Neil Young has revealed in his new autobiography that having a reference to one of his lyrics in Kurt Cobain‘s suicide note “fucked” with him.
The Nirvana frontman reprinted the phrase, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away” from Young’s track Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) in a note to his family, friends and fans before taking his own life in 1994.
Young admits in the autobiography – Waging Heavy Peace – that reading the missive had left him scarred.
“When he died and left that note, it struck a deep chord inside of me. It fucked with me.”
NME reports that the singer also tried to get in touch with Cobain before his death to help him address his problems.
“I, coincidentally, had been trying to reach him. I wanted to talk to him. Tell him only to play when he felt like it.”
Young revealed that he quit alcohol, smoking and drugs one year ago in order to write the autobiography.
“I did it for 40 years. Now I want to see what it’s like to not do it. It’s just a different perspective.”
