The lyrics describe the effects of heroin addiction on musicians Young knew, including his friend and Crazy Horse bandmate Danny Whitten, who would die of an overdose the same year the song was released.

Rather than re-recording it, Young selected a live version from January 1971 that featured him singing and playing acoustic guitar.

[5] On the handwritten liner notes for Decade, Young wrote of the song: "I am not a preacher, but drugs killed a lot of great men."

Got to see a lot of great musicians before they happened, before they became famous, y'know, when they were just gigging, five and six sets a night... things like that.

[8] Australian singer Lior covered the song in 2006 as part of youth radio station Triple J's Like a Version segment.

[13] British Artist Pete Fowler's August 2013 solo exhibition, at Beach London Gallery, of cross-stitch embroidery was titled "The Needle and The Damage Done.