![]() Retrospective (1969) [ larger cover art ] |
The lights turned on and the curtain fell down
And when it was over, it felt like a dream
They stood at the stage door and begged for a scream
The agents had paid for the black limousine
That waited outside in the rain
Did you see them, did you see them?
Did you see them in the river?
They were there to wave to you
Could you tell that the empty-quivered
Brown-skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow
Held a broken arrow?
Eighteen years of American dream
He saw that his brother had sworn on the wall
He hung up his eyelids and ran down the hall
His mother had told him a trip was a fall
And don't mention babies at all
Did you see him, did you see him?
Did you see him in the river?
He was there to wave to you
Could you tell that the empty-quivered
Brown-skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow
Held a broken arrow?
The streets were lined for the wedding parade
The queen wore the white gloves, the county of song
The black-covered caisson her horses had drawn
Protected her king from the sun rays of dawn
They married for peace and were gone
Did you see them, did you see them?
Did you see them in the river?
They were there to wave to you
Could you tell that the empty-quivered
Brown-skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow
Held a broken arrow?
| johnjconn (chicago land) | Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 08:57 ![]() |
| Sloggydog (UK) | Posted: Mar 25, 2013 - 08:52 Really very poor. Just doesn't work its like lots of bits of separate songs none of which sound all that great. I also keep thinking oh no the next song is no good either but actually its just another bit of this that isn't good. |
| YourNameHere (Los Angeles) | Posted: Nov 19, 2012 - 21:42 I like a lot of Buffalo Springfield but I'm not a fan of this song. It seems to be all over the place, maybe overly ambitious. To my ears there are elements of this song can be found in Young's "Country Girl", which I think is a great song. |
| SanFranGayMan (San Francisco) | Posted: Nov 19, 2012 - 21:37 bam23 wrote: Two years later, it's up to 7.5. Hang in there. Great composition, as weird as any Neil Young stuff ever is. Amen-what are folks looking for in music anyway?? |
| bam23 (Berkeley) | Posted: Nov 19, 2012 - 21:35 gatorade wrote: 7.4 Is all the love this gets? This was so far ahead of most of the other stuff being played at the time, Still IS! Wonderful. Two years later, it's up to 7.5. Hang in there. Great composition, as weird as any Neil Young stuff ever is. |
| Jazbo (Beautiful Valparaiso IN.) | Posted: Oct 19, 2012 - 13:13 .AHhhhhhhh.......10.... |
| Pedro1874 (Newton-le-Willows, England) | Posted: Aug 17, 2012 - 12:16 Ahh, taken back to my good ole days - thanks Bill |
| pdhski (O-town) | Posted: Aug 17, 2012 - 12:06 Bah. |
| richlister | Posted: Jul 17, 2012 - 01:40 Ahh, here it is. The daily Neil Young, swiftly followed by Talking heads, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd and U2. Hopefully next so we can them out of the way and get the 'decent' music going again. Bill probably puts them in there to satisfy a requirement. |
| jagdriver (Just a nod and a wink south of Paradise) | Posted: Jun 15, 2012 - 11:05 rumblekg wrote: just learned about this group today on RP and read a wiki article about them. thanks for the education RP. Read The Last Sultan: The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun. Many great accounts in this single volume, which you may be able to find at your local library. |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: May 14, 2012 - 16:30 ![]() |
| michaelc (Walnut Creek, CA) | Posted: May 14, 2012 - 16:29 Charlie brown piano was in there |
| Baby_M (a 100+-year old building in downtown Akron, Ohio) | Posted: Mar 12, 2012 - 07:52 It sort of has everything but the kitchen sink—no, strike that, I distinctly heard a kitchen sink playing harmony to the clarinet solo! |
| deepwoodskev (In a town west of Chicago) | Posted: Mar 12, 2012 - 07:49 huh? |
| lily34 (lexvegas) | Posted: Feb 09, 2012 - 13:40 love this. |
| kurtster (Back in Ohiya, for now ...) | Posted: Oct 05, 2011 - 17:40 Liviamerry wrote: Jack Nietzche put his mark on this one, too He is responsible for a great deal of my favorite American music from the 60's. |
| firemonkey108 (just the other side of maybe) | Posted: Sep 04, 2011 - 07:18 ... oh sigh ... gave this a 9 ... then as I found myself singing along to it ~ way back there 'in my head' ~ I just had to up it to a 10 ... As ever ~ thanks RP ![]() |
| RobRyan (Canyon Country, CA) | Posted: Jul 03, 2011 - 12:18 As charming as Revolution 9. |
| eltom (Frankfurt, Germany) | Posted: Jul 03, 2011 - 12:14 Yeah, those were the days... heeeheee. |
| Liviamerry | Posted: Jun 01, 2011 - 21:12 Tiggertooth wrote: Great stuff! I attribute this as a Neil Young solo work more than Buffalo Springfield. Details... Jack Nietzche put his mark on this one, too |
| Tiggertooth | Posted: Jun 01, 2011 - 21:08 Great stuff! I attribute this as a Neil Young solo work more than Buffalo Springfield. Details... |
| Colandrio | Posted: Jun 01, 2011 - 21:07 I appreciate hearing this again. This song was a progressive rock icon before there was progressive rock. Young's sensibility is firmly etched and the arrangement is transcendental. |
| Dave_Mack (Saratoga,CA) | Posted: Mar 30, 2011 - 16:10 I loooooove Neil Young's work with Buffalo Springfield. Definitely some of his finest moments. And it's got a clarinet solo! |
| HazzeSwede (Vinyl Land) | Posted: Feb 27, 2011 - 04:41 Broken Arrow ; Song name - Tour name - Ranch name,,,more ?? |
| novacura (Rotterdam, Holland) | Posted: Feb 27, 2011 - 04:32 Gaak. My wife loves them. Whereas......... |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Nov 24, 2010 - 20:44 Wow. Thank you. 10. |
| Jazbo (Beautiful Valparaiso IN.) | Posted: Sep 22, 2010 - 11:34 Thanks Bill.....10 from the memory bank..... |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Sep 22, 2010 - 11:33 Neil is the King or at least one of them |
| jersey_birdman | Posted: Sep 22, 2010 - 11:31 A big YES. Wilco was doing a great cover of this on their most recent tour.... Most of the crowd had no idea what the song was but those who did were blown away..... |
| DaveInVA (In a hovel in effluent Damnville, VA) | Posted: Aug 21, 2010 - 11:12 One of my favorite Buffalo Springfield tunes by far |
| gatorade (Ocean Park, WA) | Posted: Aug 21, 2010 - 11:07 7.4 Is all the love this gets? This was so far ahead of most of the other stuff being played at the time, Still IS! Wonderful. |
| crockydile (Outer Spiral Arm, Milky Way) | Posted: Jul 20, 2010 - 12:34 gjeeg wrote: Remarkable the way the songs departs itself, goes into what appear to be an entirely disconnected segues and gracefuill returns to itself, over and over. Bold creativity. Very 60's. ...or disorganized noise. Sounded like the latter to me. Or a Frank Zappa gig when someone forgot the vibes back at the hotel. |
| rumblekg | Posted: Jul 20, 2010 - 12:30 just learned about this group today on RP and read a wiki article about them. thanks for the education RP. |
| PopKombo (Monrovia, CA) | Posted: Jul 20, 2010 - 12:27 This incredible mix of music from the last 5 decades is why I listen to RP. You won't hear this stuff in this mix anywhere else on this planet. |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Jul 20, 2010 - 12:26 Very nice!! |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Jul 20, 2010 - 12:24 bbryan wrote: Does anyone know who sings the Mr. Soul live intro? Surely that isn't Neil Young (unless he was channeling Otis Redding on that particular night) It was Stills. Edit: Wiki sez it was Dewey Martin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Martin_(musician) |
| jimbaca (Albuquerque) | Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 15:32 I have lost count of the number of times that I listened to this back in the day... |
| lily34 (lexvegas) | Posted: Jun 18, 2010 - 15:29 wow. i forgot how much i love this. and i do love it. |
| kurtster (Area code 216) | Posted: May 17, 2010 - 20:30 bbryan wrote: Does anyone know who sings the Mr. Soul live intro? Surely that isn't Neil Young (unless he was channeling Otis Redding on that particular night) Pretty sure it was Stills. He sang the vocal lead in the actual song, Mr. Soul, IIRC. Those days are really fuzzy, the smog was pretty thick back then. |
| denbear (Denver, Colorado) | Posted: May 17, 2010 - 20:28 Neil finding his voice. Follow this with Tonight's the Night. |
| topherg87 (Austin, TX) | Posted: Apr 16, 2010 - 02:04 it sounds so familiar, yet im quite sure i've never heard it before most excellent |
| michaelgmitchell (Belleville, ON) | Posted: Mar 15, 2010 - 12:07 ![]() |
| Nuance (Winnipeg) | Posted: Mar 15, 2010 - 12:06 I'm sure the record label freaked on the addition of clarinet... what a schlock mix. |
| Bosami (Deep in the heart of nowhere) | Posted: Mar 15, 2010 - 12:05 Simply. Awesome. |
| lmic (Harmless Little Bunny) | Posted: Mar 15, 2010 - 12:03 OMG. I just realized that not only is Neil musically the Godfather of Grunge, but his vocals are the wellspring of emo! Plaintive. |
| bbryan (Austin, TX) | Posted: Mar 15, 2010 - 12:02 Does anyone know who sings the Mr. Soul live intro? Surely that isn't Neil Young (unless he was channeling Otis Redding on that particular night) |
| pdhski (O-town) | Posted: Mar 15, 2010 - 12:02 yawn |
| bachbeet | Posted: Sep 07, 2009 - 16:16 Terrific song from a terrific album (Again). An underrated group of talented musicians/singers/writers that went on to form other great groups. I also liked that this group managed to show their different influences — from country to jazz. |
| kundera (secondlife) | Posted: Jun 04, 2009 - 16:25 Ben Folds seems to have borrowed a bit from this song for his "The Last Polka" song |
| gjeeg (Syracuse, New York) | Posted: Jun 04, 2009 - 16:25 Remarkable the way the songs departs itself, goes into what appear to be an entirely disconnected segues and gracefuill returns to itself, over and over. Bold creativity. Very 60's. |




