Neil Young - Down By The River Lyrics

Neil Young Lyrics

"Down By The River"

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.

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, 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.

She could drag me over the rainbow,
Send me away.

Down by the river,
I shot my baby.
Down by the river.

Dead, dead, 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.

She could drag me over the rainbow,
Send me away.

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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Writer(s): Neil Young

In a 1970 interview with Fusion, Neil Young explained the line "I shot my baby down by the river" by saying, "There's no real murder in it. It's about blowing your thing with a chick."

Neil Young put in the liner notes to his 1977 greatest hits album "Decade", that he wrote this song—as well as "Cinnamon Girl" and "Cowgirl In The Sand"—in one day while being sick with a 39 °C fever.

Introducing the song in New Orleans on the 27th of September 1984, Neil Young said that this song tells about a man "who had a lot of trouble controlling himself" and who catches his woman cheating on him, meets her down by the river, and shoots her.

Trey Anastasio, Phish guitarist, wrote in 2015, "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."

album: "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" (1969)

Cinnamon Girl

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Round & Round (It Won't Be Long)

Down By The River

Losing End

Running Dry (Requiem For The Rockets)

Cowgirl In The Sand

"Down By The River" lyrics

Neil Young Lyrics