Sedan Delivery

Last updated
"Sedan Delivery"
Song by Neil Young
from the album Rust Never Sleeps
ReleasedJuly 2, 1979
RecordedOctober 15, 1978
Studio St. Paul Civic Center
Genre Hard rock
Length4:40
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Neil Young
Producer(s) Neil Young
David Briggs
Tim Mulligan

"Sedan Delivery" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1979 album with Crazy Horse, Rust Never Sleeps .

Contents

Background

"Sedan Delivery" was originally recorded during the Zuma sessions in 1975, [1] and was to be included on the unreleased Chrome Dreams album in 1977. [2] [3] As with "Powderfinger" (and another Chrome Dreams song, "Captain Kennedy"), "Sedan Delivery" was offered to Lynyrd Skynyrd for them to possibly include on their Street Survivors album, but Lynyrd Skynyrd ultimately passed on all of them. [3]

Music and lyrics

The version of "Sedan Delivery" on Rust Never Sleeps is a different arrangement to the original unreleased version; [4] [5] much of the Rust Never Sleeps version is taken at a very fast speed, consistent with that of many punk rock songs of the time. [4] [6] Young has stated that the new faster arrangement was inspired by Devo in attitude. [1] The song sometimes slows down, only to speed up again. [6] [7] [8] Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald describes these slowed down bridge passages as being "almost psychedelic." [6] Music critic Johnny Rogan interprets the varying tempos as complementing the confusion of the lyrics. [8]

The lyrics go through a number of varying scenes, which Williamson describes as "surreal." [5] [7] [8] The narrator starts by singing about beating a woman with varicose veins in a game of pool. [8] He then sings about visiting the dentist, seeing a movie about Caesar and Cleopatra, and delivering chemicals to a mad scientist. [5] [7] [8] Greenwald interprets the lyrics as a "stream-of-consciousness diatribe of the modern world and a young person's state of confusion." [6] Rolling Stone interprets the song as being the opposite of Young's earlier song "Tonight's the Night" in that in "Tonight's the Night" a working man is destroyed by drugs while in "Sedan Delivery" the narrator is a workingman whose job is to distribute drugs. [4] Author Ken Bielen agrees that the narrator is probably a drug dealer, based on the fact that the one delivery he makes is of "chemicals and sacred roots." [7] In 2014, Rolling Stone interpreted the last lines "Sedan delivery is a job I know I'll keep/It sure was hard to find" as reflecting the narrator's resolve to keep hustling despite the pressures of the job. [4] But Rolling Stone critic Paul Nelson interpreted these lines slightly differently in 1979. He interpreted them as demonstrating the narrator's pride in his job, despite the danger, possibly reflecting Young's own pride in his job. [9]

Reception

In 2014, Rolling Stone rated "Sedan Delivery" to be the #30 Neil Young song of all time. [4]

Other appearances

Neil Young and Crazy Horse performed "Sedan Delivery" live on the live album Live Rust , released later in 1979. [6] Another live version was released on the 1997 live album Year of the Horse . [6]

The Feelies released a cover version of "Sedan Delivery" in 1986 on the four song EP, "No One Knows," which takes its name from the song, released around the same time as their 1986 album The Good Earth ., [10] which included two songs from the album, and two covers.

Related Research Articles

<i>Rust Never Sleeps</i> 1979 studio album with live recordings by Neil Young with Crazy Horse

Rust Never Sleeps is the tenth album by Canadian American singer-songwriter Neil Young and his third with American band Crazy Horse. It was released on June 22, 1979, by Reprise Records and features both studio and live tracks. Most of the album was recorded live, then overdubbed in the studio, while others originated in the studio. Young used the phrase "rust never sleeps" as a concept for his tour with Crazy Horse to avoid artistic complacency and try more progressive, theatrical approaches to performing live.

"Danger Bird" is a song written by Neil Young. It was first released on his 1975 album with Crazy Horse, Zuma. A live version was also released on the 1997 album Year of the Horse.

"Out on the Weekend" is a song written by Neil Young that was the opening song of his 1972 album Harvest.

<i>Chrome Dreams</i> 2023 studio album by Neil Young

Chrome Dreams is the 46th studio album by Neil Young. It was first compiled as an acetate for consideration as an album for release in 1977. A copy of the acetate widely circulated as a bootleg in the decades prior to its release. The album was officially released on August 11, 2023 to universal acclaim from critics.

"Cowgirl in the Sand" is a song written by Neil Young and first released on his 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Young has included live versions of the song on several albums and on the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young album 4 Way Street. It has also been covered by The Byrds on their self-titled album. Like three other songs from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, "Cinnamon Girl", "Down by the River" and the title track, Young wrote "Cowgirl in the Sand" while he was suffering from the flu with a high fever at his home in Topanga, California.

"A Man Needs a Maid" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1972 album Harvest. It is one of two songs on Harvest on which Young is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. It has appeared on several of Young's live and compilation albums.

"Powderfinger" is a song written by Neil Young, first released on his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps. It subsequently appeared on several of Young's live recordings. A 2014 Rolling Stone special issue on Young ranked it as Young's best song ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Are You Ready for the Country (song)</span> 1972 song by Neil Young

"Are You Ready for the Country?" is a song written by Neil Young and released on his 1972 Harvest album. The track features Young on piano backed by the studio band dubbed The Stray Gators, comprising Jack Nitzsche on slide guitar, Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar, Tim Drummond on bass, and Kenny Buttrey on drums. Backing vocals on the track are by David Crosby and Graham Nash. The recording was made in a studio set up in a barn on Young's ranch.

"Pocahontas" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps. It has also been covered by Johnny Cash, Everclear, Emily Loizeau, Crash Vegas, Gillian Welch, Trampled By Turtles, and Ian McNabb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No More (Neil Young song)</span> 1989 song by Neil Young

"No More" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1989 album Freedom. Although not released commercially as a single, it reached #7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Young performed the song live on a Saturday Night Live performance on September 30, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will to Love</span> Song by Neil Young

"Will to Love" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1977 album American Stars 'N Bars. A promotional single of "Will to Love" was released, backed with a live performance of "Cortez the Killer."

"The Old Laughing Lady" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1968 debut solo album Neil Young.

"Harvest" is a song written by Neil Young that was the title song of his 1972 album Harvest.

"From Hank to Hendrix" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1992 album Harvest Moon. Young has frequently included it in live sets and it has been included on a number of live and compilation albums.

"Unknown Legend" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1992 album Harvest Moon. Although it was not released as a single, it reached #38 on the Billboard Magazine Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Crime in the City " is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1989 album Freedom, although Young had performed longer versions in concert earlier. It was not released as a single but reached number 34 on the Billboard Magazine Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It is a lengthy song, with a released version of almost nine minutes, but earlier versions were more than twice as long. It has been characterized as a document of moral rot in urban regions of the United States in the late 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (song)</span> Neil Young song

"Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" is a song written by Neil Young that was originally released as the title track of his 1969 album with Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. The song was written earlier, and a different version was originally considered for Young's 1968 solo debut album Neil Young.

"Country Girl" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 1970 album Déjà Vu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown</span> Song written by Danny Whitten

"Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown", also known as "(Come On Baby Let's Go) Downtown" or "Downtown", is a song written by Danny Whitten, possibly in collaboration with Neil Young, that was first released on Crazy Horse's 1971 album Crazy Horse. A live version was later released on multiple Neil Young albums, most famously on his 1975 album Tonight's the Night, and then on his 2006 album Live at the Fillmore East. Phish has covered the song in concert.

"Tonight's the Night" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1975 album Tonight's the Night. Two versions of the song bookended the album, with one version as the first song, and the other as the last. "Tonight's the Night" has also appeared on some of Young's live and compilation albums.

References

  1. 1 2 "Movietone Sedan Delivery 16mm". Neil Young Archives. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  2. Boyd, G. (2012). Neil Young FAQ. Backbeat Books. ASIN   B008RYZ7WM.
  3. 1 2 Durchholz, D. & Graff, G. (2012). Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History, Updated Edition. MBI. pp. 61, 117. ISBN   9781610586917.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "The 100 Greatest Songs". Neil Young. Rolling Stone. 2014. p. 82.
  5. 1 2 3 Williamson, N. (2002). Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young. Hal Leonard. p. 79. ISBN   9780879307417.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Greenwald, M. "Sedan Delivery". Allmusic . Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Bielen, K. (2008). The Words and Music of Neil Young. Praeger. p. 43. ISBN   9780275999025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Rogan, J. (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. Omnibus Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN   978-0711953994.
  9. Nelson, P. (Oct 18, 1979). "Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps > Album Review". Rolling Stone . No. 302. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  10. Raggett, N. "The Good Earth". Allmusic . Retrieved 2015-06-28.