

How does he define "failure?"

[@sandrablake7948]

I wish we could vote Neil Young for POTUS!

[@idivpizdu9530]

@john sokoloff you mean obrigada,if youre talking to a female,non??...

[@idivpizdu9530]

Neil,youre a genius.Youll always be a genius.Theres very very few as prolific and as good as you.Crosby is a mile beneath but graham nash and steven stills are tied at 20 miles beneath.What a joke those wankers are.

[@michaelwheeler3782]

Stills is brilliant as well

[@jpkatz1435]

Those other guys werent/ aren't a joke, but they didn't write "Ohio" N. Y. did. That puts him in a whole different league.

[@simo_hayha4917]

Are you going to talk about cancelling yourself. I've never heard of Neil Young ever after he failed to take down Joe Rogan

[@artvallejos1460]

rogan feeds bugs and worms to people. Neil makes music.

[@patm5086]

rock stars. is there anything they dont know?

[@jpkatz1435]

Remember, just 1 guys opinion, even if it is N. Y. Pat, love this comment!

[@patm5086]

@@jpkatz1435 I got my comment from hme

[@patm5086]

Homer Simpson

[@patm5086]

@@jpkatz1435 I met Neil when he was recording "comes a time" album in ft Lauderdale,my stomping grounds for 70 years. This was 1978. He liked a blues singer that played Johnny D's on power line road. Her name was Big Mama Blu. Neil was hanging at the bar one night and I spoke with him for awhile. It was an after hours place open til 4:00 AM. I went there to wind down after gigs that need at 2:00. Anyway, Neil flagged me over to his old Lincoln , opened the trunk and gave me a test pressing complete with Reprise orange labels. Very rough mixes of Neil and I hear CSN singing too. I still have it. Neil came to places we played as well in ft Lauderdale . We ,being The Ross Emery Band played a place called The Wooden Spoon and saw Neil and friends there a few times. It's freaky playing when famous musicians are in the crowd. In 1972 I was in a band that played The Flying Machine when one night Badfinger were all standing at stages edge checkin' us out. Surreal

[@artvallejos1460]

@@patm5086 Sounds Awesome.

[@georgiethumbs2438]

It seems like he is talking more about film than songwriting

[@kimberlydelrey]

Georgie Thumbs or life in general

[@lenr7137]

I love Neil but he seems to contradict himself here. First he says don’t fear failure and then he says if you feel doubt abandon what you’re doing.

[@Ac0ustics0ul]

He's talking about failure in terms of how other people are going to view you, or where your venture may take you financially/ socially.. he's saying not to doubt yourself for those same reasons. But, if you're going to doubt yourself in terms of inner, personal, and spiritual intuition, or what you really don't think is right for you in an artistic sense, then yeah, get the hell outta there

[@dilnaylomogorhaiyee1450]

Piece of debris… we all know which side you stand on…

[@m.hughes2521]

Neil Young used to be cool and then along came trump.

[@lanejangula7650]

Gee Neil, looks like you got them all fooled . When the fallen angels present themselves as the saviours of mankind, will you be seduced