| "The Old Laughing Lady" | |
|---|---|
| Song byNeil Young | |
| from the albumNeil Young | |
| Released | November 12, 1968 (1968-11-12) |
| Recorded | October 17, 1968 |
| Studio | Sunwest Recording Studio, Los Angeles |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 5:58 |
| Label | Reprise |
| Songwriter | Neil Young |
| Producers |
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"The Old Laughing Lady" is a song written byNeil Young that was first released on his 1968 debut solo albumNeil Young.
Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald describes "The Old Laughing Lady" as a "striking mood piece."[1] He describes the music as being "built on some simple, downcast chord changes, in a modalD guitar tuning," which he says gives the song depth and grandeur.[1] Music criticJohnny Rogan describes the song's use ofstring instruments and a "ghostly girl chorus" as giving it an "eerie effect."[2]
Young biographer Jimmy McDonough remarks on the song's "sweet, sadcountermelodies passing from strings toFrench horn with beautiful restraint."[3] According to music critic Nigel Williamson, the production byJack Nitzsche helps give the song a sense of mystery.[4] The song contains four verses but norefrain.[5] The changes in mood and tone over the course of the song are reminiscent of Young's earlier song "Broken Arrow" that he wrote and performed as a member ofBuffalo Springfield.[6]
Rolling Stone Magazine critic Gary Von Tersch considers "The Old Laughing Lady" to be the more effective of the two, because he considers it to be "tighter, more mature and [have] more of the quiet explosion to it that Young obviously intends.[6]
The themes of "The Old Laughing Lady" include love, death, alcoholism and alienation.[1][7] The old laughing lady of the title can be ametaphor for either death or alcohol.[2][4][8] The song describes how the old laughing lady affects the lives of those she interacts with.[5]
"The Old Laughing Lady" was written earlier than most of the songs onNeil Young. According to Young, he wrote it one day on a napkin while drinking coffee in a coffee shop without knowing what prompted it.[3][8] A version was recorded byBuffalo Springfield for their 1968 albumLast Time Around in January 1968.[1][4]
An even earlier version was tried out during the sessions for Buffalo Springfield's earlier albumBuffalo Springfield Again.[4] In the version onNeil Young, Nitzsche used a vocal muting technique that makes Young sound "a million miles away, but right there."[3]
Neil Young FAQ author Glen Boyd described "The Old Laughing Lady" as having "stood the test of time" sinceNeil Young was released.[9]Pitchfork contributor Mark Richardson describes the song as having "echoes of the great music to come" from Young's later career.[10] In 2014 the editors ofRolling Stone Magazine ranked it as Young's 63rd all time greatest song, describing it as "California psychedelia with the sun sucked out."[8]
Young included "The Old Laughing Lady" on his 1977compilation albumDecade.[2][11] A live version was released on Young's 1993 albumUnplugged, although Rogan felt that version lacked the mystery and sadness of the original.[2][5][12]
