Neil Young urged to write about Iraq war

Is another "Ohio" in Neil Young's future? The idea was broached on Thursday, March 16th during a South By Southwest music festival keynote Q&A with Young and Jonathan Demme, the Oscar-winning director of Young's new concert film Heart Of Gold. After recalling how Youngs "Ohio" helped changed public attitudes towards the Vietnam War in 1970, South By Southwest co-founder Roland Swenson looked backstage and said "Mr. Young, if you can hear me back there, we need another song," a reference to the current U.S. military action in Iraq. In response, Young told the audience, "I write totally out of the air. I really am, more than anything, a reflection of what I see. (Swenson) was trying to give me some input a few minutes ago. I hope it takes hold."

The singer/guitarist did not comment on rumors of a tour this summer with David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. But he also revealed that he turned down an offer to tour on his own this year, saying, "I just turned down a promoter. We were going to go out on the road and they wanted to say it was Neil Young's Greatest Hits. That was it. They were done."

Young and Demme also hosted a screening of Heart Of Gold yesterday afternoon in Austin, Texas. The film, a documentary of Young's two special concerts last August in Nashville, comes out on DVD, with an accompanying soundtrack album, in May
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