{"id":3567,"date":"2025-06-27T04:18:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T04:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artgardenhub.com\/?p=3567"},"modified":"2025-06-27T04:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T04:18:29","slug":"neil-young-performs-my-boy-for-the-first-time-in-42-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artgardenhub.com\/?p=3567","title":{"rendered":"Neil Young Performs \u2018My Boy\u2019 For The First Time in 42 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently, after more than four decades, Neil brought back \u201cMy Boy\u201d\u2014written in 1983\u2014as the centerpiece of a benefit concert at Lakefield College School in Ontario. Accompanied by a banjo and harmonica, he asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy are you growin\u2019 up so fast \/ My boy? \/ Oh, you\u2019d better take your time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is no casual lyric\u2014it\u2019s a father\u2019s plea, a bittersweet recognition of the relentless passage of time, and an anxious wish to hold on. Neil himself named it \u201cprobably the most soulful recording I have ever made\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And after all these years, when he dusted it off, he shared with fans:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was playing \u2018My Boy,\u2019 thinking about my own dad\u2026 My dad was a great guy and Zeke is a wonderful son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a multigenerational embrace\u2014Neil honoring his father, caring for his son, and gifted all of us with this vulnerable reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeke and Ben: Sons Who Inspired Song and Soul<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zeke, born in 1972 to Neil and actress Carrie Snodgress, was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy early on. His struggle walking and writing braces led to childhood challenges\u2014but also forged a bond between father and son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben, born in 1978 to Neil and Pegi Young, faced more severe cerebral palsy. His condition led to the creation of The Bridge School, which Neil and Pegi founded to support children with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These profound experiences shaped Neil\u2019s worldview\u2014and his music. He shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecoming a father to two children with special needs changed my priorities. I became much more involved in family\u2026 If I come up against something that\u2019s hard to deal with, I can handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The early \u201980s album Trans emerged from Neil\u2019s daily effort helping Ben with therapies involving digital devices. Its vocoder-altered voice was more than a stylistic leap\u2014it was an emotional bridge, reflecting the frustration of trying\u2014and sometimes failing\u2014to communicate with his son<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, \u201cNew Mama\u201d, from Tonight\u2019s the Night, was born in the same period when Zeke entered the world. A sparse, poignant lullaby, it tenderly acknowledges the hope and pain of becoming a parent to a child with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It Moves Us<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by BrooklynVegan (@brooklynvegan)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>