A Man Needs a Maid (song)
"A Man Needs a Maid" is a song written by Neil Young that was first released on his 1972 album Harvest. It is one of two songs on Harvest on which Young is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. It has appeared on several of Young's live and compilation albums. Lyrics and music Music critic Johnny Rogan describes the melody of "A Man Needs a Maid" as "haunting." Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann describes the song as "an impressionistic musing by a man who is contemplating the start of a new romantic relationship." The lyrics of "A Man Needs a Maid" have generated controversy due to interpretations that they are chauvinistic. This is largely the result of Young using the term "maid" with two meanings in the song, one of which is a housekeeper to cook and clean for him, and then leave. However, the rest of the lyrics make it clear that these lyrics were reflecting Young's own feelings of insecurity, and trying to balance his need for an equal relationship with a woman against his fear of getting hurt by that relationship and just "living alone and hiring help." This is particularly apparent from the opening lines "My life is changin' in so many ways/I don't know who to trust anymore" before he starts singing about thinking of getting a maid. And even though he sings of the maid going away after doing the housework, after singing that "a man needs a maid" he goes on to ask "When will I see you again?" Music journalist Nigel Williamson provides an additional reason for Young's feelings about a maid in the song, in that he wrote the song when he was hospitalized after back surgery and so he did literally need the services of a maid at the time. Responding to the accusation of sexism from literal readings of the song, Young once pointed out that "Robin Hood loved a maid long before women's liberation." Perhaps anticipating such criticism, Young stated the following at an early performance of the song at the Boston Music Hall on January 21, 1971: In the last verse, Young describes watching a movie and falling in love with the actress. This is an autobiographical reference to Young's falling in love with actress Carrie Snodgress, who would become the mother of Young's first son. Young had first become smitten by Snodgress when he saw her acting the part of the role of the titular housewife in the movie Diary of a Mad Housewife. Background and recording In live performances before recording Harvest, Young sang "A Man Needs a Maid" accompanying himself on piano. The earliest recordings show the song was performed as a medley with the soon to be #1 hit "Heart of Gold". Later in the tour, "Heart of Gold" was broken away to be performed on its own on acoustic guitar. For the Harvest recording, Young added accompaniment by the London Symphony Orchestra, recorded at Barking Town Hall (now the Broadway theatre) in London