Ashwin Lewis
Rust Never Sleeps is the tenth album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released in 1979. The album is considered a major shift in artistic direction for Young and the music industry, marking Young's recognition of the emergence of punk and the evolution of rock-n-roll. The title Rust Never Sleeps is a metaphor for artistic vitality, conveying the idea that staying stagnant leaves one vulnerable to the corrosive effects of aging and obsolescence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Neil Young |
| Album | Rust Never Sleeps |
| Year of release | 1979 |
| Record label | Reprise Records |
| Genre | Punk, Rock-n-Roll |
| Lyrics | "It's better to burn out than it is to rust" |
| Theme | Personal escape and exhaustion, the role of rock music, American violence |
| Significance | Marked a major shift in artistic direction for Young and the music industry, Embraced the new at the expense of the old, One of the most influential concert tours of all time |
| Songs | "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)", "My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue)", "Thrasher", "Powderfinger", "Welfare Mothers", "Sedan Delivery", "Pocahontas", "Ride My Llama" |
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What You'll Learn
The origins of the phrase 'Rust Never Sleeps'
The origins of the phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" can be traced back to Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young's tenth album, "Rust Never Sleeps," released in 1979. The phrase itself was not coined by Young but was adopted from the band Devo, who allegedly used it in an advertising campaign for the rust inhibitor product Rustoleum.
The album "Rust Never Sleeps" marked a significant shift in artistic direction for Young, as he recognized the emergence of punk as a new force in music. The title phrase embodies the spirit of punk and the need to embrace change and evolution in the music industry. Young adopted the phrase as a concept for his tour with Crazy Horse to avoid artistic complacency and explore more progressive and theatrical approaches to performing live.
The song "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" from the album includes the lyrics "It's better to burn out than it is to rust," which have become closely associated with the phrase "Rust Never Sleeps." These lyrics were co-written by Jeff Blackburn, whose band opened for The Ducks' 1977 California bar tour. The sentiment of the lyrics resonated with Young, who saw the need to shake up the record industry and stay relevant in a rapidly changing musical landscape.
The stage production and tour for "Rust Never Sleeps" are considered highly influential, with Young's use of film projection, wireless microphones, props, actors, and sets foreshadowing the grand-scale arena rock spectacles of future generations. The album received critical acclaim and is recognized as a precursor to grunge music, with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam citing Young's influence.
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The meaning of the phrase 'It's better to burn out than it is to rust'
The phrase "It's better to burn out than it is to rust" is a lyric from the song Hey Hey, My My by Neil Young, from his 1979 album "Rust Never Sleeps". The song was co-written by Jeff Blackburn, who was in a band that opened for The Ducks' 1977 California bar tour.
The phrase has been interpreted in several ways. One interpretation is that it is better to be passionate about something and risk burning out than to give up or slow down. This interpretation aligns with the sentiment expressed by Young in a 1988 interview for Spin Magazine, where he mentioned his desire to shake up the record industry and his embrace of new recording styles. The phrase can also be seen as a metaphor for artistic vitality, suggesting that staying the same leaves one vulnerable to the corrosive effects of aging and obsolescence. This interpretation is supported by the context of the album "Rust Never Sleeps", which marked a shift in Young's artistic direction and his recognition of the emerging force of punk music.
Another interpretation of the phrase is that it is better to be remembered for one's brilliance than to fade away into obscurity. This interpretation suggests that an artist would rather burn out at the height of their success than continue on a downward trajectory. This idea of burning out at one's peak is reflected in the tragic misinterpretation of the lyric by Kurt Cobain, who quoted it in his suicide note.
The phrase can also be understood from the perspective of an artist's drive for recognition and remembrance. In this interpretation, burning out refers to pushing oneself to the limit to be known and remembered, even if it leads to exhaustion. The alternative, fading away, implies being forgotten despite one's efforts and dedication to their art.
Overall, the phrase "It's better to burn out than it is to rust" encapsulates the spirit of embracing change, taking risks, and pursuing one's passions with intensity, rather than succumbing to stagnation or conforming to expectations.
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The album 'Rust Never Sleeps'
Rust Never Sleeps is the tenth album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on June 22, 1979. It was his third album with the American band Crazy Horse. The album features both studio and live tracks, with most of the songs recorded live and then overdubbed in the studio. The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
The title of the album, "Rust Never Sleeps", is rumoured to have originated from the band Devo, who allegedly used the slogan in an advertising campaign for the product Rustoleum, a rust inhibitor. Young has confirmed that he got the phrase from Devo, but it is unknown if it was intended for an ad campaign. The phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" can be interpreted as a metaphor for artistic vitality, implying that staying stagnant leaves one vulnerable to the corrosive effects of aging and obsolescence. Young himself used the phrase as a concept for his tour with Crazy Horse to avoid artistic complacency and explore more progressive, theatrical approaches to performing live.
The album Rust Never Sleeps was recorded in May 1978 during solo acoustic performances at The Boarding House in San Francisco and in October 1978 during the "Rust Never Sleeps" tour, where Young debuted a wealth of new material. The concert tour was divided into a solo acoustic set and an electric set with Crazy Horse. The album includes two new songs, the acoustic "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" and electric "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)", which were the centrepieces of the new material. The live tracks are complemented by two outtakes from Young's previous album, Comes a Time: "Pocahontas" and "Ride My Llama".
Rust Never Sleeps marked a significant shift in artistic direction for Young and the music industry. Young recognised the emergence of punk as a new force in music and understood that the face of rock-n-roll would be forever changed. The album represented a conscious acknowledgment that Young's music needed to evolve to remain relevant. The lyrics of songs like "Hey Hey, My My", with the chorus "Rock-n-Roll will Never Die", reflect Young's desire to remain a vital part of the evolving music scene.
The album has been praised by critics for its diverse styles, from sensitive singer-songwriter seriousness to charming science fiction. Robert Christgau, reviewing for The Village Voice in 1979, called it Young's best album yet, noting that his melodies are simple and original, while his lyrics are surprisingly complex. Christgau also observed that Young is "wiser but not wearier", reflecting the theme of avoiding burnout that the album warns against.
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The song 'Hey Hey, My My'
"Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" is a song by Canadian-American musician Neil Young. The song was released in 1979 as part of Young's album "Rust Never Sleeps". The song also has an acoustic counterpart, "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", which was recorded live in early 1978 at the Boarding House in San Francisco, California. The two songs bookend the album "Rust Never Sleeps".
The song "Hey Hey, My My" was influenced by the punk rock zeitgeist of the late 1970s, particularly by Young's collaborations with the American art punk band Devo, and what he viewed as his own growing irrelevance. The song was also influenced by Young's desire to remain a vital part of the music scene and to avoid becoming obsolete. The lyrics "It's better to burn out than to fade away" reflect this sentiment and have been widely quoted by both Young's peers and critics. The line "It's better to burn out than it is to rust" is often credited to Young's friend Jeff Blackburn of The Ducks.
The song "Hey Hey, My My" has been described as stylistically "proto-grunge grunt rock" by Texas author and journalist Brad Tyer. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Oasis, System of a Down, Dave Matthews Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Battleme. It has also been referenced and sampled in various songs and media, including Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's suicide note, Panic! At The Disco's "Nicotine", Def Leppard's "Rock of Ages", and HBO's "The Sex Lives of College Girls" season 1, episode 1.
The album "Rust Never Sleeps" marked a major shift in artistic direction for Young and the music industry. The album signaled Young's recognition of the emerging force of punk and the need for Rock-n-Roll to evolve. The title phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" embodies the spirit of punk music and the embrace of the new at the expense of the old. Young has explained that the phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" came from Devo, although it is unclear if it was created for an ad campaign for the rust inhibitor Rust-Oleum. The phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" and the song "Hey Hey, My My" reflect Young's desire to stay relevant and avoid the corrosive effects of aging and obsolescence.
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The artist, Neil Young
Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh explained that he had come up with the slogan during his graphic arts career while promoting the automobile rust-proofing product Rust-Oleum. Young went on to adopt the phrase as the title of his album, using it as a metaphor for the hazards of complacency in his music career and the need to keep moving forward. In a 1981 Rockline interview, Young recalled:
> "I think Mark had the idea in the first place. We were doing this version of 'Out of the Blue' together and we were in the studio playing and Booji Boy was there and he was singing 'Hey Hey, My My' and he just had a lyric sheet and it said 'It's better to burn out than to rust' and he just said 'Well, it's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps' and I thought, well, all right, that makes a lot of sense to me."
The album 'Rust Never Sleeps' was recorded in May 1978 during solo acoustic performances at The Boarding House in San Francisco and in October 1978 during the "Rust Never Sleeps" tour. The tour was divided into a solo acoustic set and an electric set with Crazy Horse. Young used the phrase "rust never sleeps" as a concept for his tour with Crazy Horse to avoid artistic complacency and try more progressive, theatrical approaches to performing live. The album includes one of Young's most popular and critically acclaimed songs, "Powderfinger".
The album was voted the top album in a poll published in Broken Arrow magazine and was considered a favourite among fans. It was also commercially and critically successful, signalling a major shift in artistic direction for both Young and the entire music industry. Young's recognition that there was a new force in music—punk—and that the face of rock-n-roll would change forever, was reflected in the lyrics of songs like "Hey Hey, My My", with the chorus "Rock-n-Roll will Never Die", signifying Young's desire to remain a vital part of the music scene. The album's title phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" embodies the spirit of punk music and the embrace of the new at the expense of the old.
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Frequently asked questions
The phrase was coined by Booji Boy, who sang "It's better to burn out than to rust" and "Well, it's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps". The phrase was then adopted by Neil Young for his 1979 album "Rust Never Sleeps", which was also the name of his tour with Crazy Horse.
The phrase "Rust Never Sleeps" is quite ambiguous. It is believed to be a metaphor for artistic vitality, conveying the idea that staying stagnant leaves one vulnerable to the corrosive effects of aging and obsolescence. It symbolises the need to evolve and embrace the new to stay relevant.
"Rust Never Sleeps" marked a significant shift in artistic direction for Neil Young and the music industry. It signalled Young's recognition of the emerging punk movement and the evolving landscape of Rock-n-Roll. The album embodies the spirit of punk music and the need to stay progressive. It is considered a precursor of grunge music, with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam citing Young's influence. The stage production of the album tour is also regarded as one of the most influential concert tours of all time, with its innovative use of film projection, wireless microphones, props, and sets.
