Unknown Legend
"Unknown Legend" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1992 album Harvest Moon. Although it was not released as a single, it reached #38 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
The lyrics describe a woman who had worked in a diner and rode a Harley Davidson, but now is raising two children.[1] The lyrics were inspired by multiple people.[1][2] Nigel Williamson feels that the lyric about how the woman used to work in a diner was inspired by Young's first wife Susan Acevedo and that the lyrics about an "unknown legend" who is raising two kids but still has "the far away look in her eyes" were inspired by his later wife Pegi Young, and music critic Johnny Rogan agrees that the character described by the lyrics seems to be a combination of the two.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b c Williamson, N. (2002). Journey Through the Past: The Stories Behind the Classic Songs of Neil Young. Hal Leonard. p. 128. ISBN 9780879307417.
- ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. Omnibus Press. p. 145. ISBN 0711953996.