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The Near Myths: Music

Midway Through Neil Young's Life Journey

(The Near Myths)
June 23, 2013
Ben Greene

Ben - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, harmonica

Teep - lead guitar, bass

Jim - banjo

Katy - 12 string guitar

Phil - organ

Matthew - drums

Background vocals - Jim, Katy

 

Neil Young’s bus broke down near Zurich

Just before the After Berlin tour

Somewhere south of Carl Jung’s castle

Nearly dawn, fog swallowed the lake shore

The driver said, “We’ll have to hitch”

And Neil said, “I’ll go,” and Ben Keith said sure

Midway through Neil Young’s life journey

Just before the After Berlin tour

 

Bruce Palmer and Ralph Molina

Stayed behind and played cards on the bus

The others were asleep still

You’re asleep too if your dreams have gone to rust

Neil Young walked by old Lake Zurich

Hoping for a lift, as we all must

Sunlight climbed the castle wall

Growing small was that brokedown tour bus

 

Chorus

“Let’s have a really good red wine tonight,”

Were the last words Carl Jung said

That’s how I want my life to be

Really good and deep red

Even after I am dead

 

Carl Jung died in ‘61

The After Berlin tour was ’82

Neil Young saw the carved stone tablet,

Sky behind the castle gold and blue

Ben Keith watched like Sancho Panza,

Wondering what his tilted friend might do

Birds were coming through the mist

And though the world was old

All life seemed new

 

Chorus

 

When I set out on this song

I thought Carl Jung would offer Neil a ride

That would be cool and fitting

And we’d all see Carl Jung’s spirit never died

Which is true enough, I guess, but such a hackneyed twist

Neil Young is alive

His whole life sings of how he and Ben Keith got back

And how the tour survived

 

Chorus

 

Midway through Neil Young’s life journey

He wrote a song he called “After Berlin”                               

I hadn’t heard it for a while, but dug it up and played it once again

My friend Andy loved Neil Young

If he were here we’d give Neil’s stuff a spin

But Andy’s dead.  Let’s have a really good red wine tonight

For absent friends

But Andy’s dead, let’s have a really good red wine tonight

For absent friends