| Neil Young – After the Gold Rush Lyrics | 2 years ago |
| The environmental movement began in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a new way to look at the Earth. Buckminster Fuller coined the phrase "Spaceship Earth" to describe our planet. He felt that all human beings were passengers on Spaceship Earth, and, like the crew of a large ship, people had to work together in order to keep the planet functioning properly. It seems like that point of view helps to inform Young's lyrics to After The Gold Rush. | |
| Neil Young – Powderfinger Lyrics | 3 years ago |
|
@[leefroy:44942] Your explanation of the historical events that may have provided the inspiration for Powder Finger makes a lot of sense. Because the boat opened fire on the narrator first, it was likely a military boat in a war setting, not a police boat in a crime setting. Also, because Neil Young grew up in Canada, the events are likely part of Canadian history, not U.S. history. Although the events in the song may have been literally based on the Battle of Batoche, the emotional basis of what is clearly an anti-war song was likely the Vietnam War. In particular, it’s about the folly of young men who don’t heed the warnings of their elders and enlist in the military to fight in a war. After all, Big John knew about the boat and warned his son about it. “Red means run son” — the red beacon described by the son — “numbers add up to nothin’” — the numbers on the side of the boat also described by the son. Instead of heeding his father’s advice and running, the son felt falsely reassured by his father’s gun he was holding. He decided to stand his ground and take a shot at the boat. The results of his decision were fatal and tragic. |
|
| Neil Young – Powderfinger Lyrics | 13 years ago |
|
From a literal interpretation of the lyrics, a Civil War setting makes the most sense to me. The Union used gunboats up and down the Mississippi and its tributaries. http://www.civilwar.com/weapons/union-ships/146851-tyler-1861-1865-.html The USS Tyler played an important role in the Battle of Shiloh. With his father out hunting, a young man foolishly attempts to take on the gunboat with his father's musket. The gunboat fires back, hitting the dock the first time. The second time, the gunboat's shot blows his face off and kills him. Considered more broadly and metaphorically, the song is definitely "anti war". Interestingly, Neil Young contributes vocals to the Elton John/Leon Russell ballad "Gone To Shiloh". It too is an anti-war song set in a Civil War setting. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.