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Neil Young — One of These Days
Album: Harvest Moon
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2205









Released: 1992
Length: 4:50
Plays (last 30 days): 0
One of these days,
I'm gonna sit down
And write a long letter
To all the good friends I've known
And I'm gonna try
And thank them all
For the good times together.
Though so apart we've grown.

One of these days,
I'm gonna sit down
And write a long letter
To all the good friends I've known
One of these days,
One of these days,
One of these days,
And it won't be long, it won't be long.

And I'm gonna thank,
That old country fiddler
And all those rough boys
Who play that rock 'n' roll
I never tried to burn any bridges
Though I know I let some good things go.

One of these days,
I'm gonna sit down
And write a long letter
To all the good friends I've known
One of these days,
One of these days,
One of these days,
And it won't be long, it won't be long.

From down in L.A.
All the way to Nashville,
From New York City
To my Canadian prairie home
My friends are scattered
Like leaves from an old maple.
Some are weak, some are strong.

One of these days,
I'm gonna sit down
And write a long letter
To all the good friends I've known
One of these days,
One of these days,
One of these days,
And it won't be long, it won't be long.

One of these days,
One of these days,
One of these days,
And it won't be long, it won't be long.
Comments (136)add comment
outstanding.
 erwinphoto wrote:

Nice tune, before he became the radical politically correct extremist he is nowadays.


Supposing he is a radical politically correct extremist; why criticize him?  Can't he be ... like ... just a guy with a long musical career?
Nice tune, before he became the radical politically correct extremist he is nowadays.
Neil, buddy, writing those letters is gonna take a while.   Come on over to the Shack; I'll put on a pot of coffee. 
I ❤️ NY
I remember when this record came out, i lived with my girlfriend in a new flat, very spacy, the winter was snowy this years, we listened to those beautiful song, watching the snow falling. Life is short! Enjoy when hapiness is here.
Not all NY is a 10 but this certainly is, as is so much of his catalogue. One of the true greats of our times.
 Shipp wrote:

We're alright. We're a very young species. Well learn soon enough.


We can only hope it's not too late...
So many great songs on this album. Great follow up to Freedom.
I tend to think of much of Neil Young's politics as vacuous virtue-signalling but I love his music!  

My favourite novelist is a Marxist and trust me, I ain't no Marxist.  
 inmanart wrote:

One of my oldest friends, Matt Boland,  gave me this for my birthday back in '92 when it came out. One of my favorite Neil songs


Have you written Matt a long letter yet to say THANK YOU?  ;-)

The older I get, the more that Neil Young's songs resonate with me.

This is definitely one of those.
One of my oldest friends, Matt Boland,  gave me this for my birthday back in '92 when it came out. One of my favorite Neil songs
 Cynaera wrote:
Children, BEHAVE!  Failing that, could you simply be CIVIL?  God, sometimes I'm convinced that human beings were wrongfully allotted the "superior-species" slot in the big scheme of things.

Having said that, I love Neil Young's music. He's not the greatest singer or guitarist, but he's an incredibly-gifted visionary. Take umbrage if you must, but at least be somewhat polite about it. Pretend we're face to face.  {#Wave}
 
We're alright. We're a very young species. Well learn soon enough.
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Mmmaybe. I saw Carlos Santana grab Neil's guitar by the neck to show him the (correct) chords once, so...

 

Well...at least you thought you did.
My favourite Neil Young album.  As my age increases, so too does my appreciation for Neil's music.  If I reach 90, and if RP is still around, I'll probably rate everything he's done a "10" (maybe just to tick off all the young whippersnappers who don't like his voice)  
I was hoping for more verses in this song Love it
Holy crap! I can actually handle listening to this one! 7
This is one of my faves of his... prob since daily I'm always pushin' out "someday" and one of these days, I'll acually start.
Can't get much more chilled that Neil when he's calmly giving sweet advice in one of the days. ❤️
 Emwolb wrote:

today must be his birthday, cause Bill is probably playing the same loop
 
His 74th is coming up on November 12th.  Long Live RP and NY!!
I love this song - so wistful and beautiful.  
It’s always taken a certain mood for me to appreciate NY but this certainly isn’t one of them
IMO, if this wasn't by Neil Young it would never get played. He gets full credit for keepin' on, and refusing to be confined to any one genre --  but I'm sure he'd agree that not everything  he does is top-drawer. 
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Mmmaybe. I saw Carlos Santana grab Neil's guitar by the neck to show him the (correct) chords once, so...

 
Careful, they h8 Carlos on these boards too...
ah not this whino again
one of the Kings!
I am not typically a big fan of Neil Young; however, this album/CD is awesome! Beautiful songs that remind me of a past otherwise forgotten. 
my fav Neil Ypung album .. last song from this cd is the best!!
Probably his best album from start to finish!  No clunkers on this one!
Love it  
  h8rhater wrote:
The hits have been AMAZING since 80. 
As for misses: This is a very subjective assertion since Neil was all over the map (as is his way) since then AND none of them were "pretty bad".   Rockabilly, bruising hard rock and roll, sweet Americana, grunge, electronic music.  How could anyone love them all? 
...and more importantly, do they need to?
 
On_The_Beach wrote:


Neil takes a lot of unjustified flak on these boards, so I appreciate anyone who defends him.
Having said that, try listening to "Are You Passionate?" all the way through, just as an example.
"Pretty bad" is generous, and I am a big fan (but being a fan doesn't mean you have to like every note he ever played).

 
This is not a working example for me.  I loved Are You Passionate when it came out and still do.  But it does play into my previous comment about Neil's genre jumping.  This album is more Soul music oriented and features Booker T & the MGs and Crazy Horse personnel.

One of the reasons I like it so much is that it is so different from most of his catalog.   Not a huge fan of Let's Roll (jingoism isn't Neil's style but everyone was unsettled by 9/11).  I enjoy all the other tracks on the album and I absolutely love She's a Healer.  I could listen to that long jam all day long.
 springof63 wrote:
Is it Neils birthday today? this is his second appearance today 'Hurricane' was on...  ...just 4 hours ago. (with CS&N in between somewhere).
Neil Young - legend, regardless of if you like his music/lyrics/guitar solos(etc) or not. As he said himself - 'Nothing Is Perfect'

 
today must be his birthday, cause Bill is probably playing the same loop

While completely different sonically, I find this song to be reminiscent of the Beach Boys (really Brian Wilson) song "Busy doin' nothin'"

Here's the last third of the song's lyrics for the heck of it.

....
 I get a lot of thoughts in the morning
I write 'em all down
If it wasn't for that
I'd forget 'em in a while

And lately I've been thinking 'bout a good friend
I'd like to see more of, yeah yeah yeah
I think I'll make a call

I wrote a number down
But I lost it
So I searched through my pocket book
I couldn't find it
So I sat and concentrated on the number
And slowly it came to me
So I dialed it

And I let it ring a few times
There was no answer
So I let it ring a little more
Still no answer

So I hung up the telephone
Got some paper and sharpened up a pencil
And wrote a letter to my friend

Long Live RP!


I always associate this song with the annual Bridge School Benefit, which takes place at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The song plays during a film which highlights the students who go to this school and the artists who have played the benefit previously. The school was started by Neil Young (and his wife at the time, Pegi Young) for their son.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EtNQ7iNN9s
 h8rhater wrote:
The hits have been AMAZING since 80. 
As for misses: This is a very subjective assertion since Neil was all over the map (as is his way) since then AND none of them were "pretty bad".   Rockabilly, bruising hard rock and roll, sweet Americana, grunge, electronic music.  How could anyone love them all? 
...and more importantly, do they need to?
 
Neil takes a lot of unjustified flak on these boards, so I appreciate anyone who defends him.
Having said that, try listening to "Are You Passionate?" all the way through, just as an example.
"Pretty bad" is generous, and I am a big fan (but being a fan doesn't mean you have to like every note he ever played).
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Wrong.
Everything he did from '69 to '79 was excellent (with the exception of the Journey Through The Past movie and soundtrack).
That 11-year output stands with any band or solo artist in popular music history.
From the '80s to date his output has been hit and miss, and some of the misses were admittedly pretty bad.

 
The hits have been AMAZING since 80. 

As for misses: This is a very subjective assertion since Neil was all over the map (as is his way) since then AND none of them were "pretty bad".   Rockabilly, bruising hard rock and roll, sweet Americana, grunge, electronic music.  How could anyone love them all? 

...and more importantly, do they need to?
Is it Neils birthday today? this is his second appearance today 'Hurricane' was on...  ...just 4 hours ago. (with CS&N in between somewhere).
Neil Young - legend, regardless of if you like his music/lyrics/guitar solos(etc) or not. As he said himself - 'Nothing Is Perfect'
Beautiful. This album got me into Neil Young.  I was a bit too young for the original Harvest!
First time I heard this was at the Bridge School benefit and it absolutely blew me away. Such a simple song but it just a hits note for me about all those magic relationships that have come and gone.
Very nice!
{#Clap}{#Clap}{#Clap} ....... wonderful song from an OUTSTANDING album
How much you like Neil Young depends on which phase of his career you identify with.

As someone who is just "meh..." on country music, I amazingly like NY's country style stuff the best...with "Old Man" being my #1 fave of his. 

Love this album, as well as "Comes A Time". 
 joelbb wrote:
 . . . the awesomeness of his recordings is inversely proportional to the length of his solo experience. . . (excerpt)
 
Wrong.
Everything he did from '69 to '79 was excellent (with the exception of the Journey Through The Past movie and soundtrack).
That 11-year output stands with any band or solo artist in popular music history.
From the '80s to date his output has been hit and miss, and some of the misses were admittedly pretty bad.
If you haven't seen the DVD of the "Heart Of Gold" concert, you should- I got it from my local library. Emmylou was never sweeter, the Memphis Horns, Spooner Oldham on the B3... totally wonderful. The performance was "Prairie Wind" but the encore covers a lot of ground. The closing version of "Old Laughing Lady" made me cry, yeah..
Just another beautiful song by Neil. Thanks Neil for all the great music you've shared with us
over a long, long career!
 joelbb wrote:
Harvest Moon is one of the weaker NY albums.  In fact, the primary truth of his career is that the awesomeness of his recordings is inversely proportional to the length of his solo experience.  His original hard rocker "Neil Young with Crazy Horse" still blows the socks off just about anything else he's recorded.  Not to mention what a TERRIFIC cut his "Rock and Roll Woman" with Buffalo Springfield was.  I'm a long time fan, but sometimes his arrogance and vanity does in my head.  I'm giving this tune a 6.

 
Couldn't disagree more;) I think Harvest Moon is an incredible album that matches up quite well with his earlier work. To each his own...
Harvest Moon is one of the weaker NY albums.  In fact, the primary truth of his career is that the awesomeness of his recordings is inversely proportional to the length of his solo experience.  His original hard rocker "Neil Young with Crazy Horse" still blows the socks off just about anything else he's recorded.  Not to mention what a TERRIFIC cut his "Rock and Roll Woman" with Buffalo Springfield was.  I'm a long time fan, but sometimes his arrogance and vanity does in my head.  I'm giving this tune a 6.
 adroc wrote:

So every guitar player who stands to learn a thing or two from Carlos Santana is a hack!? That logic makes 99.9999% of all guitarists hacks.
 
True, but still, this was in front of a crowd, not on the back porch. Not usually the ideal time for a lesson.
 DoofusGeezer wrote:


Yup, like Cynaera said. I'm a big fan whether his "pastoral" or raunchy/angry stuff. He's written some of my favourite songs. One of These Days in the context of Prairie Wind brings me to tears.
 
I count Neil Young as a true genius and even though I can't abide everything he has done you must admit he is the gutsiest performer from an era of truly gifted and emergent rock talents that we will not see again. This song is but one example.     {#Crown}
 Randomax wrote:
One of these days....this song will finally end...
 

proof positive of a merciful God...
that day.
 Randomax wrote:
One of these days....this song will finally end...
 


Ha ha ha...true dat.
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:

Mmmaybe. I saw Carlos Santana grab Neil's guitar by the neck to show him the (correct) chords once, so...

 
So every guitar player who stands to learn a thing or two from Carlos Santana is a hack!? That logic makes 99.9999% of all guitarists hacks.


One of these days....this song will finally end...
"One of these days ..."
definitely great !!

how important is it to know if he's a hack guitarist or not ?
when you wrote gold songs like "harvest" or this one, or again "hey Hey My My", only the results count ...


 Cynaera wrote:
Children, BEHAVE!  Failing that, could you simply be CIVIL?  God, sometimes I'm convinced that human beings were wrongfully allotted the "superior-species" slot in the big scheme of things.

Having said that, I love Neil Young's music. He's not the greatest singer or guitarist, but he's an incredibly-gifted visionary. Take umbrage if you must, but at least be somewhat polite about it. Pretend we're face to face.  {#Wave}
 

Yup, like Cynaera said. I'm a big fan whether his "pastoral" or raunchy/angry stuff. He's written some of my favourite songs. One of These Days in the context of Prairie Wind brings me to tears.
they're also terribly long...
I'm so surprised that whenever I open the forum link for a neil young song it proves i haven't aleady given it a 1.
There are just so many of them on RP!!!!!
88 to be more precise!!!!!!
Children, BEHAVE!  Failing that, could you simply be CIVIL?  God, sometimes I'm convinced that human beings were wrongfully allotted the "superior-species" slot in the big scheme of things.

Having said that, I love Neil Young's music. He's not the greatest singer or guitarist, but he's an incredibly-gifted visionary. Take umbrage if you must, but at least be somewhat polite about it. Pretend we're face to face.  {#Wave}
To the posts below calling Neil Young a hack guitarist - that's laughable man.  NY is NOT a hack guitarist.
 h8rhater wrote:

  One of the most laughable comments I've seen on the RP boards.  You're a hack, pal.

 
And you're a troll and a hater, hater hater. Time for some self-reflection, pal.

one of these days I'll mute you for good
Thomas? Are you reading this?    You better be.  I'm listening to an entire Neil Young song.  

 DoktorC wrote:
musicology wrote:
great tune. neil's right up there with bruce and bob among the best american songwriters.
   von_Hayek wrote:

And I always thought Bruce Dickinson is english...

 
         And I always thought Neil Young was Canadian ...
 

He is of course Canadian and he always acknowledges that. Musicology needs to brush up on his musicology—or at least listen to the lyrics of this song, where Neil sings, ''to my Canadian prairie home...''


 h8rhater wrote:

  One of the most laughable comments I've seen on the RP boards.  You're a hack, pal.

 
Mmmaybe. I saw Carlos Santana grab Neil's guitar by the neck to show him the (correct) chords once, so...

 WayUpNorth wrote:
This song is an instant hostility zapper {#Daisy}
Yah. I want to hug Neil, truly a great spirit.{#Hug}


https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5QejQ4yGcos/SIcTBtUrT-I/AAAAAAAABYc/5LoYzbfyqEs/s200/ralphal.jpg
musicology wrote:
great tune. neil's right up there with bruce and bob among the best american songwriters.
   von_Hayek wrote:

And I always thought Bruce Dickinson is english...

 
         And I always thought Neil Young was Canadian ...


theme song to neil's annual bridge school benefit concert retrospective video -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9-sRm3RY2U&feature=PlayList&p=25D1105667B79E5F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17
one of the best music events of the year - every year.
Neil always comes alive for me on road trips. This tune carried me through the rolling Idaho ripple hills in Nez Perce territory.
 tg3k wrote:

For the reasons you mention, I highly respect the guy and the influence he's had on music for all these years. Still, I don't like his singing, and he's a hack guitarist. /Liked him best with CSN&Y.
 
  One of the most laughable comments I've seen on the RP boards.  You're a hack, pal.

In general Neil Young usually tends to grate my nerves, but this song is always fantastic!!
Very nice, indeed!!
 musicology wrote:
great tune. neil's right up there with bruce and bob among the best american songwriters.
 
And I always thought Bruce Dickinson is english...

Reading the comments I see that people seem to either love him or hate him. I fall on the hate side— or at least the dislike side— due to his singing and so I don't really give his music the chance I'm sure it deserves.  But I kinda liked this.  The lyrics are nice.
This song is an instant hostility zapper {#Daisy}
How can a foo give neil and harvest a 7.?

This is 8.8+

Thank you , Bill! ! !
Neil is a top geezer. Beautiful understated track. Neil Young is definitely one of the greats. A living legend.

'buckets of rain' followed by 'one of these days'. wow. this is why i love radio paradise. thanks, bill!




Patsy Cline - Crazy   ==>    Madeleine Peyroux - California Raining    ==>     Bob Dylan - Buckets of Rain    ==>    Neil Young - One of These Days


—- very very good sequence!
 
  


 tg3k wrote:

For the reasons you mention, I highly respect the guy and the influence he's had on music for all these years. Still, I don't like his singing, and he's a hack guitarist. /Liked him best with CSN&Y.
 
everybody has an opinion - and since you are a "retired guitarist" who could possibly have more cred in labeling neil young as a "hack guitarist"?
{#Cowboy}


great tune. neil's right up there with bruce and bob among the best american songwriters.
nice transition from Dylan...
Nice segue. Very nice. One of Neil's best.
 {#Daisy}

To Bob, Neil and the DJ -  {#Notworthy}
I don't know, he seemed to pull off some pretty amazing fretwork at last year's Bridge School benefit concert. I would not call him a hack.

 
tg3k wrote:

For the reasons you mention, I highly respect the guy and the influence he's had on music for all these years. Still, I don't like his singing, and he's a hack guitarist. /Liked him best with CSN&Y.
 


stewliscious wrote:
...He's been around for DECADES, mentored so many other great artists, been covered by about 20% of the bands that RP plays, and still going. Yes, he has an unusual voice and he's a freaky dude. But he covers such a range there has to be something in his collection most of you would identify with.
For the reasons you mention, I highly respect the guy and the influence he's had on music for all these years. Still, I don't like his singing, and he's a hack guitarist. /Liked him best with CSN&Y.
Very nice indeed. Is that Emmylou amongst the backups? Sounds a little different to Nicolette.
Best. Album. Ever. Or at least in the top 10.
peyotecoyote wrote:
hahahaa...funny how the Dylan haters are more likely than not to be the Neil haters. Me...I LOVE 'EM BOTH!
Word.
Alpine wrote:
He doesn't need to carry a tune. His writing and playing speaks for itself. I think his voice fits perfectly in his music.
Of all the no talent hacks in the world and the bizarre stuff that RP plays, I don't get how Neil gets singled out. He's been around for DECADES, mentored so many other great artists, been covered by about 20% of the bands that RP plays, and still going. Yes, he has an unusual voice and he's a freaky dude. But he covers such a range there has to be something in his collection most of you would identify with.
effing beautiful. love love love it.
hahahaa...funny how the Dylan haters are more likely than not to be the Neil haters. Me...I LOVE 'EM BOTH!
lwilkinson wrote:
Flat, flat, flat ...... the boyo never could carry a tune. Must be why his backup singers sound so much in tune by comparison. Of Dylan who was just played and this guy, I'll take Dylan. If I gotta get into protest music at least Bob's an original.
He doesn't need to carry a tune. His writing and playing speaks for itself. I think his voice fits perfectly in his music.
kazuma wrote:
You are incorrect, sir.
And George Harrison is best known as being in The Traveling Wilburys sorry, meant this as an answer to "algrif's" comment.
07734 wrote:
A little Neil Young can go a long way... RP plays him way way too often.
Some of us REALLY disagree with you. Can't play too much of a great thing.
Jimi_the_Saint wrote:
I just got this one myself. In fact, I had it playinh through iTunes when 'One of These Days' came on RP. Great album, good song.
Flat, flat, flat ...... the boyo never could carry a tune. Must be why his backup singers sound so much in tune by comparison. Of Dylan who was just played and this guy, I'll take Dylan. If I gotta get into protest music at least Bob's an original.
Wow, I didn't know this was Neil! I've only heard the version I have on the fantastic Bill Frisell album "Nashville". Quite lovely, I must say.
ri_shelton wrote:
Wow, what a journey. I just picked up the "Live at Massey Hall" CD where he debuts "Old Man", "The Needle and the Damage Done", and a few others 'wrote up on the ranch, so I might as well play them'. To visualize young/old Neil playing these songs is a treat, a wonder of radio.
I just got this one myself. In fact, I had it playinh through iTunes when 'One of These Days' came on RP. Great album, good song.
algrif wrote:
He's only famous for CSNY.
You are incorrect, sir.
algrif wrote:
One of these days RP will stop playing this over-rated under-talented sucko-barfo 'rock star'. (I can't bring myself to abuse the word 'singer') Edit:--Sorry, guys. I just realised I already slammed this one a couple of weeks ago! I must really dislike it!
Well "algrif (Slightly west of Zero)" I think you need to go along to nurse and get her to up your medication.
Quite pleasant!
Wow, what a journey. I just picked up the "Live at Massey Hall" CD where he debuts "Old Man", "The Needle and the Damage Done", and a few others 'wrote up on the ranch, so I might as well play them'. To visualize young/old Neil playing these songs is a treat, a wonder of radio.
MinMan wrote:
And some of you guys thought Bob Dylan sounded bad on that Muddy Waters tune....
Thank god! There are people out there who think like me that Mr. Young can't sing to save his life.
And some of you guys thought Bob Dylan sounded bad on that Muddy Waters tune....
algrif wrote:
One of these days RP will stop playing this over-rated under-talented sucko-barfo 'rock star'. (I can't bring myself to abuse the word 'singer') Edit:--Sorry, guys. I just realised I already slammed this one a couple of weeks ago! I must really dislike it!
Stop yelling at me!
That day has finally arrived. Thank you neil! And thanks RP!
One of these days RP will stop playing this over-rated under-talented sucko-barfo 'rock star'. (I can't bring myself to abuse the word 'singer') Edit:--Sorry, guys. I just realised I already slammed this one a couple of weeks ago! I must really dislike it!
Now thats some good Country....IMHO
am wrote:
::sigh:: One of my very favorites from a favorite album. A perfect 10!
I agree it's a great album, but the song about his dog midway through the CD will NOT be making to my itunes.
The man can sing. And he most definitely play the guitar. Thanks for playing the music we as music lovers really enjoy Bill!
Anyone see the movie Heart of Gold? It was filmed at the Ryman when he premiered Prarie Wind. The camera work was really intimate and he talked a lot about his past and what the songs on the album are about. Very introspective and tender. He did this song toward the end. A must see for all Neil fans!
Cool Neil Young music. I'll be buying this.
algrif wrote:
One of these days people will realise that this guy cannot sing! He's got no voice, and not much talent for lyrics. He can play guitar tho' (Just about!) He's only famous for CSNY. And they were pretty marginal anyway.
One of these days you'll stop yelling at everybody!
One of these days people will realise that this guy cannot sing! He's got no voice, and not much talent for lyrics. He can play guitar tho' (Just about!) He's only famous for CSNY. And they were pretty marginal anyway.
rascal420 wrote:
Sorry, that was rude. There's a Pink Floyd song named "One of these days". The only lyric is "I'm going to cut you into little pieces".
I got it...good one.
I can't explain how I can like to hear Bob Dylan sing and dislike Neil Young's voice sooooo much. I feel he has contributed quite a lot through his music. I wish I could like him. Maybe one of these days…
huebdoo wrote:
I love Neils music he has always tried to break the mold and try new things... However... RP does play Neil Young Elvis Costello Grateful Dead Far more than needed Just a little... snippett here or there is all we need Thanks
bah humbug
I love Neils music he has always tried to break the mold and try new things... However... RP does play Neil Young Elvis Costello Grateful Dead Far more than needed Just a little... snippett here or there is all we need Thanks