This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Be on my side, I'll be on your side, baby
There is no reason for you to hide
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
When you could be taking me for a ride, yeah
She could drag me over the rainbow
And send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Dead, ooh
Shot her dead, ooh
You take my hand, I'll take your hand
Together we may get away
This much madness is too much sorrow
It's impossible to make it today, yeah
Ooh, yeah
She could drag me over the rainbow
And send me away, yeah
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Dead, dead, ooh ooh
Ooh ooh shot her dead
Shot her dead
Be on my side, I'll be on your side
There is no reason for you to hide
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
When you could be taking me for a ride
Ooh, yeah
She could drag me over the rainbow
And send me away, yeah
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
There is no reason for you to hide
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
When you could be taking me for a ride, yeah
She could drag me over the rainbow
And send me away
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Dead, ooh
Shot her dead, ooh
You take my hand, I'll take your hand
Together we may get away
This much madness is too much sorrow
It's impossible to make it today, yeah
Ooh, yeah
She could drag me over the rainbow
And send me away, yeah
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Dead, dead, ooh ooh
Ooh ooh shot her dead
Shot her dead
Be on my side, I'll be on your side
There is no reason for you to hide
It's so hard for me staying here all alone
When you could be taking me for a ride
Ooh, yeah
She could drag me over the rainbow
And send me away, yeah
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
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His baby is Heroin, which he is comparing to a lost love. In many cities the junkies would hang out by the river and shoot up. "SHOT HER DEAD" means he used up all of the Heroin, and to a junkie it's like killing a love. Neil Young has a few songs that are about drugs (The Needle and The Damage is Done and Sugar Moutain, so why would it be so strange that this is about drugs?
"she could drag me over the rainbow, send me away Down by the river I shot my baby Down by the river, Dead, oh, shot her dead."
I think the same. Doesn't have to be about H, but I think this too.
He rails against heroin in The Needle and the Damage Done although that doesn't prove he didn't try it.
Also and admittedly a bit literal 'shot my baby' could mean ejaculate, have sex.
I think this song is all about a man who is getting over a love who has left him. When he shoot his baby it means he says goodbye to her (in his head) and the fact that he shoots her is a metaphor. It means that he is over her. In music it is(was) all about metaphors
This song is about living in a van. Duh.
New Orleans, Sep 27, 1984
Neil Young introducing the song "Down By The River":
I'd like to sing you a song about a guy who had a lot of trouble controlling himself. He let the dark side side come thru a little too bright. One afternoon he took a little stroll down thru a field and thru a forest, 'til he could hear the water running along there. And he met his woman down there. And he told her she'd been cheatin' on him one too many times. And he reached down in his pocket and he pulled a little revolver out. Said "honey I hate to do this but you pushed me too far".
By the time he got back to town he knew he had to answer to somebody pretty quick. He went back to his house and he sat down on his front porch. About two hours later the sheriff's car pulled up out front. It started sinkin' in on him what he'd done. The sheriff walked up the sidewalk, he said "come with me son, I want to ask you a few questions".
As he heard the jail door shut behind him he sat down on a little wooden bench. And he looked out of the door - thru those bars - at this kind of wimpy looking sheriff out there. He started getting mad again and he realized what he had done.
There wasn't nothing he could do about it now though. He just sat down and put his head down and he started thinking to himself "I'm all by myself here, there's nobody on my side....."
thrasherswheat.org/fot/down-by-the-river.htm
@joemdkarda I agree more with this version, it's a kind of "Hey Joe" song from J. Hendrix.
...and BTW, the name Crazy Horse that Neil Young used for the band name was not about a crazy horse. It was the name of the Indian chief of the Oglala Lakota Indians, Chief Crazy Horse, who among other things, led the Lakota people against Custer at Little Bighorn June, 1876.
I figured it was about a woman who the singer loved, but she tried to leave him, so in his 'madness and sorrow' he shot her, because he could not bear her leaving him. I hear Young wrote this song when he was ill and delirious...? Anyway, it's a beautiful song and I adore it!
though i could see how you could misinterpret this to be a heroin reference, your thinking way too hard. the song is clearly about a failed relationship in which the story teller tricks his ex-love into coming down to the river "be on my side, i'll be on your side, there is no reason for you to hide" after which he in fact "shot her dead" the song couldnt be any clearer. its the old "if i cant have you, nobody should" feeling you get when someone you love leaves you. and thats that.
Also if you really like this song, you should check out the Buddy Miles version from the album "them changes" he breaks it down and puts the perfect feeling to the song.
I can't beleive that anyone could think that Neil would write a song about murder or killing a girlfriend. Neil is all about peace and love. Anti war and non violence is the theme of many of neils songs. Many of his songs are anti drug songs. This song is about the harsh reality of addiction. "The needle and the damage done." In tonights the night, Bruce Berry "died out on the main line", He OD'd. A talented man lost to us all to addiction.
No, I disagree, I think Young is writing from a character's point of view, and the grief of this character is brought through with the extreme of murder. I think that he most likely intended to juxtapose the love with the hate, it makes it all the more prominent. I really do feel, as Jon112384 said, that it has an 'if I can't have you, nobody should" feeling about it.<br /> Besides, I hear he wrote this song in a state of delirium, along with Cowgirl in the Sand (which while may not be too relevant, I found interesting). I don't think he always has to be portraying one message. I also don't think this particular song is about drugs. But hey, that's just my personal opinion.
I totally agree with you here. I used to listen to this song after I broke up with my first girlfriend and fantasize about killing her down by the river.luckily i was sane enough to realize she wasn't worth spending the rest of my life in prison for!!!
I really don't think this song is about a horse or heroin. He wrote this song while passed out in bed with a bad fever. Amazing song.
Yeah, clearly about the end of a relationship. I think heroin is overthinking it, but obviously there are metaphors of murder (and perhaps euthenasia) used. The song i prefer to associate with it is <i>Running Dry</i>, rather than <i>Cinnamon Girl</i> or <i>Losing End</i>
This is possibly the best rock song ever written. I :ballsack: NY & Crazy Horse.
I've read the lyrics over and over as you all have. I want to propose a hypothesis that may be true for many songs where we have difficulty finding the true meaning of the song (e.g. Hotel California). Neil is painting a picture, purposely keeping it vague, allowing the listener to conjure various images and plots. The song doesn't get old, b/c we're constantly analyzing it. Some artist may do that intentionally and the song may be more or less metaphorical, I don't know. His intent could have be to create a mood and the lyrics had to be cut up and incomplete. Key words and phrases may have been left out of the orginal poem or story that he created to fit the demands of the music/rhythm.
My first impression was that this is literally about a disturbed man who committed murder. The stanzas are his thoughts before the murder, the chorus being the repetition of a confession to himself. For those interested in this particular interpretation, listen to Possum Kingdom by the Toadies and you will find a similar story being told.