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Genre
Folk Rock
Era
70s
Mood
Nostalgic
Tempo
Mid-tempo
Key
Minor
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Acoustic
Feel
Straight
Neil Young
Harvest (1972)
Neil Young
As Neil Young's only number-one hit, 'Heart of Gold' captures a pivotal moment in his career where physical recovery led to a profound acoustic shift. This track from the landmark album Harvest solidified the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s with its search for authenticity.
The harmonic structure of 'Heart of Gold' is a quintessential example of folk-rock simplicity. Its distinctiveness lies in the tension between E minor and G major. By starting almost every phrase on the Em chord, Neil Young creates a 'searching' atmosphere tha…
Written in 1971, the song emerged during a period when Neil Young was recovering from a back injury (a slipped disc) that made it difficult for him to stand and play his heavy electric guitar. Consequently, he spent more time sitting down with an acoustic guit…
“James Taylor played a six-string banjo-guitar on the track, which he had never played before.”
The harmonic structure of 'Heart of Gold' is a quintessential example of folk-rock simplicity. Its distinctiveness lies in the tension between E minor and G major. By starting almost every phrase on the Em chord, Neil Young creates a 'searching' atmosphere that matches the lyrics, only allowing the listener to reach the bright stability of G major at the very end of the progression. This creates a cycle of yearning and brief satisfaction.
Written in 1971, the song emerged during a period when Neil Young was recovering from a back injury (a slipped disc) that made it difficult for him to stand and play his heavy electric guitar. Consequently, he spent more time sitting down with an acoustic guitar and harmonica, leading to the softer folk-rock style of the Harvest sessions.
As Neil Young's only number-one hit, 'Heart of Gold' captures a pivotal moment in his career where physical recovery led to a profound acoustic shift. This track from the landmark album Harvest solidified the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s with its search for authenticity.
Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.
Genre
Folk Rock
Era
70s
Mood
Nostalgic
Tempo
Mid-tempo
Key
Minor
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Acoustic
Feel
Straight
7.3M
Plays
1.1M
Listeners
508K
Genius Views
9
Annotations
100%
Popularity
3:48
Duration
4/4
Time
From the album Harvest
Chords Em7 D ✕ ✕ Em C ✕ G Harmony The harmonic structure of 'Heart of Gold' is a quintessential example of folk-rock simplicity. Its distinctiveness lies in the tension between E minor and G major. By starting almost every phrase on the Em chord, Neil Young creates a 'searching' atmosphere that matches the lyrics, only allowing the listener to reach the bright stability of G major at the very end of the progression. This creates a cycle of yearning and brief satisfaction. Deep Analysis Available Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song. Notify me when it's ready Request Full Analysis
No musician information available for this song yet.
Composition Written in 1971, the song emerged during a period when Neil Young was recovering from a back injury (a slipped disc) that made it difficult for him to stand and play his heavy electric guitar. Consequently, he spent more time sitting down with an acoustic guitar and harmonica, leading to the softer folk-rock style of the Harvest sessions. Inspiration: The lyrics reflect Young's personal search for meaning and emotional fulfillment, characterized by the metaphor of searching for a 'heart of gold.' Its introspective nature was a departure from his more aggressive work with Crazy Horse. Recording Studio: Quadrafonic Sound Studios, Nashville, Tennessee Producer: Elliot Mazer James Taylor played a six-string banjo-guitar on the track, which he had never played before. The song features Young on harmonica and acoustic guitar while recovering from back surgery. Bob Dylan famously commented that the song's success annoyed him at the time because it sounded so much like his own style. The recording features the Stray Gators: Ben Keith (steel guitar), Tim Drummond (bass), and Kenny Buttrey (drums).
Chord Sheet Transpose 0 Capo 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Auto-scroll Print Reset Chords Used Hide functions Em vi T C IV P D V D G I T Progression by Section Intro Em7 i7 T D VII T Em i T Em i T C VI P D VII D G III T Outro Em i T D VII T Em i T Refrain Em vi T D V D G I T Chorus Em vi T G I T Em vi T G I T Em vi T C IV P D V D G I T Verse Em vi T C IV P D V D G I T Chord Diagrams Em7 D ✕ ✕ Em C ✕ G Harmony Analysis The harmonic structure of 'Heart of Gold' is a quintessential example of folk-rock simplicity. Its distinctiveness lies in the tension between E minor and G major. By starting almost every phrase on the Em chord, Neil Young creates a 'searching' atmosphere that matches the lyrics, only allowing the listener to reach the bright stability of G major at the very end of the progression. This creates a cycle of yearning and brief satisfaction. Find Tabs & Chords Songsterr Interactive tabs Ultimate Guitar Chords & tabs Cifra Club Chords
🎶 Similar Tracks Harvest Neil Young Old Man Neil Young Cinnamon Girl Neil Young & Crazy Horse Teach Your Children Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Knockin' on Heaven's Door Bob Dylan Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan 🎤 More by Neil Young Heart of Gold 7.3M plays Harvest Moon 7.7M plays Old Man 5.1M plays The Needle and the Damage Done 2.2M plays Only Love Can Break Your Heart 2.1M plays Rockin' in the Free World 2.0M plays View all Neil Young songs → Lyrics View Lyrics on Genius
HarvestNeil YoungOld ManNeil YoungCinnamon GirlNeil Young & Crazy HorseTeach Your ChildrenCrosby, Stills, Nash & YoungKnockin' on Heaven's DoorBob DylanLike a Rolling StoneBob DylanHeart of Gold7.3M playsHarvest Moon7.7M playsOld Man5.1M playsThe Needle and the Damage Done2.2M playsOnly Love Can Break Your Heart2.1M playsRockin' in the Free World2.0M playsView all Neil Young songs →