Old man ( song ) - wikipedia Old man ( song ) This article is about the Neil Young song. For the song of the same title by Love, see Forever Changes. `` Old Man '' Single by Neil Young from the album Harvest B - side `` The Needle and the Damage Done '' Released April 17, 1972 Format 7 '' 45 RPM Recorded Quadraphonic Sound Studio, Nashville TN, February 6, 1971 Genre Folk rock, country rock Length 3 : 24 Label Reprise Songwriter ( s ) Neil Young Producer ( s ) Neil Young Elliot Mazer Neil Young singles chronology `` Heart of Gold '' ( 1971 ) `` Old Man '' ( 1972 ) `` War Song '' ( 1972 ) `` Heart of Gold '' ( 1971 ) `` Old Man '' ( 1972 ) `` War Song '' ( 1972 ) `` Old Man '' is a song written and performed by Neil Young on his 1972 album Harvest. `` Old Man '' was released as a single on Reprise Records in the spring of 1972, and reached # 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the week ending June 3. Contents 1 Background 2 Uses in popular culture and covers 3 Personnel 4 References Background The song was written for the caretaker of the Northern California Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased for $350,000 in 1970. The song compares a young man 's life to an old man 's and shows that the young man has, to some extent, the same needs as the old one. James Taylor played six - string banjo ( tuned like a guitar ) and sang on the song, and Linda Ronstadt also contributed vocals. In the film Heart of Gold, Young introduces the song as follows : About that time when I wrote ( `` Heart of Gold '' ), and I was touring, I had also -- just, you know, being a rich hippie for the first time -- I had purchased a ranch, and I still live there today. And there was a couple living on it that were the caretakers, an old gentleman named Louis Avila and his wife Clara. And there was this old blue Jeep there, and Louis took me for a ride in this blue Jeep. He gets me up there on the top side of the place, and there 's this lake up there that fed all the pastures, and he says, `` Well, tell me, how does a young man like yourself have enough money to buy a place like this ? '' And I said, `` Well, just lucky, Louis, just real lucky. '' And he said, `` Well, that 's the darnedest thing I ever heard. '' And I wrote this song for him. He tells a similar story when introducing the song at a February 23, 1971 performance broadcast by the BBC ( in which he says that he purchased the ranch from `` two lawyers '' ). Uses in popular culture and covers In 1988, the song is heard in the film Running on Empty. In 1998, N'Dea Davenport recorded the song for her 1998 debut album, N'Dea Davenport. In 2000, the song is heard in the film Wonder Boys. In 2000, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau covered the song for the soundtrack of the film Space Cowboys. In 2001, the song is heard in the documentary film Dogtown and Z - Boys. Bob Dylan regularly covered this song at a number of concerts on his 2002 tour, including one at Madison Square Garden. In 2004, the song was covered by Canadian folk trio The Wailin ' Jennys for their debut full - length album 40 Days, and by Wilson Phillips for their covers album, California. In 2005, Lizz Wright covered it on her live album Dreaming Wide Awake, recorded at Allaire, Shokan, New York the year before. It also appears in the film Lords of Dogtown. On December 5, 2006, the song was played at St. Louis Blues player Brett Hull 's jersey retirement ceremony, as the jersey rose to the rafters. In 2007, Grand National covered the song on their album A Drink and a Quick Decision as a live bonus track. In 2008, during the memorial service for Heath Ledger, the song was chosen to be played with a slideshow of pictures from Ledger 's life. Liam Finn ( Neil Finn 's son ) & EJ Barnes ( Jimmy Barnes 's daughter ) covered the song on the TV show RocKwiz. In 2010, the live version of the song from Live at Massey Hall 1971 was used briefly in the film Due Date. Donna Loren covered the song on her album Love It Away, and James McCartney covered the song on his EP Available Light. This version was featured in the second episode of season five of the TV series Californication. In 2011, Dallas Green, of City and Colour and Alexisonfire, covered the song at The 2011 Juno Awards, and post-grunge band Puddle of Mudd covered it on their covers album Re : ( disc ) overed. That same year Redlight King sampled `` Old Man '' on the album Something for the Pain. It was the first time Young had sanctioned a sample of this song. In 2013, The Voice Australia contestant Danny Ross covered it in the Live Finals 2. In 2014, the song appears in the last scene of the film The Expendables 3. In 2015, Young appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and performed the song with Fallon as his Neil Young character. Personnel Neil Young -- vocals, guitar Ben Keith -- pedal steel guitar James McMahon -- piano James Taylor -- banjo guitar, backing vocals Linda Ronstadt -- backing vocals Tim Drummond -- bass Kenny Buttrey -- drums References Jump up ^ `` Harvest ''. Discogs. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 21. Jump up ^ Jimmy McDonough. Shakey : Neil Young 's Biography. New York : Anchor, 2003, p. 364. Jump up ^ Leigh Creighton and wires ( February 4, 2008 ). Heath Ledger 's star - studded Hollywood memorial. Daily Telegraph. Accessed February 3, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Official Redlight King website ''. Redlight King. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Jimmy Fallon Sings With Neil Young As Another Neil Young ''. Huffington Post. February 4, 2015. 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'' `` Old Man '' `` The Needle and the Damage Done '' `` Cortez the Killer '' `` Will to Love '' `` Like a Hurricane '' `` Love Is a Rose '' `` Lotta Love '' `` Hey Hey, My My ( Into the Black ) '' `` Pocahontas '' `` Powderfinger '' `` Sedan Delivery '' `` Rockin ' in the Free World '' `` No More '' `` Wrecking Ball '' `` Downtown '' `` Let 's Impeach the President '' `` Angry World '' `` A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop '' Films and Videos Journey Through the Past Human Highway Neil Young in Berlin Solo Trans Year of the Horse Greendale Neil Young : Heart of Gold CSNY / Déjà Vu Neil Young Trunk Show Neil Young Journeys Books Waging Heavy Peace : A Hippie Dream Related Discography The Squires The Mynah Birds Buffalo Springfield Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young The Stills -- Young Band The Bridge : A Tribute to Neil Young Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi Pono Old Black Farm Aid Bridge School Benefit Pegi Young ( former wife ) Carrie Snodgress Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Man_(song)&oldid=814143376 '' Categories : 1972 songs 1972 singles Neil Young songs Reprise Records singles Songs written by Neil Young Song recordings produced by Elliot Mazer Songs about old age Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Brezhoneg Español Ido Italiano Nederlands Norsk nynorsk Edit links This page was last edited on 7 December 2017, at 03 : 13. 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Question: who sang the song old man look at my life
Answer: Neil Young