# The “garbage” 1979 Neil Young lyric that offended John Lennon: “I hate it”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-garbage-1979-neil-young-lyric-that-offended-john-lennon-i-hate-it/
- Published: 2026-10-25T12:34:22+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-25T13:10:36+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/garbage-1979-neil-young-lyric-that-offended-john-lennon/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Lennon criticised Young’s “burn out” lyric as glorifying self-destruction.
- The line appeared on ‘My My, Hey Hey’ in 1979.
- Young defended the lyric as part of rock’s spirit.

## Summary

Neil Young’s line “It’s better to burn out than to fade away” drew a sharp rebuke from John Lennon, who read it as glorifying self-destruction. Their disagreement reflected a wider question about whether rock’s rebellious spirit should celebrate a dramatic end or the people who endure.

The line appeared on Young’s 1979 song ‘My My, Hey Hey’. In a 1980 interview, Lennon said he hated it and cited the deaths of punk figures Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, arguing that surviving mattered more than making dead musicians into heroes. Young later defended the lyric, saying rock ‘n’ roll’s essence was to burn brightly, while the article notes that the excerpt of his response ends mid-sentence.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.