The Needle And The Damage Done | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| D Dsus2 | Dsus2/C | G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
| C C6 | Fmaj11 Fmaj7 Fmaj7sus2 | Esus4 | E (A) |
Verse 1
| Dsus2 | Dsus2/C |
I caught you knockin’ at my cellar door
| G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
I love you, baby, can I have some more?
| C | F/C | Esus4 | E |
Mm, hm, the damage done
Verse 2
| Dsus2 | Dsus2/C |
I hit the city and I lost my band
| G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
I watched the needle take another man
| C | F/C | Esus4 | E |
Gone, gone, the damage done
Instrumental
| D Dsus2 | Dsus2/C | G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
| C C6 | Fmaj11 Fmaj7 Fmaj7sus2 | Esus4 | E (A) |
Verse 3
| Dsus2 | Dsus2/C |
I sing the song because I love the man
| G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
I know that some of you don’t understand
| C | F/C | Esus4 | E |
Milk blood to keep from running out
Verse 4
| Dsus2 | Dsus2/C |
I’ve seen the needle and the damage done
| G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
A little part of it in everyone
| C | F/C | Esus4 | E |
But every junkie’s like a settin’ sun
Outro
| D Dsus2 | Dsus2/C | G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
The Needle And The Damage Done chords and progressions
This Neil Young classic is essentially just one 8-bar chord progression on repeat. The intro, instrumental, and outro are the same as the verse, just slightly more elaborate.
Let’s start with the verse as that’s the simpler version, although simple doesn’t feel like the right word in this context. Here are the first four chords in the key of D:
| Dsus2 | Dsus2/C | G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
Starting on chord I, we disguise if it’s major or minor by using a sus2. Furthermore, we use a b7 in the bass, breaking away from the harmony of D major. Next, we play chord IV, with a 6 extension and the 3rd in the bass.
The first line is then finished off by going to chord IVm. The reason all this work so well is that we are consistently moving down: D – C – B – Bb.
Here’s the next line:
| C | F/C | Esus4 | E |
The is a new key, we’re now in C playing I – IV/5 – III – IIIx. Very complex, compare this chromatic movement to that of Blackbird’s chords and another McCartney classic, Dear Prudence.
Here’s the intro:
| D Dsus2 | Dsus2/C | G6/B | Gm6/Bb |
| C C6 | Fmaj11 Fmaj7 Fmaj7sus2 | Esus4 | E (A) |
The extra notes are a D chord in the first bar, the C6 in bar 5, the F extensions in bar 6, and the A bass note on the last beat.
Let’s look at what all of Needle And The Damage Done’s chords look like using TAB.
The Needle And The Damage Done TAB
Here’s the intro using TAB, once you’ve understood and memorized this, you could go back to just reading the chords.
That initial D is hammer-on, there are loads of gentle strumming using two strings throughout. Those F extensions sound more complex than they are once you can see them in TAB like this.
Here’s the verse TAB.
Notice how it’s basically just a simplified version of the intro. Partly this is because it’s hard to play all those notes when singing, but more importantly, it leaves more room for the vocal to shine this way.
Practice both sections using the video at the top of the page and you’ll soon be able to play The Needle And The Damage Done’s chords, just like Neil does.
Once you can do it, you’ll be amazed how many other songs have “been inspired” by these chords. I’ll give you one example to prove the point, Jewel’s You Were Meant For Me.
The Needle And The Damage Done chords | Related pages
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- Everybody Hurts chords
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- Robin Hood chords
- Wish You Were Here chords
Neil Young
Neil Young started out with Buffalo Springfield, briefly joined Crosby, Stills & Nash, and collaborated with Pearl Jam but is best known for his solo career.
His best tunes include Harvest Moon, Heart Of Gold, Old Man, The Needle And The Damage Done, My My, Hey Hey, and Like A Hurricane.
Neil Young on the web
