Fork in the Road cover art

  Studio Album · No. 30

Fork in the Road Songwriting Credits by Neil Young

2009 10 tracks 38 min
RockGarage rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Neil Young carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
10 trackswritten by Neil Young 0 tracksoutside writers
Neil Young's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
1
Lyricists
2
Producers
2009
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Grammy Award nomination for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance ("Fork in the Road") at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards (2010)
Data Insight

Neil Young wrote every song on Fork in the Road, a loose garage-rock concept record built around his LincVolt project, a 1959 Lincoln Continental that mechanic Jonathan Goodwin had retrofitted to run on alternative energy. The lyrics move plainly through cars, fuel, and the road, from the wide-open "When Worlds Collide" to the title-track rant about the financial crisis and the bailout era. Young cut most of the album live in three days at Legacy Studios in New York with longtime collaborator Niko Bolas, the two credited together as The Volume Dealers. The result is one of his rawest and most topical sets of the decade, treating the electric car as both a literal experiment and a running metaphor.

"Fork in the Road" is a 2009 rock and folk rock album by Neil Young centered on his Lincvolt project, an effort to convert a 1959 Lincoln Continental to run on alternative energy. Neil Young produced the record with Niko Bolas, again credited as "The Volume Dealers," backed by Ben Keith on lap steel and organ, Anthony Crawford on guitars and keys, Rick Rosas on bass, Chad Cromwell on drums, and Pegi Young on vibes and vocals. The album includes "Fuel Line," "Johnny Magic," written for mechanic Jonathan Goodwin, and "Cough Up the Bucks," a response to the 2008 financial crisis. The record peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200, and Young's vocal on the title track earned a Grammy nomination for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. Reviews were mixed, but the album reflected Young's commitment to expressing his environmental concerns through music.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
When Worlds Collide
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
2
Fuel Line
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
3
Just Singing a Song
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
4
Johnny Magic
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
5
Cough Up the Bucks
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
6
Get Behind the Wheel
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
7
Off the Road
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
8
Hit the Road
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
9
Light a Candle
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
10
Fork in the Road
Neil Percival Young Neil Percival Young Neil YoungNiko Bolas Neil Young (Lead Vocals, Guitar)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

More from Neil Young

1968 100%
Neil Young
10 tracks
1969 100%
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
7 tracks
1970 91%
After the Gold Rush
Reprise Records
11 tracksProd. David Briggs
1972 100%
Harvest
Reprise Records
10 tracksProd. Elliot Mazer
1975 100%
Tonight's the Night
12 tracks
1975 100%
Zuma
9 tracks
1977 100%
American Stars 'n Bars
9 tracks
1978 90%
Comes a Time
10 tracks
1979 100%
Rust Never Sleeps
Reprise Records
9 tracksProd. David Briggs
1980 100%
Hawks & Doves
9 tracks
1981 100%
Re·ac·tor
8 tracks
1982 100%
Trans
9 tracks
1983 60%
Everybody's Rockin'
10 tracks
1985 90%
Old Ways
10 tracks
1986 100%
Landing on Water
10 tracks
1987 100%
Life
9 tracks
1988 100%
This Note's for You
10 tracks
1989 92%
Freedom
12 tracks
1990 90%
Ragged Glory
10 tracks
1992 100%
Harvest Moon
Reprise Records
10 tracksProd. Neil Young
1994 100%
Sleeps with Angels
12 tracks
1995 100%
Mirror Ball
11 tracks
1996 88%
Broken Arrow
Reprise Records
8 tracksProd. Neil Young
2000 100%
Silver & Gold
10 tracks
2002 100%
Are You Passionate?
Reprise Records
11 tracksProd. Neil Young
2003 100%
Greendale
10 tracks
2005 100%
Prairie Wind
10 tracks
2006 90%
Living with War
10 tracks
2007 100%
Chrome Dreams II
10 tracks
2010 100%
Le Noise
Reprise Records
8 tracksProd. Daniel Lanois
2012 0%
Americana
11 tracks
2012 100%
Psychedelic Pill
Reprise Records
8 tracksProd. Neil Young
2014 8%
A Letter Home
Third Man Records
12 tracksProd. Neil Young
2015 100%
The Monsanto Years
9 tracks
2016 100%
Peace Trail
10 tracks
2017 100%
The Visitor
Reprise Records
10 tracksProd. John Hanlon
2019 100%
Colorado
Reprise Records
10 tracksProd. John Hanlon
2020 100%
Homegrown
Reprise Records
12 tracksProd. Neil Young
2021 100%
Barn
Reprise Records
10 tracksProd. Neil Young
2022 100%
World Record
Reprise Records
11 tracksProd. Neil Young

Frequently Asked Questions Fork in the Road

When was Neil Young's Fork in the Road released and on what label?
Fork in the Road was released on April 7, 2009, by Reprise Records. It is Neil Young's thirty-first studio album and reached number 19 on the Billboard 200.
What is Neil Young's Fork in the Road about?
It is a loose concept album tied to Young's LincVolt project, a 1959 Lincoln Continental retrofitted to run on alternative energy with the help of mechanic Jonathan Goodwin. The songs run through cars, fuel, the open road, and the economy, using the electric-car experiment as both a real project and a recurring metaphor.
Who wrote the songs on Fork in the Road?
Neil Young wrote all ten songs on Fork in the Road himself. There are no covers or co-writes on the record.
Who produced Fork in the Road?
The album was produced by Neil Young and Niko Bolas, who are credited together as The Volume Dealers. Most of it was recorded live over three days in December 2008 at Legacy Studios in New York City.
Is Johnny Magic on Fork in the Road about a real person?
Yes. "Johnny Magic" is named for Jonathan Goodwin, the mechanic who converted Young's Lincoln Continental for the LincVolt project. The song casts Goodwin as the wizard figure behind the car's alternative-energy engine.
What is the title track Fork in the Road about?
The closing title track is a blunt, topical rant delivered amid the 2008-2009 financial crisis, touching on bailouts, downloads, and the struggling economy. Young's vocal on the song was later nominated for a Grammy.
Did Fork in the Road win or earn any awards?
Neil Young's vocal performance on the title track "Fork in the Road" was nominated for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010. The album did not win the category.
Were any singles released from Fork in the Road?
Two songs were issued to promote the album, "Fork in the Road" in February 2009 and "Johnny Magic" in March 2009. Neither charted on a major Billboard singles or rock airplay chart.
How did Fork in the Road perform on the charts?
Fork in the Road reached number 19 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 on the Top Rock Albums chart in the United States. It topped the Norwegian albums chart at number 1.

Sources