The Needle and the Damage Done by Neil Young
Ellie Wilkes
The Needle And The Damage Done is another Neil Young classic. It was first released on his 1972 album Harvest as a live recording from a performance in 1971 in which Young sings and plays acoustic guitar solo.
One of Young’s most acclaimed songs, it explores the devastating impacts of addiction that Young witnessed amongst the music industry, and his own friends, after moving from Canada to LA. It is an enduring country folk staple and has been covered by many musicians over the years including Duran Duran and The Pretenders.
The unique sound of the song is created with a mix of strumming and finger-picking. It can be difficult to master, but is built around a simple strumming pattern and once you get the hang of the intro, you can play the whole song!
Here is a chord sheet you can download…
Watch the full lesson here…