Powderfinger by Neil Young

[schmidlin]

For some reason, woke up this morning with this song in my head & very sad. I wept for this story about man's timeless struggle against...
Anyone sense this?? Such a powerful song, yet a bit under the radar.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/powderfinger-lyrics-neil-young.html

[Rumblefish]

Well, I do love Neil Young but,that story leaves a lot to the imagination as to who and what. Not worth crying over to me.But knock yourself out.These days things get me all emotional that wouldn't have before.Probably age related for me.

[iamdavea]

LOVE the last verse:

Shelter me from the powder and the finger/
Cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger/
Just think of me as one you'd never figure/
Would fade away so young/
With so much left undone/
Remember me to my love, I know I'll miss her.

I only know the Live Rust version. It's a legitimately great song. After it's finished, you think, "Only Neil could have written that."

[Full Monty]

There are a few good cover versions out there, The Cowboy Junkies interpret the song in a very haunting fashion. No-one holds a candle to any of Neil's versions though.

[bgl]

my favorite neil song. i've always loved the way you're simply set down into the narrative as it's unfolding. great, novelistic imagery, but everything isn't spelled out for the listener. it's all implication. THAT, to me, is great writing...

[GrungeMan]

Love the guitar work!

Grungy :JAM

[speedtaco]

My favorite by Neil, such a great song.

[mrbungel]

Powerful song, killer lyrics and guitar parts.
Supposedly, it's about the American Civil war.
Awesome live version on Arc Weld.

[Tripower455]

Definitely one of my favorite Neil songs.......

[wstsidela]

Look out, Mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river...

[vulture]

There are a few good cover versions out there, The Cowboy Junkies interpret the song in a very haunting fashion. No-one holds a candle to any of Neil's versions though.

The Beat Farmers do a great cover.

[mrbungel]

Lookout mama there's a dead rat floatin in the river...

[bjjp2]

Powerful song, killer lyrics and guitar parts.
Supposedly, it's about the American Civil war.
Awesome live version on Arc Weld.

I always heard Vietnam from the vietnamese's standpoint. But who really knows. Great song.

[mrbungel]

http://wesclark.com/jw/powderfinger.html

[TimD]

My band does this song from time to time, it's one of my favorites to play.
I love Neil and this tune. Another recent fav is Cowgirl in the Sand. I'd like to add that to the setlist.

Tim

[bjjp2]

http://wesclark.com/jw/powderfinger.html

Not much of a source there. Just says Neil said it, with no cite. May be right. There's a lot of fascinating discussion online about what this song means.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=65

http://metachat.org/index.php/2005/10/18/powderfinger_by_neil_young

http://www.jstor.org/pss/853572

http://www.thrasherswheat.org/fot/powderfinger.html

[JDW3]

I was just reintroduced to that song as we watched the Rust Never Sleeps movie. I was blown away. The entire movie is amongst the best concert documents ever, but Powderfinger really stands out.

[sanhozay]

my favorite neil song. i've always loved the way you're simply set down into the narrative as it's unfolding. great, novelistic imagery, but everything isn't spelled out for the listener. it's all implication. THAT, to me, is great writing...

Well stated!

[wstsidela]

http://images.starcraftmazter.net/4chan/for_forums/i_like_where_thread_going3.jpg

[Plague Dog]

There's an Australian band that took the name Powderfinger because of that song.

There is so much Neil Young material I would have a hard time choosing one as my favorite... it would change day to day, week to week. But that one would always be in my top 6-7

[iamdavea]

I always heard Vietnam from the vietnamese's standpoint. But who really knows. Great song.

"Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains/
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmylou."

I don't think he's talking about Vietnam.

[mrbungel]

"Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains/
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmylou."

I don't think he's talking about Vietnam.

I agree. How many Vietnamese parents name their kids John or Emmylou?

[bjjp2]

"Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains/
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmylou."

I don't think he's talking about Vietnam.

It's allegorical. Maybe.

Not sure there were any gunboats during the Civil War either that were "white" with "a big red beacon" and "numbers on the side".

[iamdavea]

What's the Vietnamese equivalent of Emmylou??

[Guitar55]

If it's a Vietnam allegory, it's told in a Civil War setting. I think it's pretty obvious. YMMV.

Great lyrics.

"Red means run, son. Numbers add up to nothin'."

[mrbungel]

What's the Vietnamese equivalent of Emmylou??

Emmyrou?

[iamdavea]

"It don't look they're here to deliver the mail."

Did the Vietnamese who lived along the rivers have mail delivered to them?

"When the first shot hit the dock, I saw it comin'."

And did those same Vietnamese live in huts, but make DOCKS?

C'mon guys. Don't make it harder than it is.

[iamdavea]

I believe it would be Emmylou-san.

[art_z]

The Beat Farmers do a great cover.

agreed!

[Butterfly]

The allegory and ambiguity are part of what makes the lyrics powerful IMO. Classic Neil.

[bgood]

story is about some backwoods bootleggers that are about to be busted up and killed by the man. The young boy/man is left by himself to do what he thinks it best but he doesn't want a fight.

[Tricks]

A young frontiersman.

[supergenius365]

My band used to do this. With enough bourbon in me, I would get choked up with the lyrics. Love playing that song.

[voodoochile]

... this is only my interpretation, but I have always envisioned it as a broken family living by the river who are moonshiners. The police have to get to them via boat (like they do on the bayou's in Mississippi), and he's alone one day left to protect the homestead...

it doesn't entirely fit, but it makes for a very realistic mental picture, and something I think young would write about.

either way, killer song.

[loudboy]

The greatest song, by one of the greatest rock musicians.

Sheer perfection, it's like "Let It Be" "Like a Rolling Stone" - there's no fault to be found with it.

I NEVER get tired of playing this song.