THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
2,025) Buffalo Springfield — “Flying on the Ground Is Wrong”
“Flying” is an impossibly gorgeous song written by Neil Young and sung by Richie Furay on Buffalo Springfield’s (see #1,555) first LP. “Although Neil Young has only two lead vocals on the record . . . he’s already a songwriter of great talent and enigmatic lyricism, particularly on . . . [‘Flying’].” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/buffalo-springfield-mw0000053741) “I come back to this song a lot its one of the few songs that genuinely gives me chills every time I hear it” (montreal1974, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxYFZIDoCdI) The song was a #36 hit in Canada . . . for the Guess Who (see #758, 1,140, 1,335, 1,367).
Stewart Mason writes:
One of the lesser-known gems of Neil Young’s Buffalo Springfield days . . . arguably slighter than either “Mr. Soul” or “Broken Arrow,” but its wistful melody and evocative lyrics make it one of the prettier songs of Young’s entire career. Richie Furay takes the lead vocal, his much sweeter voice emphasizing the winsome tune instead of the inscrutability of the lyrics (what on earth does the title mean, anyway?*). Young himself contributes a lovely lead guitar part heavy on the sort of ringing sustain that proves that Buffalo Springfield was a big influence on later jangle pop bands. Although [it] was never released as a single and never attracted much attention at the time of its release, it has since become a favorite of latter-day Neil Young fans.
https://www.allmusic.com/song/flying-on-the-ground-is-wrong-mt0006423773
* Rolling Stone Australia explains: “’It’s about what happens when you start getting high,’ [Young] says on 1970’s Live at the Cellar Door. ‘And you find out that people you thought you knew, you don’t anymore — because they don’t get high, and you do.'” (https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-neil-young-songs-35283/flying-on-the-ground-is-wrong-35315/) Others say that it is about what an epileptic seizure feels like to Neil.
Here is Neil Young live:
Here is the Guess Who:
Here is Summer Snow:
Here are the Cascades:
Here is Angel Pavement:
Here is Suburban 9 to 5:
Here is Thomas Edisun’s Electric Light Bulb Band:
If you’ve gotten this far, check out the Replacements’ “Swingin’ Party” — compare and contrast:
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