I shot my baby Down by the river Dead, ooh, ooh, shot her dead

Down By The River

Down by the River er fra Youngs andet soloalbum fra 1969 med Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Sangen er én af tre sange, som blev skrevet på en enkelt dag, mens Young lå syg med influanza og 39,5 °C feber. De to andre sange fra dagen i sengen er Cinnamon Girl og Cowgirl in the Sand.

Debatten om, hvorvidt denne sang er en murder balade eller ej, har kørt lige siden den udkom. Ifølge tekster virker det oplagt, men en anden fortolkning kunne være, at nummeret faktisk handler om at dræbe afhængighed. Erstatter man tanken om kærlighed med stoffer, får nummeret pludselig en helt andenbetydning, hvor Young i omkvædet gør det af med de elskede stoffer, der kunne sende ham langt væk over regnbuen.

På albumversionen med Crazy Horse, leverer Young en af ​​sine fineste soloer. Ekstremt enkel, men ikke desto mindre ikonisk. I soloen gentages således den samme staccato-tone 38 gange i træk.

Klippet øverst er en soloversion fra 1971 fra The Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Connecticut.

If I was ever going to teach a master class to young guitarists, the first thing I would play them is the first minute of Neil Young's original Down by the River solo. It's one note, but it's so melodic, and it just snarls with attitude and anger.

— Trey Anastasio

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

She could drag me over the rainbow
Send me away

Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Dead, ooh, ooh, shot her dead

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

She could drag me over the rainbow
Send me away

Down by the river
I shot my baby
Down by the river
Dead, ooh, ooh, shot her dead

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