This is a song I wrote while I was in England on a continental fancy. The first time I ever went across the ocean. I guess everybody goes across the ocean now. Sooner or later you got to cross the ocean. Neil Young Macky Auditorium - University Of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA January 26, 1971, Late Show

Here is a new song. It's guaranteed to bring you right down. It's called Don't Let It Bring You Down. It sort of starts off real slow and then it fizzles out all together. Neil Young 4 Way Street Auditorium Theater, Chicago, Illinois, USA July 5, 1970

Once I came here and I went to a pop festival. It was on the Isle of Wight. And ... uh ... we got busted on that trip. My manager took the rap. These things happen – it was a surprise. We came to see Jimi Hendrix. And on the airplane, on the way back, I wrote this song. It was on a BOAC - British Overseas - gone but not forgotten. Neil Young Hammersmith Apollo, London, England March 14, 2008 [Neil must be a little off on this story. Hendrix played the Isle of Wight Festival on August 31, 1970 and Don't Let It Bring You Down was recorded in March 1970. More likely he wrote the song returning from the early January 1970 CSNY tour dates.]

Spin: Did you find someone turning and you came around? NY: Yeah, every once in awhile something could happen, especially when I was younger, that would get me really depressed, then I would run into somebody and forget about it, just because I got into an another thing. People are wonderful that way; the presence of another human being can be so strong that it’ll change your whole outlook. Neil Young Spin Magazine June 1988