The Needle and the Damage Done
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"The Needle and the Damage Done" is a song by Neil Young that chronicles his Crazy Horse bandmate Danny Whitten's descent into, and eventual death from, heroin addiction. It first appeared on the Harvest album in 1972. The song was recorded live rather than in the studio. It appears on the compilation albums Decade and Greatest Hits. On the handwritten liner notes included in Decade, Young had this to say about the song: "I am not a preacher, but drugs have taken a lot of great men".
It was known to be played by Death Row guards in Nebraska shortly before an inmate was due to be executed by lethal injection, prompting cries of sadism. [citation needed]
Bands that covered this song on studio albums include Our Lady Peace, Green River, Duran Duran, Lior, and The Pretenders, who have lost a couple of members to drug-related deaths.
Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante has covered it while on tour in Japan. Alternative metal band Seether covered it during a performance on Last Call with Carson Daly.
It is also found in the song "Understanding in a Car Crash" by Thursday.
Furthermore, it was the inspiration for The Sisters of Mercy's first 7" single, The Damage Done.
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