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Goin' Home Lyrics

On the hill where Custer was,
Making his last stand,
With the Indians all around,
And his gun in his hand.

Such a wind was blowing that day,
Through the battleground,
I could feel it in my hair,
As I turned towards downtown.

Weaving through the buildings,
Cutting though the streets,
Slicing through the culture,
Piling on the weeks.

Going home, I'm going home.
Going home, I'm going home.
Going home.

Dropping in on you my friend,
Is just like old times,
Said the fool who signed the paper,
To assorted slimes.

It's hard to get blood from a stone
But for you I'll give it a try,
To provide your accomodations,
And leave you satisfied.

You'd think it was easy,
To give your life away,
To not have to live up to,
The promises you made.

Going home, I'm going home.
Going home, I'm going home.
Going home.

Elusively she cut the phone,
Moved from cell to cell,
Really looking remarkable,
And obviously doing well.

She made a turn on a wooden bridge,
Into the battleground,
With a thousand warriors on the ridge,
She tried to turn her radio down.

Battle drums were pounding,
All around her car,
She saw her clothes were changing,
Into sky and stars.

Going home, I'm going home.
Going home, I'm going home.
Going home, I'm going home.
Going home, I'm going home.
Going home.
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Cover art for Goin' Home lyrics by Neil Young

I always thought this was a retrospective look from a Native American who was 'americanized' perhaps through the mandatory indian boarding school brought forth in the Civilization Fund Act.

Retrospective: On the hill where Custer was, Making his last stand, With the Indians all around, And his gun in his hand.

Retrospective blending into current time: Such a wind was blowing that day, Through the battleground, I could feel it in my hair, As I turned towards downtown.

In the Indian boarding schools they were forced to cut their hair in an effort to 'Americanize' The hair here symbolizes the shift from the tribal culture to the 'americanized' culture (i.e. downtown)

Weaving through the buildings, Cutting though the streets, Slicing through the culture, Piling on the weeks.

Evident enough, the americanization has sliced through the previous culture, the further along (deeper) they are engrossed the more cut-up the tribal culture becomes

Dropping in on you my friend, Is just like old times, Said the fool who signed the paper, To assorted slimes.

This is a example dialog between a tribal villager unsure of the contract signing their children (land/lively-hood) away.

You'd think it was easy, To give your life away, To not have to live up to, The promises you made.

The callousness of the American government in ignoring the tremendous sacrifices faced by these children. They had made promises to their village, tribe, land prior to leaving.

Cover art for Goin' Home lyrics by Neil Young

My favorite song from Neil Young. Awesome!

Cover art for Goin' Home lyrics by Neil Young

Been a while since I've tried to get through all of 'Are You Passionate', and IDK if I'd be able to now, but when I'd first bought it, this was the only song I could even stand.

Neil's one of the best rockers/writers ever, and he can do many things well. Memphis Soul is not one of them lol.

 
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