Recorded for my first film "Journey thru the past" in a sawdust burner at a northern California sawmill to the accompaniment of a roaring fire. Neil Young Decade liner notes 1977

Well, y’know—there’s good and bad, just like anything else, okay? The thing about religion is, it preys upon people’s weaknesses. If you take that kind of power and use it in the wrong way—that’s really bad. And that song “Soldier” was written to represent the subconscious of the Graduate guy movin’ through his decision-making process about what he was gonna do with his life or the kinda person he was gonna be. That was the decision—to go either to drugs, to religion or the army. Neil Young Shakey by Jimmy McDonough 2002