 Unplugged (1993) [ larger cover art ] |
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Aurora borealis
The icy sky at night
Paddles cut the water
In a long and hurried flight
From the white man to the fields of green
And the homeland we've never seen.
They killed us in our tepee
And they cut our women down
They might have left some babies
Cryin' on the ground
But the firesticks and the wagons come
And the night falls on the setting sun.
They massacred the buffalo
Kitty corner from the bank
The taxis run across my feet
And my eyes have turned to blanks
In my little box at the top of the stairs
With my Indian rug and a pipe to share.
I wish I was a trapper
I would give thousand pelts
To sleep with Pocahontas
And find out how she felt
In the mornin' on the fields of green
In the homeland we've never seen.
And maybe Marlon Brando
Will be there by the fire
We'll sit and talk of Hollywood
And the good things there for hire
And the Astrodome and the first tepee
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Pocahontas.
| LongGoneDaddy | Posted: Jun 27, 2012 - 05:50  |
| vanmas (Leiden, Netherlands) | Posted: Jun 27, 2012 - 05:49 Is this man drunk? |
| drfeeleygood | Posted: Apr 24, 2012 - 15:40 Love you Uncle Shakey!!!  |
| oldsaxon (United Kingdom) | Posted: Jan 20, 2012 - 11:47 CyberCoyote wrote: A lot more melancholy & hopelessness in feeling and than version on Rust Never Sleeps Hopelessness and yet hope? I feel hope back there somewhere. It's also nice to hear Neil play more than one note. I saw him live once in a solo gig. He was magical. At one point the stage caught on fire, something to do with sage burning, I don't know, but he kept playing as the roadies deleted the flames with fire extinguishers, he never missed a chord :) magic. |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: Jan 20, 2012 - 11:42 ortega1 wrote: "The Pineapple Thief" played before, was, (as Steve Jobs says), amazing. And now again this crying man... Awful! "crying man" PERFECT!!!  |
| jersey_birdman | Posted: Jan 20, 2012 - 11:41  |
| jmsmy (Music Town, Klein, Texas) | Posted: Dec 19, 2011 - 18:34 I've loved this song since Rust Never Sleeps. |
| d-don (Oregon) | Posted: Oct 17, 2011 - 10:42 "...with my Indian rug, and a pipe to share."  More gold from Neil. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Oct 17, 2011 - 10:40 SinisterDexter wrote: On second thought, let's not go to the New World. It is a silly place.  I eat ham and jam and spam alot :o) |
| SinisterDexter | Posted: Aug 15, 2011 - 12:14 DaveInVA wrote: Silly lyrics but I like it  On second thought, let's not go to the New World. It is a silly place. |
| bluecshells (EARTH) | Posted: Jun 13, 2011 - 11:13 Neil Young is a true native at heart. |
| tutakea | Posted: Apr 11, 2011 - 06:17 hmm... quite crazy. i DO like some songs from neil young, but sometimes his voice/singing is really not my cup of tea. this should normally apply here: he gets to extremes with his whining vocal-sound, here. but strangely enough it doesn´t bother me at all, here. on the contrary: when he comes to the phrase "marlon brando, pocahontas and me" it gives me goosebumps, the intensity is really painful. but maybe it´s just the guitar-work which is so absolutely brilliant in this song/version who does the trick? |
| contractor07 (Ann Arbor Michigan) | Posted: Feb 07, 2011 - 09:44
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| h8rhater | Posted: Feb 07, 2011 - 09:41 j2e1n9 wrote: Wow. Bad. Wow.... and so many of your fave bands owe such a debt to Mr. Young. Head-scratcher. |
| ortega1 (Warsaw, Poland) | Posted: Dec 06, 2010 - 11:42 "The Pineapple Thief" played before, was, (as Steve Jobs says), amazing. And now again this crying man... Awful! |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Dec 06, 2010 - 11:42 The spirit of the 70s is still here! He was my hero back in the day, and now i am thankful to know him and his music! |
| LongGoneDaddy | Posted: Dec 06, 2010 - 11:41  |
| crockydile (Outer Spiral Arm, Milky Way) | Posted: Dec 06, 2010 - 11:41 Such as sweet sounding song for such a tragic subject...meh. |
| j2e1n9 (23221) | Posted: Jun 30, 2010 - 07:40 Wow. Bad. |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: May 29, 2010 - 11:54 Zocket wrote: Terrific transition from Elliott Smith's Waltz #2. Another reason Radio Paradise is always on a system wherever I go (and I build computers for a living). Bill is an artist... Ohhh - please come here and build my place of employment a system so we can listen to RP while we water the plants, stand the trees, help customers, haul bark-dust, etc..... (I call it my Zen-job, but it'd be even more "Zen" with RP...) I've read the rules regarding copyrights and royalties, and I think our nursery/greenhouse qualifies for the exemption... |
| von_Hayek (Land of the early birds) | Posted: May 29, 2010 - 11:53 I really like that part about Marlon Brando. Far out... |
| On_The_Beach (Vancouver BC, Bud) | Posted: Mar 27, 2010 - 04:09 h8rhater wrote: genocide... always silly  |
| jim1964 (british columbia, but use to ride the IRT to work) | Posted: Feb 23, 2010 - 14:21 I always thought that this was a Crash Vegas song, didn't know it was written by Neil Young. I think I prefer her version to this. |
| h8rhater | Posted: Feb 23, 2010 - 14:21 DaveInVA wrote: Silly lyrics but I like it genocide... always silly |
| DaveInVA (In a crumbling Queen Anne mansion in Damnville, VA) | Posted: Nov 21, 2009 - 07:24 Silly lyrics but I like it |
| CyberCoyote (Central Cali Coast) | Posted: Oct 20, 2009 - 21:11 A lot more melancholy & hopelessness in feeling and than version on Rust Never Sleeps |
| Zocket (San Jose, CA) | Posted: Oct 20, 2009 - 21:10 Terrific transition from Elliott Smith's Waltz #2. Another reason Radio Paradise is always on a system wherever I go (and I build computers for a living). Bill is an artist... |
| HazzeSwede (Vinyl Land) | Posted: Jun 16, 2009 - 09:15 On the play list in Stockholm 12/6 all electric! #10!  |
| stkman (Texas) | Posted: Jan 09, 2009 - 06:22 Bocephus wrote: I like the Rust Never Sleeps version better, but the song is great. An 8...I'd give a 9 for the other version. Both are great, its ironic that your ID is Bocephus,what Hank called Jr but you know that, Neil bought Hank Sr's Martin from Tut Taylor a long time ago |
| Jamus | Posted: Jan 09, 2009 - 06:18 Young keeps getting better as does this morning's playlist! |
| bobcat1963 (the netherlands) | Posted: Nov 07, 2008 - 03:09 absolutely great, this Pocahontas! |
| TimmyMack (Brooklyn, New York) | Posted: Oct 06, 2008 - 13:36 Great album from a great singer/songwriter. Great live version of an old classic. |
| andycollingridge (London, UK) | Posted: Aug 04, 2008 - 07:15 I love the added intimacy and rawness of this version - makes it even more poignant and powerful, to me at least. Godlike... |
| EssexTex (Behind You!) | Posted: Jan 28, 2008 - 08:43 Neil's amazing...and he doesn't fart about like so many from his generation did and still do, nor did he ever sell out. |
| ThePoose | Posted: Jan 28, 2008 - 08:43 ludwig7 wrote: I guess you have to be of a certain age to understand the Marlon Brando reference. Unfortunately, I'm of that age.
Brando's son, Christian, died yesterday at 49. |
| OldFrenchie (Frozen wastes of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) | Posted: Dec 27, 2007 - 22:21 boober wrote: Can you write songs,play guitar,play harmonica,and sing any better? He should add some knee symbols to his gig and fire his drummer. |
| handyrae (Zero Point Field) | Posted: Nov 26, 2007 - 12:51 boober wrote: Can you write songs,play guitar,play harmonica,and sing any better? Well of course not. But I realize that and don't try. |
| daveesh (birthplace of the american revolution) | Posted: Nov 26, 2007 - 12:49 love neil young. i own this great album. but i have to say that hearing his voice right after the silky smooth vocal stylings of chris isaak is more than a bit jarring. |
| RobK (Leucadia, CA) | Posted: Sep 24, 2007 - 17:51 Last time I saw Son Volt they played this as their very last encore song. Really invigorated it and just rocked out. It was great. As for NY versions I do prefer the one off Live Rust. |
| bdblinux (Northern California) | Posted: Sep 24, 2007 - 17:50 Bocephus wrote: I like the Rust Never Sleeps version better, but the song is great. An 8...I'd give a 9 for the other version.
I agree. Rust Never Sleeps ver is great. Awesome tune |
| Bocephus (Boulder, CO) | Posted: Aug 24, 2007 - 07:45 I like the Rust Never Sleeps version better, but the song is great. An 8...I'd give a 9 for the other version. |
| boober (KC,Mo) | Posted: Aug 24, 2007 - 07:44 roguewarer wrote: My god! Does he even TRY to hit notes on that har-moan-ica?
 Can you write songs,play guitar,play harmonica,and sing any better? |
| MojoJojo (Indianapolis, IN USA) | Posted: Aug 24, 2007 - 07:43 That has to be the most horrendous transition from one song to another! 
From Chris Isaak's sublime, "Wicked Game", to Neil Young. 
Or was that Chris Isaak to, "guy swings cat by tail and tries to pass it for singing"?  |
| sukilau (cellar dweller) | Posted: Aug 24, 2007 - 07:41 dmax wrote: Started off sounding like "These are the good old days" by Carly Simon.
OMG-TOTALLY agree.... |
| eastcoast | Posted: Jun 22, 2007 - 10:11 Great song and great version!! |
| (former member) (Too far from the bay of Funday) | Posted: Jun 22, 2007 - 10:11 dmax wrote: Started off sounding like "These are the good old days" by Carly Simon.
Actually, it started off by reminding me of "Nature's Way" by Spirit. |
| mach-hog (wild blue...) | Posted: May 22, 2007 - 01:27 this is a great song... 
the Brando reference is perhaps to when Brando had "Sasheen Littlefeather" accept an Oscar on his behalf. Ostensibly, this was to underline America's treatment of its indigenous people, but in classic Young iconoclastic style, I think he's mocking Brando's gesture for the moneyed hollywood cliche it appeared to be. It may have been a reference to having a certain part of one's anatomy "read" (like palm reading) however Brando was having the reading in a place where... ummm, ahemm... let's just say if you were undergoing colonic irrigation, this is where the hose goes... (this was something Brando was rumoured to part of in the late '70s...) "...sit and talk of hollywood and the good things there for hire..." Indeed  |
| jmsmy (Music Town, Klein, Texas) | Posted: Apr 20, 2007 - 13:17 the astrodome - where did that come from - but i do love this song - oh by the way the astrodome is still here :) - it should be a national landmark |
| Rickvee (New Orleans) | Posted: Apr 20, 2007 - 13:13 Prefer the album version but this is grea as well. Neil Young is a musical god. |
| themotion (wherever you are) | Posted: Apr 20, 2007 - 13:12 It's 4/20, kids ... chief one up for Neil ... and for Bill  |