Heart of Gold" from the 1972 album Harvest is Neil Young's only number one hit single in his long musical career. Rolling Stone ranked it #297 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time [1]. It features the back-up vocals of James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.The song is one of a series of soft, acoustic pieces which were written partly as a result of a back injury. Unable to stand for long periods of time, he could not play his electric guitar and so returned to his acoustic guitar, which he could play sitting down.[2] [3]The song was taped during the initial sessions for Harvest in early 1971 at Quadrafonic Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Ronstadt and Taylor were in Nashville at the time for an appearance on Johnny Cash's television program, and the album's producer Elliot Mazer arranged for them to sing backup for Young in the studio. [4] [5]Originally, this song was meant to segue with the song "A Man Needs a Maid", and was therefore played on piano. It was played in this manner during Young's solo shows in 1971, but he abandoned this approach midway through the tour and began to play it on guitar as it is now known. Additionally, one line that was cut when the two songs became separate entities was "Afraid/A man feels afraid" [6] An example of the segued version appears on Young's Live at Massey Hall 1971 release.Young wrote in the liner notes of his compilation album Decade: "This song put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon became a bore so I headed for the ditch". This statement was in response to the mainstream popularity that he gained as a result of "Heart of Gold"'s number-one status. From WikipediaI want to live,I want to giveI've been a minerfor a heart of gold.It's these expressionsI never giveThat keep me searchingfor a heart of goldAnd I'm getting old.Keeps me searchingfor a heart of goldAnd I'm getting old.I've been to HollywoodI've been to RedwoodI crossed the oceanfor a heart of goldI've been in my mind,it's such a fine lineThat keeps me searchingfor a heart of goldAnd I'm getting old.Keeps me searchingfor a heart of goldAnd I'm getting old.Keep me searchingfor a heart of goldYou keep me searchingfor a heart of goldAnd I'm getting old.I've been a minerfor a heart of gold.