i feel as if neil young is likening himself to this image of cortez, with montezuma and the aztecs as a lost love. in his image, the people are beautiful, peaceful, spirited and intense. cortez comes and takes that away forever. it seems like he's feeling guilt for devastating a woman's life and hopes (in love)...
"i know she's living there,
and she loves me to this day.
i can't remember when
or how i lost my way.
he came dancing across the water.
cortez, cortez.
what a killer."
young often refers to his "darker side". perhaps it reigned as cortez.
@eremitic3 just wanna say that, although I agree with the POV that says what We (white Europeans) did to the Native People's of North America is a horrible thing, speaking generally, I do want to point out the line about "they offered life in sacrifice, so that others could go on"...again, what we did to the Indians was awful, but I think Neil tried to sneak one by us with that line, and that offering "life in sacrifice" - where, the person sacrificed (I believe this was true of the Aztecs and Mayans both) had their heart cut out while...
@eremitic3 just wanna say that, although I agree with the POV that says what We (white Europeans) did to the Native People's of North America is a horrible thing, speaking generally, I do want to point out the line about "they offered life in sacrifice, so that others could go on"...again, what we did to the Indians was awful, but I think Neil tried to sneak one by us with that line, and that offering "life in sacrifice" - where, the person sacrificed (I believe this was true of the Aztecs and Mayans both) had their heart cut out while still alive, awake and alert, isn't the act of an "innocent" people.
Again, I just want to stress that I don't think that makes the genocide forgivable. Just that Neil downplays the savage acts of the Aztecs, while condemning the spanish. Still a great song, just adding my thoughts.
Just an amazing song. As was the Aztec civilization. He must have read up on it. And then came up with a very far out interpretation of what happened between Montezuma and Cortez. Cortez was a killer. He came in and leveled the city of tenochititlan. And that city was very large, beautifully built, captial of the Aztecs. They fought but didn't beleive in killing their prisoners. They used them for sacrifice "so that others could go on." It was also so that the sun would exist and they got plenty of rain for crops. Cortez came along, stole...
Just an amazing song. As was the Aztec civilization. He must have read up on it. And then came up with a very far out interpretation of what happened between Montezuma and Cortez. Cortez was a killer. He came in and leveled the city of tenochititlan. And that city was very large, beautifully built, captial of the Aztecs. They fought but didn't beleive in killing their prisoners. They used them for sacrifice "so that others could go on." It was also so that the sun would exist and they got plenty of rain for crops. Cortez came along, stole their gold and destroyed the capitol. He was a killer.
Musically, is very cool how it starts with a solo that begins mellow and builds. Its an incredible song. What's far out to me is that its Neil Young's version of the Aztec civilization and Cortez's destruction of it.
No. Carrie Snodgress is actually a girl he broke up with before he did this song. That's where that line came from. Everybody thinks Aztecs were savages. He's just pointing out, they had a different belief system than ours. That's all.
No. Carrie Snodgress is actually a girl he broke up with before he did this song. That's where that line came from. Everybody thinks Aztecs were savages. He's just pointing out, they had a different belief system than ours. That's all.
i feel as if neil young is likening himself to this image of cortez, with montezuma and the aztecs as a lost love. in his image, the people are beautiful, peaceful, spirited and intense. cortez comes and takes that away forever. it seems like he's feeling guilt for devastating a woman's life and hopes (in love)...
"i know she's living there, and she loves me to this day. i can't remember when or how i lost my way. he came dancing across the water. cortez, cortez. what a killer."
young often refers to his "darker side". perhaps it reigned as cortez.
This is the part of the song which explains what the song is about. It's not about cortez or the aztecs. I thing eremitic hit the nail on the head...
This is the part of the song which explains what the song is about. It's not about cortez or the aztecs. I thing eremitic hit the nail on the head...
I've always had the same reaction to this song... at the end, he reveals that it's personal. He's the guy who messed up perfection, just like Cortez.
I've always had the same reaction to this song... at the end, he reveals that it's personal. He's the guy who messed up perfection, just like Cortez.
@eremitic3 just wanna say that, although I agree with the POV that says what We (white Europeans) did to the Native People's of North America is a horrible thing, speaking generally, I do want to point out the line about "they offered life in sacrifice, so that others could go on"...again, what we did to the Indians was awful, but I think Neil tried to sneak one by us with that line, and that offering "life in sacrifice" - where, the person sacrificed (I believe this was true of the Aztecs and Mayans both) had their heart cut out while...
@eremitic3 just wanna say that, although I agree with the POV that says what We (white Europeans) did to the Native People's of North America is a horrible thing, speaking generally, I do want to point out the line about "they offered life in sacrifice, so that others could go on"...again, what we did to the Indians was awful, but I think Neil tried to sneak one by us with that line, and that offering "life in sacrifice" - where, the person sacrificed (I believe this was true of the Aztecs and Mayans both) had their heart cut out while still alive, awake and alert, isn't the act of an "innocent" people.
Again, I just want to stress that I don't think that makes the genocide forgivable. Just that Neil downplays the savage acts of the Aztecs, while condemning the spanish. Still a great song, just adding my thoughts.
@eremitic3
@eremitic3
Just an amazing song. As was the Aztec civilization. He must have read up on it. And then came up with a very far out interpretation of what happened between Montezuma and Cortez. Cortez was a killer. He came in and leveled the city of tenochititlan. And that city was very large, beautifully built, captial of the Aztecs. They fought but didn't beleive in killing their prisoners. They used them for sacrifice "so that others could go on." It was also so that the sun would exist and they got plenty of rain for crops. Cortez came along, stole...
Just an amazing song. As was the Aztec civilization. He must have read up on it. And then came up with a very far out interpretation of what happened between Montezuma and Cortez. Cortez was a killer. He came in and leveled the city of tenochititlan. And that city was very large, beautifully built, captial of the Aztecs. They fought but didn't beleive in killing their prisoners. They used them for sacrifice "so that others could go on." It was also so that the sun would exist and they got plenty of rain for crops. Cortez came along, stole their gold and destroyed the capitol. He was a killer.
Musically, is very cool how it starts with a solo that begins mellow and builds. Its an incredible song. What's far out to me is that its Neil Young's version of the Aztec civilization and Cortez's destruction of it.
@eremitic3
@eremitic3
No. Carrie Snodgress is actually a girl he broke up with before he did this song. That's where that line came from. Everybody thinks Aztecs were savages. He's just pointing out, they had a different belief system than ours. That's all.
No. Carrie Snodgress is actually a girl he broke up with before he did this song. That's where that line came from. Everybody thinks Aztecs were savages. He's just pointing out, they had a different belief system than ours. That's all.