Neil Young: Pokahontas
[purchase]
This is Neil Young at his best, in my opinion. He has had a long and varied career, but when he's sitting in a chair with a guitar and a harmonica he is magical.
The lyrics to this song are sad, moving, and wonderful until you get to the last verse. If I could meet Neil Young in person, the first question I would ask him would be, "Why on earth did you invite Marlon Brando to your amazing fantasy date with Pocahontas?"
marlon brando was a major activist for indian rights.
ReplyDeletethat's why!
@anon
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'm buying that one, but it makes the song kind of funny if its true.
it is true......why would you doubt it?
ReplyDeletemore importantly, why does the Brando reference make "the song kind of funny?"
Neil Young wrote a song sympathetic to Indians....Marlon Brando was an Indian sympathizer.
i am not sure what's so funny about that.
perhaps i need a better sense of humor.
A person usually can't explain why something is funny, but I'll try anyway.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I do not think the song is funny. What I think is funny is the idea that Neil Young decided to add Marlon Brando to the story BECAUSE Marlon Brando was a celebrity Native American sympathizer. It's just an odd idea. Did Bob Dylan add celebrity civil rights sympathizers to his protest songs about the civil rights movement? Would it have been a good idea?
Second, I need to define what I mean by the word "funny." There are two meanings to the word "funny." Funny strange and funny ha ha. I think Neil's apparent decision to throw Brando into the song because of his sympathies towards Native Americans is somewhere in between those two kinds of "funny," but a little closer to the "funny strange" variety of funny (which does not require a sense of humor).
Third, if Marlon Brando is there based on his Native American sympathies, why is he talking about "Hollywood"? Shouldn't he be apologizing for something? And what does the Astrodome have to do with the plight of Native Americans?
It might make some sense to put him there because of his iconic status. The Astrodome is kind of an iconic buiding, in that it was a symbol of the future when it was first built. Heck, Pocahontas is an iconic Native American. Maybe Neil liked the idea of throwing modern American icons into a scene with a Native American icon. It is kind of a cool image.
Or it could be because Neil was just being weird.
You can certainly question my sense of humor, but for some reason I'm amused that Neil Youg would think he should stick the Godfather next to the campfire because the song is about "Indians."
So I'm still looking for a better explanation of Marlon Brando's presence. And the Astrodome too.
How am I funny? Like a clown? No, you said I'm funny. How am I funny?
ReplyDeleteDan, exactly. I got a little bit of a Pesci vibe from anonymous.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we all just agree that it's an interesting lyrical twist at the end when Brando shows up and starts talking about the astrodome and the first teepee. Even though Brando was an activist, I just think it's an odd turn in the lyrics, especially juxtaposed with the previous verse which is very intimate and sensual.
Brando being an activists for native americans (which is something I didn't know) partially explains it, but I still think it's a bit odd.
No big deal though - it's a cool song, and that's what we're all here for.
Great song. But funny.
ReplyDeletei started laughing hysterically when i read this:
ReplyDelete"....There has been a great deal of speculation about the lines "Pocahontas, Marlon Brando and me". The connection between Pocahontas, Marlon Brando and Neil Young is the Native American Indian. Pocahontas was a famous Indian who "saved" the first "white man" to arrive in America Captain John Smith in Virginia. Brando was renowned for his support of the plight of native Americans. Brando once refused to accept an Oscar and instead sent an Indian woman to read a short speech on the native American tragedy. Finally, Neil has a long history of supporting Indian rights....."
http://www.thrasherswheat.org/tnfy/rns_album.htm
HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!
Wow, anon must be a blast to hang out with.
ReplyDeletemy name is Joe.
ReplyDeletei think there are multiple anonymous people on this board.
for what it's worth, i dont like that Neil put an Italian crook in a song about Indians.
just not right
the houston astrodome was an overrated building, Brando an overrated actor and Neil Young an overrated performer.
ReplyDeletethe only one with any credibility is Pocahontas.
the song is a nightmare.
Frank
@anon
ReplyDeleteIt's just not that big of a deal. You may be right. And Thrasherswheat.org might be right. I'm sorry if I offended you by thinking it "funny" that Neil would bring Brando to the campfire.
I agree that Pocahontas has the most credibility when it's all said and done, but maybe she should have let the white man die? That might have changed the entire course of history in the New World...
Something to think about.
marlon brando - his performance in the freshman cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteLOL
LOL @ dan. That, I think, is the right approach to trolling.
ReplyDeleteIf I could meet Neil Young in person, the first question I would ask him would be whether he had completely forgotten that the whole point of the song was about having a date with Pocohontas when he penned that line about Marlon Brando, and whether, looking back, he thinks this might be an example of letting the politics of a song overwhelm the metaphor.
Pity, really. He's usually much better about his political songs -- there's not a single hair of undertone about dating Pat Nixon in Ohio, for example.
this is a "funny" thread
ReplyDeletequak-quak