My Top 2000 Songs #1173: Bandit

Coming on the heels of arguably Neil Young's worst record up to that point in time (2002's Are You Passionate), 2003's Greendale made for a confusing follow-up. A concept album with a (somewhat convoluted) narrative, it included some of Neil's most interesting music in years, but the storytelling made it something you wouldn't just casually pick up and listen to (and, to be frank, I don't think I've played the record in 20 years).

"Bandit" was the exception. It's still more a piece of the album's meandering tale than a stand-alone song, working better in context than on its own, but the beauty of the song allows it to transcend the record's ambitions. The acoustic guitar sounds unearthly, that rumbling low note and rattling fret-buzz thoroughly grabbing your attention, while his hushed vocals are absolutely hypnotic. And the "someday you'll find what you're looking for" chorus is as magnificent as anything Neil conjured in his 1970s glory days, just breathtaking. It may not make most lists of "best Neil Young songs" (aside from a few dozen YouTubers who pull out their acoustic guitars to cover it), whether due to the somber spoken-word verses or its placement in a rough patch of his post-millennial records, but that seems like a major oversight.

Solo live:

One of many YouTube covers: