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Neil Young — Cinnamon Girl
Album: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Avg rating:
8.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1141









Released: 1969
Length: 2:54
Plays (last 30 days): 0
I want to live with a cinnamon girl
I could be happy the rest of my life
With a cinnamon girl

A dreamer of pictures, I run in the night
You see us together, chasing the moonlight
My cinnamon girl

Ten silver saxes, a bass with a bow
The drummer relaxes and waits between shows
For his cinnamon girl

A dreamer of pictures, I run in the night
You see us together, chasing the moonlight
My cinnamon girl

Pa, send me money now
I'm gonna make it somehow
I need another chance
You see your baby loves to dance
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Comments (79)add comment
10 Years ago, after 30 years of marriage to the same woman, I found my Cinnamon Girl but was too afraid to make that leap.  I still think of her and wonder what our life together could have been.....
 dolfan wrote:

When I hear this song I always think of an old girlfriend of mine with red hair who was a little, should I say, spicy. I hope she's happy and doing well. Man I love this song...



When I hear this song I immediately pick up my phone because it's my ringtone. This time the screen remained black and I can enjoy this marvelous track in its full length. Easy 10
 rdo wrote:

this is my chance at redemption.  I have been pretty critical of neil in the past but i LOVE this song--------------10!



I wish I could feel the same way. I can recognize his importance as an artist, but I don't like his music for some reason. 
I told you Neil could sing...
I never tire of this song. I can relate to the comment about the spicy redhead. I had one in my life. Burnt me out.
The first time I heard this song was when Phish covered it.  They did a 13 night run at Madison Square Garden and called it the Bakers Dozen, each night they featured a donut that they gave out to the audience.  This particular night was Cinnamon donut, they played a lot of material under red lights that was kind of dark and heavy.  They encored with this song.  They did not repeat one song the entire 13 night run, it was brilliant!
 beechwood wrote:

What exactly is a "cinnamon girl"?? :-k



if you have to ask, then you will never understand...
This guy may have a future in playing R n R.
I never got why Crazy Horse has always been dissed as Neil's crappy ol' bar band. I always loved the sh*t out of this album and I never thought much about technical prowess while listening to it.
Best one-note solo ever.
One of the best jammers ever! Always brings a smile to hear him earnestly sing about struggling to make it in Music, too
 Rooney wrote:
Eighteen one-note guitar solo, and he pulls it off.  As only he could.

 
yea.   amazing
Eighteen one-note guitar solo, and he pulls it off.  As only he could.
 haretic wrote:
1975? or '76
"The Inn of the Beginning." Cotati, California. One of those "surprise! super-short-notice-tiny-venue-WTF-I-can't-believe-I'm-finally-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time!!!" shows. It was a great show. I believe Crazy Horse was with Neil that night, although I confess ignorance. They sounded great, is all I really know!
Blew my mind.
{#Bananapiano}

An eternal 10+
 
Yes. Changed its name, I believe, to "Cotati Cabaret."  Great venue.  I worked in the photo shop on Old Redwood Highway.  It was in 1980 that I saw Bruce Cockburn for the first time.  Amazing times.
1975? or '76
"The Inn of the Beginning." Cotati, California. One of those "surprise! super-short-notice-tiny-venue-WTF-I-can't-believe-I'm-finally-in-the-right-place-at-the-right-time!!!" shows. It was a great show. I believe Crazy Horse was with Neil that night, although I confess ignorance. They sounded great, is all I really know!
Blew my mind.
{#Bananapiano}

An eternal 10+
10+
One of my personal faves from Mr Young. Was so cool when Los Lobos recently did this as an encore at one of their live shows.
Great guitar!
9+ - Always great to hear.  You'd really have to dig but The Dream Syndicate version is also worth playing.
Love this song and a good reminder to keep up my cinnamon intake; good for high blood pressure ya know! 8
Can't Live Without Neil Young!
But what is that strange and intriguing sound?

It's...it's....it's...RnR guitars!!!

Something ya just don't hear in 2015. 
 
And the year was 1969
   {#Daisy}  {#Clap}  {#Daisy}
Is any track more classic? 
 
 capandjudy wrote:

I know. It is perfect. Nothing else would work as well. 

 
nyny
Love love this song and this whole album.
Bought album many moons ago and completely wore that sucker out within a couple of years rotation on the turntable.
{#Wave}.... 10, next please
 rdo wrote:
this is my chance at redemption.  I have been pretty critical of neil in the past but i LOVE this song--------------10!
 
I knew you weren't all bad, rdo!  {#Wink}
this is my chance at redemption.  I have been pretty critical of neil in the past but i LOVE this song--------------10!
Every time I'm at Starbucks I think of this song as I sprinkle some Cinnamon on my coffee....


Simple, but still capable of raising goose bumps.  (Especially the jangly guitar solo after the end .... thanks, Bill, for letting it play through.)
 Elroweho wrote:
The best thing Neil ever recorded! I declare a 9!

 
THIS SONG IS HIS SIGNATURE TUNE!
 oldsaxon wrote:
nobody can do the one note guitar solo better than Neil.

 
I know. It is perfect. Nothing else would work as well. 
The best thing Neil ever recorded! I declare a 9!
 oldsaxon wrote:
nobody can do the one note guitar solo better than Neil.

 

HA!  That's funny!  You meant to be funny, right?  Right?
nobody can do the one note guitar solo better than Neil.
Last played April 2006.... criminal!
It was Danny Whitten who sung the Wooooooo during the solo towards the end and it Was Danny Whitten who was singing the song with Neil supplying the backup. Little known fact but true.
This is an awesome number, but the acoustic version is even better in my opinion.
My all time favorite NY song! Probably stems from listening to this way stoned back in the day. Great hand claps!
When I hear this song I always think of an old girlfriend of mine with red hair who was a little, should I say, spicy. I hope she's happy and doing well. Man I love this song...
this is a great track. i've always been a fan of neil young's writing. he's an amazing artist.
Love this song--thanks for the trip down memory lane!
One of my all time favorites!!! -solman
CinnamonGirl wrote:
You're playing my song!
Hey, I wanna live with a Cinnamon Girl....HaHaaaa
CinnamonGirl wrote:
You're playing my song!
But can you make me happy the rest of my life?
You're playing my song!
jadewahoo wrote:
A man with no voice, playing a single note over and over, and I melt into rapturous oblivion.Neil is a god.
All that and the delightful 'oooooooo' that the man with no voice sings halfway through the solo. Absolutely first class, perhaps the best NY song of all; anyone who says it should be longer misses the point ... this is perfect in the way short songs like the Velvet's 'Rock and Roll' and 'Sweet Jane' are .... which, coincidentally are also practically 'one-chord' songs sung by a man with no voice ...
i love this song, but when Miles Davis called Steve Miller a "note-playin' mofo", this is not what he meant!
Songwriting is this guy's gift....makes up for his "not so easy" voice. Love his stuff....
A special song for me. Thanks, Bill.
This is my highest - rated Neil song here. I love the one note guitar solo. I still dislike his singing. :-)
Neil greatness!
Never really appreciated Neil Young until I started playing guitar and writing songs a few years ago. This album, along with HARVEST and AFTER THE GOLD RUSH, are all brilliant.
A man with no voice, playing a single note over and over, and I melt into rapturous oblivion.Neil is a god.
cgrow wrote:
Love this. Can anyone tell me when it was written/released? Thank You!
1969. Neil was a year or two out of leaving the Buffalo Springfield. Amazing to think his career is coming up on 40 years and still going strong.
Love this. Can anyone tell me when it was written/released? Thank You!
sam wrote:
C'mon, while Neil does repeat a single note in several places on this song, the rhythm guitar and bass of Crazy Horse, along with the hauntingly evocative lead work of Neil Young on this piece and also on "Down By The River" are remarkably unique. Never before or since have I heard the complexities of this remarkable album as Neil Young and The Crazy Horse explore pertinent directions within the unique framework of these two songs... and the rest of the album is wonderful , too!
You misunderstand me. I love that guitar solo. It's a mark of Neil Young's artistry that he is basically playing one note but make it sound like a true guitar solo. You can put a lot of soul into one note, if you've got a lot of soul to give.
And by the way, coolest exit of any song in history. Except maybe that old INXS video when the drummer throws his sticks in the air and gets up from the kit and walks away. Remember that one? Back in the old Flock of Seagulls and Radio Clash video days? When MTV actually played music?
Yessssssssss! Thanks RP and thank you Neil!
Frawg wrote:
A redhead? s
I think you are off-base. I think, like Mick, he's talking about Brown Sugar.
sam wrote:
C'mon, while Neil does repeat a single note in several places on this song, the rhythm guitar and bass of Crazy Horse, along with the hauntingly evocative lead work of Neil Young on this piece and also on "Down By The River" are remarkably unique. Never before or since have I heard the complexities of this remarkable album as Neil Young and The Crazy Horse explore pertinent directions within the unique framework of these two songs... and the rest of the album is wonderful , too!
I totally agree. It's not Neil's expertise on the guitar but the emotion he can squeeze out of it that is clear on this and Down By The River. I once read he was in bed with the flu and wrote both songs in about 20 minutes. Something to be said for a NyQuil high. My group plays both songs and they are always big fun.
RParadise wrote:
Play that note, Neil!
C'mon, while Neil does repeat a single note in several places on this song, the rhythm guitar and bass of Crazy Horse, along with the hauntingly evocative lead work of Neil Young on this piece and also on "Down By The River" are remarkably unique. Never before or since have I heard the complexities of this remarkable album as Neil Young and The Crazy Horse explore pertinent directions within the unique framework of these two songs... and the rest of the album is wonderful , too!
RParadise wrote:
Play that note, Neil!
Heh heh. You know, until you mentioned it, I never realized it is only a single note he plays there. Nevertheless it fits in the song perfectly.
A redhead? s beechwood wrote:
What exactly is a "cinnamon girl"?? :-k
Play that note, Neil!
heheh, this is great! The first time I heard this, it was done as a cover by goth rock band Type O Negative (I love them!). :) I loved their cover of this song. The original is great...it's very, ahem, grooooovy! :D
"I wanna live with the cinnamon girl..." grooving track... Always lose it to dancing like a mad woman. Great song!! Great Guitar work too!
ANNE_MARIE wrote:
I agree..it's way too short. Maybe Bill could just play the entire work!
This is the song as it is on the original album.
beechwood wrote:
What exactly is a "cinnamon girl"?? :-k
My decade insert says in his handwriting (which is sometimes hard to read) "Wrote this for a city girl on peeling pavement coming at me thru Phil Ochs eyes playing finger cymbals. It was hard to explain to my wife"
What exactly is a "cinnamon girl"?? :-k
This is such a great song that I even liked it despite the fact that my first hearing was an early cover version by The Gentrys.
Great song! Fantastic guitar work with an odd 1/2 note down open tuning that is phenominal. Too bad the song is so short.
An incredible blast of rock heat when it was first released! Helped to blow away some of the after effects of psychedelic excess. Come on Wilson, pick it!