Neil Young — Cowgirl In The Sand (live acoustic)
Album: Four Way Street (CSN&Y)Avg rating:
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Total ratings: 1958
Length: 3:50
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Hello cowgirl in the sand
Is this place
at your command
Can I stay here
for a while
Can I see your
sweet sweet smile
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same?
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game.
Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band
begun to rust
After all
the sin we've had
I was hopin' that
we'd turn bad
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game.
Hello woman of my dreams
This is not
the way it seems
Purple words
on a grey background
To be a woman
and to be turned down
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game.
Is this place
at your command
Can I stay here
for a while
Can I see your
sweet sweet smile
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same?
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game.
Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band
begun to rust
After all
the sin we've had
I was hopin' that
we'd turn bad
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game.
Hello woman of my dreams
This is not
the way it seems
Purple words
on a grey background
To be a woman
and to be turned down
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game.
Comments (82)add comment
Re listening to the album - I think this version is better than the original Neil Young album version back in 1969!! OMG - that long ago! One forgets Gold Rush was his 'break-through' album in 1970!!
kjf06 wrote:
Me too!
And I just had enjoy the album when it came out!
Me too!
And I just had enjoy the album when it came out!
Jelani wrote:
Too funny and true!
This song must be really confusing to kids these days.
Too funny and true!
RParadise wrote:
Me too!
I was there in the Chicago Auditorium and it was raw and immediate. Great concert.
Me too!
This has always been my favorite version of my favorite song from my favorite musician. Neil's unique voice was at its peak at this time. Perfection.
dickmahoon wrote:
Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band
begun to rust
It's funny, I've listened to this song hundreds of times and only today made the connection.
Rust Never Sleeps.
insert mind blown emogi
Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band
begun to rust
It's funny, I've listened to this song hundreds of times and only today made the connection.
Rust Never Sleeps.
insert mind blown emogi
LOVE this one. Thanks, William!
Gentlemen! I must retire from Radio Paradise for now to listen to this album and it’s entirety! An absolute 10 throughout my history. Thank you very much Bill for reminding me of this wonderful wonderful wonderful album! Merry Christmas to everybody!
There are several iconic artists that I have a tendency to skip (if I can) when their music comes on. Mr. Young is one, normally. However, gems like Cowgirl or Powder Finger, I will absorb the music, the lyrics, the voice as an instrument. Some things are just too damn good.
Old enough now
to change your name
When so many love you
is it the same?
It's the woman in you
that makes you want
to play this game...
So many meanings on so many levels... this is what makes Neil Young unique.
This song must be really confusing to kids these days.
nagsheadlocal wrote:
Reverse Cowgirl?
I played this to death back in the day, it's long been my favorite version of this song.
Thanks for playing this, although it brought back some bittersweet memories of a certain "cowgirl."
Reverse Cowgirl?
great song,great album. Yea Mister Young have great Balls.
I purchased this album in 1973. I was barely a teenager then and it has proven over the decades to be foundational in my musical journey.
It is precisely Neil's voice that attracts me to his music. It's authentic, personal, nuanced, and filled with genuine emotion. His writing is what keeps me attached to it. So many of Neil's songs have provided me with much needed guidance in challenging times. I don't know where I would be without them.
peace
It is precisely Neil's voice that attracts me to his music. It's authentic, personal, nuanced, and filled with genuine emotion. His writing is what keeps me attached to it. So many of Neil's songs have provided me with much needed guidance in challenging times. I don't know where I would be without them.
peace
Hello ruby in the dust
Has your band
begun to rust
It's funny, I've listened to this song hundreds of times and only today made the connection.
Rust Never Sleeps.
We started a game in our house , to see who will be the first to hit the reject button when a Neil Young song comes on to cancel him, and be the latest top rejector.
noe.architecte169 wrote:
They probably say the same thing about you! ...quit whining!
Boring ... 
and the voice ... 
and the voice ...
They probably say the same thing about you! ...quit whining!
noe.architecte169 wrote:
I hate when that happens. If only there was a button I could push or an icon I could click to alleviate the torture. #lazytwit
Boring ... and the voice ...
and the voice ...
I hate when that happens. If only there was a button I could push or an icon I could click to alleviate the torture. #lazytwit
Gotta love his dreamy vocals. Only the under-informed seem to protest his technique and the simply (yet classic) riffs he has borne. Thanks NY.
cbazinet wrote:
Weird . . . that's how I feel about Dylan and Joni Mitchell (but not Neil). When I hear covers of their music, it catches me and I find myself diving into the lyrics. Covers of NY might just be interesting?
I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but I absolutely cannot stand his voice. His songs would be so much better if someone else sang them. Heresy, I know, but there it is.
Weird . . . that's how I feel about Dylan and Joni Mitchell (but not Neil). When I hear covers of their music, it catches me and I find myself diving into the lyrics. Covers of NY might just be interesting?
A magical album if there ever was one.
Memories, yes they are powerful. Old enough to have more than I want to admit. Thanks Neil for your contributions to a full life.
Gifted guy - touched many hearts 💕 10/10
BCarn wrote:
I'm in the minority too I suppose. You nailed your assessment though.
I get it, but the focus (for me, at least) shifts to the lyrics and melodies when his voice is so, well, uninteresting. In many respects (again, from my perspective) it enhances the tunes because of this. Simple, yet articulate.
I'm in the minority too I suppose. You nailed your assessment though.
I get it, but the focus (for me, at least) shifts to the lyrics and melodies when his voice is so, well, uninteresting. In many respects (again, from my perspective) it enhances the tunes because of this. Simple, yet articulate.
Sentimental old favorite of Neil's & love this version.
cbazinet wrote:
I'm in the minority too I suppose. You nailed your assessment though.
I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but I absolutely cannot stand his voice. His songs would be so much better if someone else sang them. Heresy, I know, but there it is.
I'm in the minority too I suppose. You nailed your assessment though.
Saw him with and without CSN / with and without Crazy horse. Young like small venues.
kurtster wrote:
Seen them in concert many times with and without Neil. With Neil it was always more of an edgy, up in the air thing. What kind of concert were you going to get. They were all great in the end. Saw Neil solo once and got his I'm pissed off and am only here because I have to be here efforts. Labored and plodding.
This is a great album though. Played the hell out of it. Southern Man on this set is really great.
Depends on the venue. Like most performers of his ilk, Young hates large stadiums, and it shows.This is a great album though. Played the hell out of it. Southern Man on this set is really great.
In n'71 for Christmas I got an open reel player and this tape (7-1/2ips) magical.
Long time since I pulled this album out - before the days of CD! I'll blow the dust off and play it tonight while I wait for the BBQ to get going
So overrated, I do own all his records for years now ;-)
cbazinet wrote:
I felt the same way when my college roommate played "Southern Man" over and over again (40 years ago). But he has grown on me as I learned more of his music. I think the thing that draws me to his singing is the pure passion in his voice as well as the beauty of the music and lyrics. He is committed to music, not studio perfection.
I adore his music now.
I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but I absolutely cannot stand his voice. His songs would be so much better if someone else sang them. Heresy, I know, but there it is.
I felt the same way when my college roommate played "Southern Man" over and over again (40 years ago). But he has grown on me as I learned more of his music. I think the thing that draws me to his singing is the pure passion in his voice as well as the beauty of the music and lyrics. He is committed to music, not studio perfection.
I adore his music now.
First heard Neil when he was with the Myna Birds in the mid-'60s in Yorkville in Toronto around the same time Joni Mitchell was there. His everyday set of wheels at that time was a Pontiac hearse that he used to relocate to LA.
Anything by Neil is great
If he was to write the lyrics in today's gender identity confusion they would go something like this...
"Its the woman in you
Makes the man in me
Want the man in you
To love the woman in me...!
"Its the woman in you
Makes the man in me
Want the man in you
To love the woman in me...!
Boring ... 
and the voice ... 
and the voice ... Seen them in concert many times with and without Neil. With Neil it was always more of an edgy, up in the air thing. What kind of concert were you going to get. They were all great in the end. Saw Neil solo once and got his I'm pissed off and am only here because I have to be here efforts. Labored and plodding.
This is a great album though. Played the hell out of it. Southern Man on this set is really great.
This is a great album though. Played the hell out of it. Southern Man on this set is really great.
I've seen him several times, all great. Guess we were lucky.
Once in Athens, Ohio it was Acoustic set followed by Neil and the Shocking Pinks (rockabilly). We had front row seats.
He sat down on the chair in the middle of the stage where they had set up a mic and three guitars on stands, and proclaimed "this isn't right." He stood up, grabbing the mic stand and chair, and moved them to the front edge of the stage, ripping up the gaffer's tape, and nearly knocking over one or more guitars. The roadies/stage managers quickly appeared and reset everything at the front of the stage.
Neil said "that's better, I felt like I wasn't in the same room as you" and proceeded to play a great concert.
Once in Athens, Ohio it was Acoustic set followed by Neil and the Shocking Pinks (rockabilly). We had front row seats.
He sat down on the chair in the middle of the stage where they had set up a mic and three guitars on stands, and proclaimed "this isn't right." He stood up, grabbing the mic stand and chair, and moved them to the front edge of the stage, ripping up the gaffer's tape, and nearly knocking over one or more guitars. The roadies/stage managers quickly appeared and reset everything at the front of the stage.
Neil said "that's better, I felt like I wasn't in the same room as you" and proceeded to play a great concert.
Here's the thing...can you use your wildest imagination and conjure up a band in 2018 who would even try albums like this?
so, so, so goooood !!!!
pinto wrote:
I too saw Neil Young in concert in the early 1970s. I had always heard that he was prone to being moody in concert and that it was a flip of the coin as to which Neil you would get. The audience that particular night was very respectful but Neil must have been in a bad mood. His interaction was almost non-existent, his playing subdued, and when not singing he played mostly with his back to the audience. The entire concert, including the obligatory encore, was about an hour, maybe an hour and 10 minutes. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I still like his music.
I saw Neil with Crazy Horse around 2012, Neil acoustic around 2013, and Neil with Promise of the Real in 2015. Best concerts I have ever been too.
I too saw Neil Young in concert in the early 1970s. I had always heard that he was prone to being moody in concert and that it was a flip of the coin as to which Neil you would get. The audience that particular night was very respectful but Neil must have been in a bad mood. His interaction was almost non-existent, his playing subdued, and when not singing he played mostly with his back to the audience. The entire concert, including the obligatory encore, was about an hour, maybe an hour and 10 minutes. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I still like his music.
I saw Neil with Crazy Horse around 2012, Neil acoustic around 2013, and Neil with Promise of the Real in 2015. Best concerts I have ever been too.
westslope wrote:
Sweet.
Saw Neil Young in the Civic Centre in Ottawa in the early 1970s. He came out and did an acoustic set before bringing out the electric band - Crazy Horse if I recall. The audience was unruly and disrespectfully noisy during the solo acoustic set. At one point, Young threatened to bring out the band.
I'm a big fan of NY's work. But the concert was not great. A few years later I would see Bruce Cockburn on campus in London, Ontario. At one point the audience was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Now that was a great concert. Bruce was also great all electric too.
I too saw Neil Young in concert in the early 1970s. I had always heard that he was prone to being moody in concert and that it was a flip of the coin as to which Neil you would get. The audience that particular night was very respectful but Neil must have been in a bad mood. His interaction was almost non-existent, his playing subdued, and when not singing he played mostly with his back to the audience. The entire concert, including the obligatory encore, was about an hour, maybe an hour and 10 minutes. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I still like his music.
Sweet.
Saw Neil Young in the Civic Centre in Ottawa in the early 1970s. He came out and did an acoustic set before bringing out the electric band - Crazy Horse if I recall. The audience was unruly and disrespectfully noisy during the solo acoustic set. At one point, Young threatened to bring out the band.
I'm a big fan of NY's work. But the concert was not great. A few years later I would see Bruce Cockburn on campus in London, Ontario. At one point the audience was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Now that was a great concert. Bruce was also great all electric too.
I too saw Neil Young in concert in the early 1970s. I had always heard that he was prone to being moody in concert and that it was a flip of the coin as to which Neil you would get. The audience that particular night was very respectful but Neil must have been in a bad mood. His interaction was almost non-existent, his playing subdued, and when not singing he played mostly with his back to the audience. The entire concert, including the obligatory encore, was about an hour, maybe an hour and 10 minutes. I was disappointed, to say the least, but I still like his music.
This is one of the best Neil Young tracks I've heard.
But it's still awful.
How does he get away with it?
But it's still awful.
How does he get away with it?
I'm enjoying his book "Waging Heavy Peace."
Perfection.
Bring on the crazy horses wherever they may roam
RParadise wrote:
Sweet.
Saw Neil Young in the Civic Centre in Ottawa in the early 1970s. He came out and did an acoustic set before bringing out the electric band - Crazy Horse if I recall. The audience was unruly and disrespectfully noisy during the solo acoustic set. At one point, Young threatened to bring out the band.
I'm a big fan of NY's work. But the concert was not great. A few years later I would see Bruce Cockburn on campus in London, Ontario. At one point the audience was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Now that was a great concert. Bruce was also great all electric too.
I was there in the Chicago Auditorium and it was raw and immediate. Great concert.
Sweet.
Saw Neil Young in the Civic Centre in Ottawa in the early 1970s. He came out and did an acoustic set before bringing out the electric band - Crazy Horse if I recall. The audience was unruly and disrespectfully noisy during the solo acoustic set. At one point, Young threatened to bring out the band.
I'm a big fan of NY's work. But the concert was not great. A few years later I would see Bruce Cockburn on campus in London, Ontario. At one point the audience was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Now that was a great concert. Bruce was also great all electric too.
I was there in the Chicago Auditorium and it was raw and immediate. Great concert.
Beautiful song!
φ
φ
this album may have been a bit self indulging
but there were some real gems on it
Crosby's "Lee Shore" was inspiring
but there were some real gems on it
Crosby's "Lee Shore" was inspiring
I played this to death back in the day, it's long been my favorite version of this song.
Thanks for playing this, although it brought back some bittersweet memories of a certain "cowgirl."
Thanks for playing this, although it brought back some bittersweet memories of a certain "cowgirl."
GO NEIL!
One of a kind.
One of a kind.
One of my fav. artists!
ScottN wrote:
I don't believe Neil is at his best in an acoustic, solo, "unplugged" setting. His, ah..."questionable" vocals along with sometimes ordinary lyrics and guitar do not play well, imo. He is much more compelling to me in Crazy Horse.
Still, he undeniably has a long and successful career, so lots of folks like him...a lot.
Still, he undeniably has a long and successful career, so lots of folks like him...a lot.
I'll agree if you're judging on musical technique.
If you're judging on passion, he blows the doors off the concert venue, especially when in electric mode.
edit: Holy Smokes! I just realized this was from Four Way Street! What a killer set of disks!
I don't believe Neil is at his best in an acoustic, solo, "unplugged" setting. His, ah..."questionable" vocals along with sometimes ordinary lyrics and guitar do not play well, imo. He is much more compelling to me in Crazy Horse.
Still, he undeniably has a long and successful career, so lots of folks like him...a lot.
Still, he undeniably has a long and successful career, so lots of folks like him...a lot.
cbazinet wrote:
You're not alone. Whiney depressing voice. Can't stand it. I don't care if he's a legend and a musical trailblazer.
I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but I absolutely cannot stand his voice. His songs would be so much better if someone else sang them. Heresy, I know, but there it is.
You're not alone. Whiney depressing voice. Can't stand it. I don't care if he's a legend and a musical trailblazer.
I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but I absolutely cannot stand his voice. His songs would be so much better if someone else sang them. Heresy, I know, but there it is.
About the best thing I can say about this is it's not my least favourite Neil Young song.
Irreally don't like his whiney voice.
Irreally don't like his whiney voice.
When I go back and listen to this album I'm struck at how well mannered the audience is, no hooting and hollering, just applause.
Boring.
My absolute favorite by Neil. 
Whats up to you guys? This is Neil Young at his best, with his best buddies!!
oldfart48 wrote:
Crapped your pants again, granddad?
yuk, live cowpie.....don't step init.
Crapped your pants again, granddad?
once again, wish Neil Young was still "right on" with his politics in his dotage. i won't be buying his next album. #BDS
Keef wrote:
One of the few instances where I disagree with the reincarnated superstud Romeotuma.
Neil Young squeals like a pig... can't stand this song...
hope you be having a marvelous day, Keef...
One of the few instances where I disagree with the reincarnated superstud Romeotuma.
Neil Young squeals like a pig... can't stand this song...
hope you be having a marvelous day, Keef...
May 2014 bring you a new set of ears.
oldfart48 wrote:
oldfart48 wrote:
I refuse to listen to this dreck on christmass, see ya!
I refuse to listen to this dreck on christmass, see ya!
Solo aoustic guitar, that must be one of the hardest acts to pull off in a stadium.
This could be in a living room, and it is ageless. Boo to those who knock Neil on this soulful and heartfelt song.
This could be in a living room, and it is ageless. Boo to those who knock Neil on this soulful and heartfelt song.
Lazarus wrote:
This song used to make me nauseous all those years ago... still does...
One of the few instances where I disagree with the reincarnated superstud Romeotuma.
This song used to make me nauseous all those years ago... still does...
One of the few instances where I disagree with the reincarnated superstud Romeotuma.
mcdonna wrote:
The voice belongs to his music and makes it very special. I love this acoustic sound very much! Thank you!
guitar is good; tune is good; but I have never learned to like Neil Young's whiny voice
The voice belongs to his music and makes it very special. I love this acoustic sound very much! Thank you!
.....
.....
.....yuk, live cowpie.....don't step init.
guitar is good; tune is good; but I have never learned to like Neil Young's whiny voice
IF I NEVER HEAR THIS DRIVEL AGAIN I'LL LOVE IT.
This song used to make me nauseous all those years ago... still does...
Great Version! Thanks for playing
NEIL! This dude sounds so good on ANY kind of guitar! So much goes into each string, each stroke...and the words, wow -- maybe none better in the biz!
I felt the same way when my college roommate played "Southern Man" over and over again (40 years ago). But he has grown on me as I learned more of his music. I think the thing that draws me to his singing is the pure passion in his voice as well as the beauty of the music and lyrics. He is committed to music, not studio perfection.
I adore his music now.
One of the greatest songwriters - I cant stand his voice either.