Neil Young has released the 11-minute title track from his forthcoming album Second Song, recorded with his backing band the Chrome Hearts. The acoustic ballad reflects on ageing, time and the desire for human connection, offering an early indication of the album’s reflective mood ahead of its September release.

Second Song arrives on 18 September and contains seven tracks, five newly written in Colorado around the turn of the year and recorded in Malibu in two days. The remaining two songs date from Young’s teenage years in the mid-1960s; he said their inclusion creates a contrast between old and new material. Young’s only currently announced concert is Farm Aid in Virginia Beach on 26 September, although he has indicated further shows with Willie Nelson may follow.