By Sophia Sciulli

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:: Sophia discusses Neil and perhaps one of his biggest hits. Why does it go so hard? 

:: November 13, 2025

:: There is something about Neil Young’s 1992 song, “Harvest Moon,” that penetrates the ear in an indescribable way. The beautiful lyrics, accompanied by the slow melody, evoke a feeling of warmth under a cool autumn night. The song, quintessentially fall, transports me into a pastoral setting—an open field—amongst burgundy colored leaves. As I lay down, in this rural location, a harvest moon illuminates the night sky above me. Whenever I listen to this folk song, my heart feels at home—amongst the natural world. 

The song, released on Young’s Harvest Moon album, is just over five minutes long. Yet those five minutes deviate from most listening experiences, because the lyrics encapsulate a human experience beyond articulation. The song involves two people, previously in love, under a “full moon risin” enjoying each other’s company. The speaker is still infatuated with the other person, as he discusses their past “When we were strangers,I watched you from afar/when we were lovers, I loved you with all my heart.” Young continues to sing, “Because I’m still in love with you, I want to see you dance again/because I’m still in love with you, on this harvest moon.” The lyrics derive from a childlike sense of wonder, that is not corrupted by the complexities of life— because love is the dominant factor within the song. Most people can relate to “Harvest Moon”— or at least envision themselves in a similar position, making the song well liked my most. 

In fact, I have never met someone who does not like “Harvest Moon.” My friends and family members, whom I have spoken to about the song, all listen to different genres— yet the consensus is: they all love “Harvest Moon.” The song has been a few of my friend’s parents’ wedding songs which I love. The song is not manufactured in a pretty package for the audience, it is just beautiful. Unlike other types of music, the song does not describe a super niche situation that only a few listeners can relate to. The simplicity makes listening to the song an enjoyable experience. 

That is what I like about folk music, the simplicity. Multiple bells and whistles are unnecessary in producing a folk song, because most of the songs are about life in its purest form. Traveling, working, being in love, falling out of love, and longing are all emotions and experiences that most people experience in their lifetime. Folk songs discuss the everyday joe, the underdog, and the vagabond– individuals that listeners can relate to (or at least empathize with). No one is dressed in glitz and glam behind the designer stores of rodeo drive, rather people are caravaning, hiking, or walking through the dirt trails of the countryside. I believe this way of living needs to be restored back into our society. 

Okay, I do not think everyone needs to start holding a harmonica in their hands and live off of a ragged T-shirt and stained blue jeans, while only possessing a few dollars to their name. However, I do think there is something to be said about leading a simple life— driven by

but not consumerism. A life that sometimes entails laying outside on the dirt, looking upon the stars— under a harvest moon.

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