The classic that Neil Young wrote without his voice
(Source: Far Out/Tidal)
It’s rarely a good sign when a singer loses his voice. Often it’s because he’s overworked himself and needs to rest for a while before he can train his vocal cords again. Sometimes it’s because of something we all suffer from, like the flu or a cold. For Neil Young, having surgery on his throat didn’t mean he could continue to churn out hit tunes.
In the early 1970s, Young was in a relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress, but when she found out about their affair, their relationship ended abruptly. Zuma became a sort of break-up album, marked by Young’s coming to terms with loss and his acceptance of moving on. In 1975, Young described the new material as “a soul form moving from one historical scene to another, trying to find its way in this labyrinth.”
Many of the songs deal with Young’s experiences with love and how futile it can be. In the song “Pardon My Heart,” for example, the singer offers a tragic account of his relationship with Snodgress and how it became an exchange of “not giving and pretending to receive.” It’s no wonder, then, that he once introduced the song by saying, “It’s one of the saddest love songs I’ve ever heard.”
While writing some of the songs, Young had to undergo throat surgery, which left him speechless for a long time. Despite the obvious inconvenience this probably entailed, he was eager to carry on and shared new tunes he came up with with the rest of the band by whistling them. As rhythm guitarist Frank Sampedro recalled UncutThis is how “Lookin’ for a Love” was born.
“At some point between when we left Zuma Beach and when we left for the ranch, he had throat surgery and couldn’t speak for a long time,” the guitarist explained. “I bought him a couple of those Etch-A-Sketch toys so he could write. We’d go to bars like that. One time he came up to us and wrote, ‘I’ve got a new song.’ At that point he could barely blow the wind out of his teeth, so he taught us the melody.”
Obviously, the temporary loss of one of his most powerful instruments wasn’t going to hinder a master at work. When he finally got better, he took up the vocals, with supporting harmonies from Ralph Molina and Crazy Horse’s Billy Talbot. Listening to the song, any hint that Young had only just regained his voice disappears completely, and his performance exudes the same raw emotion and distinctive timbre that have defined his career.
Furthermore, the song also showcases the musician’s newfound appreciation for the power of moving on and the excitement that can bring, even when it’s uncertain. “I’ve been looking for a lover, but I haven’t met her yet,” he sings, claiming that when he finally does meet her, “I’ll discover another reason why I want to live and make the most of what I see.”
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