Cortez the killer
| Cortez the killer | |
|---|---|
| Neil Young | |
| publication | 1975 |
| length | 7:29 |
| Genre (s) | Rock music |
| Author (s) | Neil Young |
| Label | Reprise Records |
| album | Zuma |
Cortez the Killer is a song by Neil Young from his 1975 album Zuma .
It was ranked number 329 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and the guitar solo was ranked number 39 of the world's 100 greatest guitar solos. According to Young's notes for the album Decade , the song was banned in Spain under Francisco Franco .
Lyrics
The song is about Hernán Cortés , who subjugated Mexico for Spain in the 16th century, the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II and other events during the Spanish conquest of the New World.
In the last stanza the text jumps from the third to the first person and to an unnamed woman: "And I know that she lives there / And she loves me to this day / I can't remember when / or how I lost my way have." Young broke up with Carrie Snodgress shortly before recording .
Composition and guitar solo
The song consists of the simple chord progression Em7, D and Am7sus4.
Neil Young said of his guitar solo:
“I'm a very destructive person by nature. And that really comes out in my guitar playing. Man, when you think of guitar playing for boxing ... let's say I'm not the type of guitarist you want to play against. I am only marked by life. Nothing special. No more scarred than anyone else. Only other people often don't show how damaged they are, as I do and deal with. "
Cover versions
- 1989: Slint played the song live, a recording can be found on the Spiderland 2014 Deluxe Remastered Version
- 2000: Built to Spill recorded a version with their album Live in 2000 , which is over twenty minutes long with several guitar solos.
- 2003: The Dave Matthews Band with Warren Haynes played the song at their 2003 Central Park concert.
- 1999: The Church on the album A Box of Birds
- 1998: Gov't Mule on Our Friends album Live ... With a Little Help .
- 2007: Grace Potter and Joe Satriani
- 2007: Marissa Nadler , bonus EP for her 2007 album Songs III: Bird on the Water
- 2008: Screaming Females on the single Hunchback
- 2009: David Rawlings, album A Friend of a Friend , as the second half of a medley
- 2015: Prong Songs from the Black Hole
- Dinosaur Jr. and J Mascis and the Fog often play the song live with long improvised guitar solos; J Mascis plays guitar in both bands.
Web links
- Neil Young: Cortez the Killer on Youtube
Individual evidence
- ^ Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In: Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011, Retrieved August 10, 2019 (American English).
- ↑ Guitar World Staff 2009-01-29T16: 56: 08Z Feature: 50 Greatest Guitar Solos. Retrieved August 10, 2019 .
- ^ Diego A. Manrique: Los discos prohibidos del franquismo . In: El País . January 20, 2012, ISSN 1134-6582 ( elpais.com [accessed August 10, 2019]).
- ↑ Guitar World Staff 2009-01-29T16: 56: 08Z Feature: 50 Greatest Guitar Solos. Accessed August 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Slint's Spiderland Gets Deluxe Box Set Reissue. Accessed August 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Grace Potter and Joe Satriani cover Cortez the Killer. Retrieved August 11, 2019 .
- ^ Dinosaur Jr. Cover of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" With Fred Armisen and Lee Ranaldo. Accessed August 11, 2019 .