Like a Setting Sun

The challenge this week for Song Lyric Sunday from our host, Jim Adams, is: Last week we had How’s the Weather where the theme was to find a song related to weather conditions of sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy, or stormy suggested by Nancy of the Elephant’s Trunk aka The Sicilian Storyteller. This week the theme is to find a song related to drugs, chemical substances, prescription medications, alcohol, or tobacco suggested by Nancy of the Elephant’s Trunk aka The Sicilian Storyteller.

Neil Young is a Canadian/American singer-songwriter who wrote the song, “The Needle and the Damage Done.” Young had seen the effects of heroin on one of his good friends and Crazyhorse bandmate, Danny Whitten. Whitten had become addicted to heroin after using it to get relief from his rheumatoid arthritis. The song was released in 1972 and Whitten passed away later that same year from an overdose of diazepam and alcohol. He was taking diazepam in his attempt to kick his heroin habit. Young was also friends with his roadie, Bruce Berry, who died of a heroin overdose. The song was released in 1972 on Young’s album Harvest. The recording was of a live version of the song, with Young singing and playing an acoustic guitar.

When introducing the song for the 2007 album Live at Massey Hall 1971, Young said: “Ever since I left Canada about five years ago or so and moved down south, I found out a lot of things that I didn’t know when I left. Some of ’em are good, and some of ’em are bad. Got to see a lot of great musicians before they happened, before they became famous, y’know, when they were just gigging, five and six sets a night… things like that. And I got to see a lot of great musicians who nobody ever got to see for one reason or another. But, strangely enough, the real good ones that you never got to see was… ’cause of heroin. And that started happening over and over. Then it happened to someone that everyone knew about. So I just wrote a little song.”

I caught you knockin’ at my cellar door
I love you, baby, can I have some more?
Ooh, ooh, the damage done

I hit the city and I lost my band
I watched the needle take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done

I sing the song because I love the man
I know that some of you don’t understand
Milk blood to keep from running out

I’ve seen the needle and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie’s like a settin’ sun

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Neil Young

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