[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Neil Young — Cowgirl In The Sand
Album: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Avg rating:
8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3673









Released: 1969
Length: 9:53
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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 turn back
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
Is this 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 (388)add comment
Neil is back on Spotify.
He relented!
Their ain't NOTHIN' better than early Neil Young!  His firsrt 8 albums are absolute classics, especially this one, After and Harvest.  His lyrics are amazing and his scrappy lead guitar duels in this song and Down by the River are absolutely timeless. 
 Wisconsinrob wrote:

absolutely epic.  the guitar is great but the bass really drives it.  Neil's voice works perfectly in this song.  crank it to 10, close your eyes, nod along to the beat...awesome.



while being stoned... nothing finer
 kingart wrote:

I think NY is not playing the axe like that because he was constrained by skill, ears, discipline or other. I think he played it like that and always exactly the way he wanted to play it.  That's the sound and aesthetic he developed.  And you know it's NY by the first or second note, which is part of the artistry. 


Yeah that raunchy distorted timbre he works out through his guitar to pedal to amp to us is very much his recognizable style. 
 belegato wrote:

that lead guitar sound hasn't aged well.



Says you.
Classic. 10/10.
You can't find that album on Spotify...
As of this writing you can’t find that album on Spotify…! Which is really sad. I know why he did it, but now unless I’m home I can listen to this album.
Probably the 3rd song I ever learned to play bass on (after Grand Funk's "Heartbreaker" and (naturally) "Down By The River". Still great today.
Love the rocking, just wish he wouldn’t sing.
Neil took a bit of a dive for me when he pulled out of Spotify (which I believe he has since returned to $$$$$) but still love his music.
 sunward wrote:

Truly great guitar playing! 

9-->10

This takes me back to a summer of '69, when I lived at Rochdale College in Toronto. It was a time of experimentation, creativity, and change. And experiment we did! Psychedelics mostly. 

 The guys down the hall played this album in continuous repeat. When I left to travel to the West Coast, it played on in my head. Now I read that it is on the list of "1,001 albums you must hear before you die."  As I might have said then: "Yeah, I can dig it."




OUTTA SIGHT MAN!!

 sunward wrote:

Truly great guitar playing! 

9-->10

This takes me back to a summer of '69, when I lived at Rochdale College in Toronto. It was a time of experimentation, creativity, and change. And experiment we did! Psychedelics mostly. 

 The guys down the hall played this album in continuous repeat. When I left to travel to the West Coast, it played on in my head. Now I read that it is on the list of "1,001 albums you must hear before you die."  As I might have said then: "Yeah, I can dig it."



NY makes me wanna listen to a Joe Rogan podcast... and I'm not a big Rogan fan.  SKIP!
I have the volume cranked as high as it will go and it's still not loud enough! 

Need a dial that goes to 11...
Truly great guitar playing! 

9-->10

This takes me back to a summer of '69, when I lived at Rochdale College in Toronto. It was a time of experimentation, creativity, and change. And experiment we did! Psychedelics mostly. 

 The guys down the hall played this album in continuous repeat. When I left to travel to the West Coast, it played on in my head. Now I read that it is on the list of "1,001 albums you must hear before you die."  As I might have said then: "Yeah, I can dig it."
Was introduced to this album by by older, late cousin. I loved it so much he bought me an album for myself. Years later I still revel in this amazing piece though it brings sadness for the tragic fate of my cousin.
Great music. Stupid lyrics. Stupid then. Stupid now.
 paloeguevo wrote:

He truly is the king of weird dissonant guitar solos. Who plays the bass? so so good 







Billy Talbot

everytime I hear this song it seems less random and more inspired ...
 belegato wrote:

that lead guitar sound hasn't aged well.


au contraire, that's a classic, an anthem for its time, and even without intimate knowledge of this track that sound draws attention, and most of us who were older than about 8 when we first heard it know exactly who is playing.  
that lead guitar sound hasn't aged well.
A Canadain National Treasure for sixty years!
He truly is the king of weird dissonant guitar solos. Who plays the bass? so so good 
Without that steady plodding bass this would be nowhere near as good.
Why was the beginning (quiet part) of the song missing?
I am sorry for this old man that he is not wiser in his old days. He would do better to take care of music and just music. Peace for everyone.
 lesbaxterlover wrote:

Just yesterday Young said he's pulling his music from Spotify because of all of the Joe Rogan stuffs... 60% of his listeners were from Spotify. I hope it all works out in the end.


Neil already made his bank last year, when he sold half his catalog (for $50M?) to those bastards at Hipgnosis (not the Hipgnosis us music lovers thing of) who are owned by those bastards Blackstone.   

And oh the irony of a guy who wrote "Living in the Free World" supporting censorship.  

Anyways, I'm still at an 8 on this one.  

Long Live RP!!
Just yesterday Young said he's pulling his music from Spotify because of all of the Joe Rogan stuffs... 60% of his listeners were from Spotify. I hope it all works out in the end.
Thank you for playing NY´s Cowgirl, old and dear memories, was ~/ 16 yrs and would play this song and the the album Everybody knows... all the time for my girlfriend, even tried it myself on acoustc guitar. Later  all my friends came hooked on Neil´s music. My girl later became my wife, the mother of our 2 children, now in their early thirties . N.- has written real gems through the years, Cortez, Hurricane but also a lot of ``crapp.`But he is still my favourite artist and I forgive him his wanderings , BARN among them, unfortunately. BUT Hail to Neil, a very great artist!
Wow, 
This could go on for another 10 minutes and I would not mind - At all!
pure joy. Solid 10. Great memories. 
 Mreudaimon wrote:
Yet another great Neil song...
I am intrigued what sort of person rates this a 1 out of 10, and they have my sympathy.


The . . . kind who doesn't like Neil Young? Those people are allowed to exist too. I'm one of them!
 fraserji wrote:

How could this ever possibly be anything less than a 10? 



I mean, the mode is a 9, so . . . 
Yet another great Neil song...
I am intrigued what sort of person rates this a 1 out of 10, and they have my sympathy.
 rdo wrote:

I can't help getting over the feeling that Neil Young's songs are the exact same songs played over and over and over and over.............



Its ALL one song man!
Godlike.  One of those few tracks that defines the essence of its time.  Even better, this will never grow old.  
 justin4kick wrote:

With this song on replay I bet I can run a marathon




I'd run a mile
Pure bliss. Grungy yet melodic. Yeah, it’s one of those “10” tunes.


Ruby in the dust
absolutely epic.  the guitar is great but the bass really drives it.  Neil's voice works perfectly in this song.  crank it to 10, close your eyes, nod along to the beat...awesome.
With this song on replay I bet I can run a marathon
What a absolute gem and has to be cranked up to a 10 on both levels👍
 macpeck wrote:
Best piece he ever did...
 
One of the "best piece(s) he ever did...". 
I really  prefer this non-audience version; no clapping, longer, with a great job by the band!
Thanks Bill.
raw and rainy Sunday morning. This is a very solid choice to jam to as I have my coffee and read the paper and hope that in 9 days the country snaps out of it.
Thank you to Uncle Neil for having such a great sound on his guitar. I love every note and chord.
 kh808 wrote:
I have Lisen to this Song every since it was released and still marvel at Neil's finger and cord work a very underrated guitar player
 

Saw Neil doing an Acoustic Solo show promoting "Freedom" in 89'.  A few acoustics and a piano on stage.  Hadn't realized until that point what a great guitarist Neil is.  Growing up in Scarborough, Ontario in the 70's, if you weren't a fan you sure weren't one of the cool kids.  Although Neil was branded as the king of the one note solo for a long time we all idolized him.  Anyone interested in a good read about Neil, check out the book "Shakey" by James McDonough.  He lived at the ranch with Neil and family and was never sure if Neil would let him publish his writing.  Neil must be an Ogre as he has so many layers.
Don't  know why but when I first heard Neil Young I've instantly become a fan. Love his crying voice and raw guitar fuzzes so much. Simple and listener digest music.
I have Lisen to this Song every since it was released and still marvel at Neil's finger and cord work a very underrated guitar player
I'm catching a whiff of Californications. 
 hbm wrote:
Hah! Young isn't free of the chopping block either. 3-minute attention spans on FM, too. Which leads to, this must be one of the few times I've heard the full version...
 
Only on RP!
This brings me back to my bedroom in our basement when I was 16 years old and had the whole blacklight and velvet posters all over the walls. Neil captivated me with his great deep meaning of simple things and the great guitar sound along with amazing background harmony vocals that we're mostly him. I really miss my burned out basement.
One of the greatest rock'n'roll anthems ever recorded.  The guitar work is amazing, as are the backing vocals; the rhythm section never falters, and the lyrics are so very 1960s.

As noted below, how can this ever be less than a ten?
50 Jahre alt, aber mmer noch volle punktzahl: 10. Live in München am 6. Juli. 
How could this ever possibly be anything less than a 10? 
Hah! Young isn't free of the chopping block either. 3-minute attention spans on FM, too. Which leads to, this must be one of the few times I've heard the full version...
Have heard the entire first side of Thick As A Brick and Cowgirl in The Sand gets cuts off??
 michaelmuller wrote:
I'm starting to hear lots of repeats on this hipper, "more upbeat" version of RP. I love the mix, and am hoping the library is expanded so there's less repeats.
 

But the library is huge already. Way too much REM for my taste, but I rarely hear the same songs too often.
More feedback: when a song has a long outro (extended fade) the player starts the next song early in the fade, so for a while there are two songs playing at the same time. In this case, Cowgirl in the Sand was overlapped with Joe Cocker's Cry Me a River.

Keep on rockin' on!
... and then again, 22 hours later.

I'm starting to hear lots of repeats on this hipper, "more upbeat" version of RP. I love the mix, and am hoping the library is expanded so there's less repeats.
Have heard this a few times this week. NO COMPLAINTS. Thanks Bill. Never get tired of this.   NEVAH! 
Always dug this album and especially this song from it.
I think NY is not playing the axe like that because he was constrained by skill, ears, discipline or other. I think he played it like that and always exactly the way he wanted to play it.  That's the sound and aesthetic he developed.  And you know it's NY by the first or second note, which is part of the artistry. 
Almost half a century since release and still sounds as good as anything coming out today.
Among the best EVER!!
My first "10" on RP!!
 
I'm not a massive Neil Young fan.  But the lyrics to this song!! ♡ they take my breath away!
 Dosequis wrote:
I always get a kick out of Neil Young trying to play lead guitar. The worst.

 
Tsk!  Listen to Alabama?
 LowPhreak wrote:

Nah, actually he uses 3 or 4 notes, and a lot of bending. But it works.



{#Wink}

I've loved his guitar-work since I was 13..... Now I'm 57 it's a maturer less hormone-directed thang but still think he's one of the best.  It's gotta be more about feeling not just technique. Cannay stand Clapton.  

 

 kcar wrote:
Also from that era: Neil and The Shocking Pinks.

"Wonderin' ": 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6A6oTFdcw (see link below)

When you watch the video you get the feeling that Neil was experimenting with glue at the time.
 
Brilliant video. This was about the time when many bands were taking their videos very seriously, hiring big name directors and spending boatloads of money, usually with ghastly, overblown results. "Wonderin' was Neil's lo-fi, tongue in cheek response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIVZNlJYZlA
 Ag3nt0rang3 wrote:

Hmm, link's dead now. No matter, if you search for Trans on Youtube or whatever, you can find it. 

 
Also from that era: Neil and The Shocking Pinks. 

still from Neil Young video "Wonderin'"

"Wonderin' ": 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a6A6oTFdcw

When you watch the video you get the feeling that Neil was experimenting with glue at the time. 


 capandjudy wrote:
 Whether Neil Young is a good or bad guitar player is a debate that is without end. When I was in college back in the early seventies someone that I was talking to called him "one note Neil." In a technical sense you are right but he really connects with those who like him. 

 
Nah, actually he uses 3 or 4 notes, and a lot of bending. But it works.



{#Wink}



8 ==> 9, outstanding!!
{#Bananajam} 
Neil Young is forever and always a BADA$$!!
oh, and neil is just neil ...
do you smell the sweet pungent fragrance of burning cannabis?
Best piece he ever did...
 Ag3nt0rang3 wrote:

that's Ironic, because there are few artists who've been as experimental and risky in their musical directions as Neil Young. I think that for the most part, people know Young for his ballady, pedal-steel and acoustic guitar songs, which do tend to sound alike. A smaller group adore and worship his harder rocking, feedback and pounding-on-the-fretboard electric guitar playing. But not many people at all know about his rockabilly stuff, straight-out country songs, bluesy pop tunes, or his (really horrible) electronic music.

He has a stunningly broad range of music (not all of it very good), but even here on RP we mostly just get Harvest and maybe a few tunes from his Crazy Horse era. 

Here, have a listen. Skip through to the electronic stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSNQhLm1V84 

 
Hmm, link's dead now. No matter, if you search for Trans on Youtube or whatever, you can find it. 
 Dosequis wrote:
I always get a kick out of Neil Young trying to play lead guitar. The worst.

 
{#No}  {#No}  {#No}
 Dosequis wrote:
I always get a kick out of Neil Young trying to play lead guitar. The worst.

  Whether Neil Young is a good or bad guitar player is a debate that is without end. When I was in college back in the early seventies someone that I was talking to called him "one note Neil." In a technical sense you are right but he really connects with those who like him. 
This song makes me want to contribute. Please, a little less sappy folksy stuff and a little more sophisticated rock and roll.
Cowpie in the sky!   {#Lol}
 musicology wrote:
easy 10

 
Without question.  "Down By the River" and "Cinnamon Girl" tend to get much more press and airplay, but for my money this is NY w/ CH's very best cut.  Incredible, awesome guitar work, terrific lyrics.  An 11, if there was such a category, it's one of RnR's all time great works.
I always get a kick out of Neil Young trying to play lead guitar. The worst.
 rdo wrote:
I can't help getting over the feeling that Neil Young's songs are the exact same songs played over and over and over and over.............

 
that's Ironic, because there are few artists who've been as experimental and risky in their musical directions as Neil Young. I think that for the most part, people know Young for his ballady, pedal-steel and acoustic guitar songs, which do tend to sound alike. A smaller group adore and worship his harder rocking, feedback and pounding-on-the-fretboard electric guitar playing. But not many people at all know about his rockabilly stuff, straight-out country songs, bluesy pop tunes, or his (really horrible) electronic music.

He has a stunningly broad range of music (not all of it very good), but even here on RP we mostly just get Harvest and maybe a few tunes from his Crazy Horse era. 

Here, have a listen. Skip through to the electronic stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSNQhLm1V84 
This Song makes me wanna go Snowboarding right now. Its really stormy here in Interlaken / Swiss Alps the Snow is coming..uuuuuhhhhh
Something of note involving this artist

https://www.lincvolt.com

 

Great song by a great artist.

 
 musicology wrote:
easy 10

 
I'm with you there

I couldn't help myself - here

Headphones on my desk
a sound far away
listening for it

a familiar thing
my ears put them on
magic surrounds me

 
As the late, great Joe Strummer said: "f*ckin' long, innit?" ;-(
awesome ! what a delight !
Perfect.
Classic Song from a Classic Album!!
I can't help getting over the feeling that Neil Young's songs are the exact same songs played over and over and over and over.............
easy 10
Though this song is undeniably classic - with a 7-minute guitar solo that my 15-year-old daughter has been trying to figure out by ear - I am still partial to the acoustic live version off of "Four Way Street".  Don't like how they smoothed out Neil's vocals on the studio version.  It's much more unvarnished and real on the live version.  Side note - studio version is arguably Neil's most rockin tune and acoustic version is among his most sweet/plaintive.  All in one tune.  The dude is versatile.
The 1969 gift that keeps on giving  :-)
This one's on my desert island list.
Awesome song.
Nobody, but NOBODY, plays guitar solos like this man.  Nobody.  Before you were even born.   {#Notworthy}
I had the pleasure of seeing Neil with Booker T and the MGs in SF.

Ho m'Lord !!! A better time could not have been had. Indeed :-)
 oldfart48 wrote:
next to sugar mtn.this has to be the worst crap squeel ever forced down our throats. crap, crap, crap.{#Frustrated}{#Wall}
 
Please wall slam your head to Adele and leave appreciation of the classics to the connoisseurs. Thank you for calling but our menu has changed. 
 rockpommel16 wrote:
 

it's 1 more
Hello Cowgirl in the Sand.  Can I see your sweet, sweet smile?  Some of Neil's best three-note guitar solos ever recorded!
Wow, flashback; 1980 to Rampart's Creek Hostel in the Canadian Rockies.  Snow, woodfire, mushrooms and making love.
I've often dissed the latter-day NY.  This cut and most of this album are God-like.
I went to school with Neil Young.  If that doesn't say son of a hippie then I guess the prize went to the girl in the year below called Rainbow Waterfall Something or other.
just great


Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Americana (2012)




This song is a test as to how much noodling I can take in any one sitting. I'm beginning to feel like Kobayashi.
i never get tired of this one.
 wlpendley wrote:

Try listening to this song with your heart first and ears second.  It's truly superb.
 
As much as I love Neil Young's music, I have to say that I think this kind of comment is off-base and comes off as being patronizing. Maybe someone has listened with their heart, and heard nothing interesting; a song can have different effects on different people, and if someone isn't moved by a song, it's not that person who is to blame.  
 I really enjoyed him in the 70s but it grates on me now..vanmas wrote:
I want to like Neil, its an icon, but mostly I don't...
Bad singer and very annoying guitar playing...
 


 wlpendley wrote:

Try listening to this song with your heart first and ears second.  It's truly superb.
 
I Want to like the trash bin.  its really helpful.
would you tell me to smell all the different flavours?

trash is trash, if it aint good....... aw forget it PSD!.
Not my favorite Neil Young song, but any Neil Young is great to hear........
 vanmas wrote:
I want to like Neil, its an icon, but mostly I don't...
Bad singer and very annoying guitar playing...
 
Try listening to this song with your heart first and ears second.  It's truly superb.
I want to like Neil, its an icon, but mostly I don't...
Bad singer and very annoying guitar playing...

le_colonel wrote:

I keep forgetting how much I like Neil Young.

9.
 
Ditto. 
I guess to go from the last track straight into Powderfinger would have been a little too "on the nose".