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Our Lady Peace

The Needle and the Damage Done

It's pointless to take a Neil Young song and reproduce it, because you won't even come close. So we changed the arrangement to accommodate how we would play the song. I was also attracted to the song's timeless message. It still has as much weight today as when he originally wrote it.- Raine Maida, Access Magazine, Oct. 1994

We were asked, while recording our record to do a song for the (Young) tribute record. We took the liberty of picking that one before anybody else could. That whole song fit the vibe of our record, and we recorded it at the tail end of our sessions. It just seemed to be the 12th song.- Raine Maida, FMQB Radio Interview, 24 Mar. 1995

Lyrics

Central Themes

I caught you knocking at my cellar door
I love you baby can I have some more?
Oh, the damage done

I hit the city and I lost my band
I watched the needle take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done

I sing this song because I love the man
I know that some of you don't understand
Milk-blood to keep from running out

I've seen the needle and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
I've seen the needle and the damage done
A little part, a little part
I've seen the needle, oh I
I've seen the needle, oh I
I've seen the needle, oh I
I've seen the needle, oh I
I've seen the needle, oh I
I've seen the needle

I've seen the needle and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's like a setting sun

see concise lyrics