1969 Song of the Day–“Sugar Mountain’ by Neil Young. When I first got into music big time- in the mid 1970’s- I heard Neil Young’s Southern Man on the radio- I wasn’t that familiar with Neil Young- I knew the name is about it- so impressed I was with Southern Man- the next trip to the record store I picked up his triple album -best of- up to that point- covering his first ten years- Decade. I was blown away- and one of the songs that became a favorite right away was Sugar Mountain. I could certainly relate to this song. I was a little younger than Neil was when he wrote this song- he wrote it in 1964 on this nineteenth birthday. The song originally had an incredible 126 verses to it. I’d love to hear the original. Anyway he narrowed it down to four. The song is about Neil looking back at his youth and about his losing the idealism of his youth. At 19 he realized he couldn’t be ’20 on Sugar Mountain.” It is odd that a song this great didn’t make it onto an album until Decade. Why wasn’t this on his so-so debut? It would have made it a lot better. It first appeared as the b-side to The Loner. Sugar Mountain would inspire Joni Mitchell to write “The Circle Game.” Neil wrote the song at Fort Williams Victoria Hotel in Ontario-later that day he would meet Stephen Stills for the first time at an event nearby.
slicethelife 
It may be my favorite of Neil. The song has so much meaning.
Dig that tune but feel the version on ‘Live Rust’ is much better than the studio take, which I sounds too subdued – especially if you hear the live version first, which is how I was introduced to the song.
I don’t have this on my list for bsides to cover, but you’ve reminded me that it should really be there.
Thank you for covering what has become one of my favorite Uncle Neil songs. 126 verses? sounds like an epic poem. I wonder if it is out there in the ether…..
He could have done a double album with just Sugar Mountain. I”d love to hear that version I wonder if it was ever recorded or if all 126 verses are at least available to read? I love that song.
Hans I just went to the NYA site and submitted an question if they really existed and if Uncle Neil would share them with the world. Will keep you posted on what they say. BTW have you been to the archive? I love the way they have the interface set up.
I have heard about it but haven’t checked it out- I wrote it down to do tomorrow! Keep me posted.
The story about this song as I know it is that “Sugar Mountain” was a place: a teen club or under-20’s establishment near where Neil lived in Canada. Neil was a bit of a star at this place and once he turned 20, he would not be able to hang out there. The Barkers were the husband and wife who ran the place. I pretty sure that the “126 verses” thing is just a tongue-in-cheek humorous Folk singer rap that Neil found to be an effective way to intro the song.