"Old Man" is a song written and performed by Neil Young on his 1972 album Harvest. The song was written for the caretaker of the Northern California Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased for $350,000 in 1970. The song compares a young man's life to an old man's and shows that the young man has, to some extent, the same needs as the old one. James Taylor played six-string banjo (tuned like a guitar) and sang on the song, and Linda Ronstadt also contributed vocals. In the movie Heart of Gold, Young introduces the song as follows: " About that time when I wrote (Heart of Gold), and I was touring, I had also -- just, you know, being a rich hippie for the first time -- I had purchased a ranch, and I still live there today. And there was a couple living on it that were the caretakers, an old gentleman named Louis Avala and his wife Clara. And there was this old blue Jeep there, and Louis took me for a ride in this blue Jeep. He gets me up there on the top side of the place, and there's this lake up there that fed all the pastures, and he says, "Well, tell me, how does a young man like yourself have enough money to buy a place like this?" And I said, "Well, just lucky, Louie, just real lucky." And he said, "Well, that's the darndest thing I ever heard." And I wrote this song for him. " —Neil Young He tells a similar story when introducing the song at a February 23, 1971 performance broadcast by the BBC (in which he says that he purchased the ranch from "two lawyers"). The song can be heard in the films Dogtown and Z-Boys, Wonder Boys, and Lords of Dogtown. It can also be heard in Brian Foster's part of the BMX Video "FitLife" made by Fit Bike Co. During actor Heath Ledger's Hollywood memorial service, "Old Man" was chosen to be played with a slideshow of pictures from Ledger's life. At former St. Louis Blues Brett Hull's jersey retirement ceremony, this song was played as his jersey rose to the rafters. Lyrics Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, Twenty four and there's so much more Live alone in a paradise That makes me think of two. Love lost, such a cost, Give me things that don't get lost. Like a coin that won't get tossed Rolling home to you. Old man take a look at my life I'm a lot like you I need someone to love me the whole day through Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true. Lullabies, look in your eyes, Run around the same old town. Doesn't mean that much to me To mean that much to you. I've been first and last Look at how the time goes past. But I'm all alone at last. Rolling home to you. Old man take a look at my life I'm a lot like you I need someone to love me the whole day through Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were.

• published: 10 Jan 2011
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