That's it!?!?! I know that this is an amazing song, but I've always wondered what it means. When you do an internet search, you generally get the following: BROKEN ARROW - The accidental or unauthorized detonation, or possible detonation of a nuclear weapon (other than war risk); Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon; Radioactive contamination
Seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or component (including jettisoning);
Public hazard, actual or implied.
It also appears that the first "Broken Arrow" occured in 1950, about 18 years before this song was released. It seems to me that the song relates to possible negative impact on the environment from this type of disaster (and would be very consistent with Neil Young songs, as suggested by Pleo).
This if from Wikipedia: ""Broken Arrow" was confessional folk rock. It consists of three verses interspersed with snippets of sound from carnival music featuring organ, drum and clarinet. The song begins with applause and the opening of "Mr. Soul" (which opens the album) recorded live in the studio, and ends with the sound of a beating heart.
Each of the three verses uses surreal imagery to deal with emotions (emptiness of fame, teenage angst, hopelessness), and contains self-references to Buffalo Springfield and Young. They all end with the same lines:
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 quiver,
Brown skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow,
Held a broken arrow?
The Blackfoot Indians would use a broken arrow to signal that they would cease fighting." (Glassmoon was correct here).
btw, I don't think that the correct lyrics are empty "quiver" and not "quivered". A quiver is a container for arrows, crossbow bolts or darts, such as those shot from a bow, crossbow or blowgun. The picture of an indian on the side of the bank holding a broken arrow (i.e. cease fighting) would be consistent with his quiver being empty of arrows.
I still can't piece together the rest of the song though - particularly the first 5 lines of each of the 3 verses - can anyone help with this?
here is my take on it: the song is about white man versus native indians and the success one group has had over the other in modern society. We need to remember to be grateful fo the natives who shared their land. basically the whole song tries to convey that our modern life as we know it is because the indians allowed us to have it. each verse is about some aspect of white man's modern life (and the silliness of it?).
here is my take on it: the song is about white man versus native indians and the success one group has had over the other in modern society. We need to remember to be grateful fo the natives who shared their land. basically the whole song tries to convey that our modern life as we know it is because the indians allowed us to have it. each verse is about some aspect of white man's modern life (and the silliness of it?).
verse one: is about the band playing to a crowd. does the band remember the debt they owe to indians for their ultimate success? verse 2: 18 years of american dream is simply a typical american teenager. 'swore on the wall' is seeing his brother's graffiti on the bathroom wall at school. again - do we remember to thank the indians for our 'american dream'? verse 3: the queen and her husband (with elaborate sunshades at dawn - the sun is not even very strong then). the royal marriages were often for the sake of ending wars, nothing more: "married for peace and were gone".
That's it!?!?! I know that this is an amazing song, but I've always wondered what it means. When you do an internet search, you generally get the following: BROKEN ARROW - The accidental or unauthorized detonation, or possible detonation of a nuclear weapon (other than war risk); Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon; Radioactive contamination Seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or component (including jettisoning); Public hazard, actual or implied.
It also appears that the first "Broken Arrow" occured in 1950, about 18 years before this song was released. It seems to me that the song relates to possible negative impact on the environment from this type of disaster (and would be very consistent with Neil Young songs, as suggested by Pleo).
This if from Wikipedia: ""Broken Arrow" was confessional folk rock. It consists of three verses interspersed with snippets of sound from carnival music featuring organ, drum and clarinet. The song begins with applause and the opening of "Mr. Soul" (which opens the album) recorded live in the studio, and ends with the sound of a beating heart.
Each of the three verses uses surreal imagery to deal with emotions (emptiness of fame, teenage angst, hopelessness), and contains self-references to Buffalo Springfield and Young. They all end with the same lines:
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 quiver, Brown skinned Indian on the banks That were crowded and narrow, Held a broken arrow? The Blackfoot Indians would use a broken arrow to signal that they would cease fighting." (Glassmoon was correct here).
btw, I don't think that the correct lyrics are empty "quiver" and not "quivered". A quiver is a container for arrows, crossbow bolts or darts, such as those shot from a bow, crossbow or blowgun. The picture of an indian on the side of the bank holding a broken arrow (i.e. cease fighting) would be consistent with his quiver being empty of arrows.
I still can't piece together the rest of the song though - particularly the first 5 lines of each of the 3 verses - can anyone help with this?
here is my take on it: the song is about white man versus native indians and the success one group has had over the other in modern society. We need to remember to be grateful fo the natives who shared their land. basically the whole song tries to convey that our modern life as we know it is because the indians allowed us to have it. each verse is about some aspect of white man's modern life (and the silliness of it?).
here is my take on it: the song is about white man versus native indians and the success one group has had over the other in modern society. We need to remember to be grateful fo the natives who shared their land. basically the whole song tries to convey that our modern life as we know it is because the indians allowed us to have it. each verse is about some aspect of white man's modern life (and the silliness of it?).
verse one: is about the band playing to a crowd. does the band remember the debt they owe to indians for their ultimate success? verse 2: 18 years of american dream is simply a typical american teenager. 'swore on the wall' is seeing his brother's graffiti on the bathroom wall at school. again - do we remember to thank the indians for our 'american dream'? verse 3: the queen and her husband (with elaborate sunshades at dawn - the sun is not even very strong then). the royal marriages were often for the sake of ending wars, nothing more: "married for peace and were gone".
hope this helps