Neil Young - The Needle & The Damage Done (LYRICS + FULL SONG)

[BRIAN928S]

Very powerful song. But Neil was singing about his buddie guitarist Danny Whitten, not himself as many think. Neil never had a drug problem.

He was a good boy, and he reaped what he sowed...

[theonlynuttynurse]

Umm, as an ex-heroin addict I totally know what "milk blood" to keep from running out. As a nurse, duh...dummies blood coagulates so to keep for later is absolutely absurd!! Milk blood refers to when you first pull the plunger on the syringe back, to check your are in a vein, then push the drug in and keep doing it over and over and over (of course with only one stick, one high) to try to prolong the high and circulate it faster. It's a bunch of shit,doesn't really work, a needle addict thing.

[skylarfontaine]

@01louis10 p.s. anyone reading this, doing this does nothing to prolong any rush, it is just a habit that some junkies do because they develop a needle fixation .. all it actually does it cause extra damage to the vein. No point to it at all even from the perspective of the addict.

[skylarfontaine]

What he means by "milk blood to keep from running out" is simpler than that.. it's referring to how someone addicted to heroin will do anything and milk anything, even sell thier own blood or soul if they could to keep from running out and get more, to keep from getting sick.

[GreenQueenGelly]

amazing song

[cruelagent1]

i'm only 12 years old and i've had 2 of my family members die from drugs and i know the horror of them

this is why i know this is a beatiful song and has a meaning to it.

[pcwebiz]

When ever I get the urge, maybe even begin to glamorize those days I just step back for a moment as this song plays in my head and I remember all my friends that are now dead. Ignorance is not bliss. JC

[glengowan06]

Neil Young will never go down my drain. This is music. This is soul.

[dmackler58]

stunning!! this is great art.

[lisacarrollmason]

Damage done...it's been 7 years and it still haunts me. I know some of you won't understand...and every junkie's like a setting sun!

[teddyrailroad]

wow.....awesome.......

[mschnitzer22]

Best lyrics ever.... All true.......

[beholdmyswarthyface0]

That ending is brilliant.

[Mahmster]

Geeky, for the lyrics, click the "Show More" arrow under the video/credits. HTH.

[UniquelyGeeky]

No lyrics?

[pekepeep]

I SING THE SONG BCUZ I LOVE THE MAAN

[pagesidehigh]

my guy has been rotting for 8 wks 2day thx 2 bangin H -AINT DOPE GRAND! p.s. another 1 this a.m. p.p.s. opiates r the devil DONT B A SLAVE XOXOXO

[1amieosia]

absolutely beautiful and haunting, every junkie is truly a setting sun.

[lisacarrollmason]

@1amieosia Sounds like you've been there too! The haunting never leaves you!

[1amieosia]

@lisacarrollmason yes I have, it's true.

[soilsminor]

Y'all see how he attacks the giutar in the last phrase. That's the hate of the drug. Milk blood coagulates so you don't bleed to death fron the pinprick.

[1amieosia]

@soilsminor I read that the "milk blood to keep from running out" line means that junkies would draw up their own blood when they were high and had heroin in their system, then try to re-inject it later when they were dope sick. I don't know if this was just an "in theory" thing for the song, or if people actually did this though.

[youguys1968]

BROWN-BLOOD.