Old man lying by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by
Blue moon sinking from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky
Cold wind ripping down the alley at dawn
And the morning paper flies
Deadman lying by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around

Blind man running through the light of the night
With an answer in his hand
Come on down to the river of sight
And you can really understand
Red lights flashing through the window in the rain
Can you hear the sirens moan?
White cane lying in a gutter in the lane
If you're walking home alone

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning
And you will come around

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Just find someone who's turning
And you will come around

Don't let it bring you down
It's only castles burning
Just find someone who's turning
And you will come around


Lyrics submitted by H-bomb, edited by stephenmay47

Don't Let It Bring You Down Lyrics as written by Neil Young

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Don't Let It Bring You Down song meanings
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  • +1
    Song Meaning

    I think the song is pretty straight forward with a little bit of clumsy metaphor thrown in. As stated earlier, the song was written at a time when society was unraveling. If the song was not called DLIBYD it could have been called "The Times They Are A Chagin." Neil Young seems to be explaining that the unraveling of society is part of a natural cycle; societies are born, they live, they unravel and they die. Then a new society is born to take it's place (Don't let it bring you down). The first verse is a great word picture of a cold, dark, and uncaring society; the old man is alive at the beginning and dead at the end (more about the cycle of life and death). The second verse makes what appears to be paradoxical statement and then explains what he means. A blind man always lives in darkness; the "answer" to how there can be the "light of the night," is in the blind man's hand; a white can. The cane that is a light to his darkness and helps him to see. But, as with the "river of sight," the blind man can only see the surface of the water, not what's going on underneath. The song ends explaining that if you only see the surface you will probably not survive (You'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone, For the times they are a chagin)"

    onespeedbikeron October 29, 2011   Link

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