One of my fave Neil songs, "Broken Arrow" -- anyone have a friggin' clue what it's about?

I've always loved Neil Young's (Buffalo Springfield) "Broken Arrow" -- one of his weirder early efforts.

But I'm totally bamboozled by the lyrics... anyone have a clue what they (and the reference to "the river") are about?


The lights turned on and the curtain fell down
And when it was over, it felt like a dream
They stood at the stage door and begged for a scream
The agents had paid for the black limousine
That waited outside in the rain
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-quivered
Brown-skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow
Held a broken arrow?

Eighteen years of American dream
He saw that his brother had sworn on the wall
He hung up his eyelids and ran down the hall
His mother had told him a trip was a fall
And don't mention babies at all
Did you see him, did you see him?
Did you see him in the river?
He was there to wave to you
Could you tell that the empty-quivered
Brown-skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow
Held a broken arrow?

The streets were lined for the wedding parade
The queen wore the white gloves, the county of song
The black-covered caisson her horses had drawn
Protected her king from the sun rays of dawn
They married for peace and were gone
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-quivered
Brown-skinned Indian on the banks
That were crowded and narrow
Held a broken arrow?

.

 

First verse is partly about stardom and its shallowness. Second verse is partly about growing up in the shadow of Vietnam and the consequences of teenaged sex ("Don't mention babies at all"). Third & final verse is partly about JFK. Interwoven in all three is the Native American observer of all this.

 

Well, I've been listening to this song for 40+ years!? I always believed the first verse to be Neil's view of his being a rock star and the relationship with the fans fans. The second verse some of his thoughts of being teen in the cultural revolution of the 60's - specifically here drugs, sex, and the generation divide. Verse three refers to the Kennedy's, JFK's assassination, and the dissolving of young America's hope for the future. Neil claims the broken arrow is a Native American symbol of peace which the Indian is offering - in this instance - to keep the 60's turmoil from getting out of hand/violent. And, of course, we know what happened not many years later at Kent State.

 

The best Buffalo Springfield song. One of the high points of Neil's career.

 

A masterpiece

 

It's the name of his ranch.

 

Too good for Buffalo Springfield, too good for CSNY 'The boy did alright' Neil Young...solo star.

 

The ranch was named after the song.

 

People marvel at "Broken Arrow" the way I do "Flying On The Ground Is Wrong" and "Expecting To Fly". They over-interpret it, posit as some consummate thought of its time when the lyrics are barely discernible, and name-drop it. While I agree that Neil Young did most of his best songwriting before he went solo, this song, while unusual and interesting, is one of those things I personally "don't get".

He does write well about the confusion brought on by stardom and fandom, and that first set of verses is a good continuation of the sentiment expressed by "Mr. Soul". I guess that, until I read this thread, I didn't know how the verses connected. By the middle of the second verse, I usually give up.

Compared to a lot of Neil Young's early work, which often seems so mature and well-realized for such a young songwriter, this one just seems messy and muddy, like an epic song about some epic-ness too vague to consider.

Just my muddled opinion. I've never been good with lyrical "poetry".

 

I wish I'd asked this. It's sad how many things I like really go over my head.

 

I think "Broken Arrow" defies a single comprehensive, cohesive interpretation. Clearly Neil had a very difficult time getting his head around his new-found fame, as the first part of the first verse echoes sentiments from not only "Mr. Soul" but also "Out of My Mind" (he even re-uses the screams/limousines rhyme).

I've always wondered if Neil was in part inspired by the 1950 Jimmy Stewart/Jeff Chandler film "Broken Arrow". Stewart's character tries to establish peace between the White settlers and the Apaches (the broken arrow is a symbol of peaceful intentions) through a friendship he establishes with Cochise. In hindsight, the plot makes a fairly good allegory for the divisions created by the Vietnam War.

I've always interpreted the line "18 years of American dream" to be about a boy who has just turned draft age (reminiscent of "20 years of schooling and they put you on the day shift"). The silent observer holds the symbol for peace ... but can the boy be saved?

 

And the album was named after the ranch

 

That's why we have English majors.

 

I'd always assumed the last verse was JFK related, but it's a wedding, not a funeral, plus it would be way out of chronological order given the first two verses.

 

Perhaps the disconnect between dreams/promises and Reality?

 

There's a chapter in "Shakey" that talks about his surgeries at this time and the disorienting effect it had. To my mind that at least explains the feel of the song (and I always found the studio tricks to be more challenging than the lyrics).

 

English majors often see something where there is nothing, and condescend to you when you refuse to act complicit in seeing whatever imaginary pink elephant they're hawking this week.

 

Sometimes a broken arrow, is, just a broken arrow

 

No! Really?

 

I can see we don't have too many English majors here.

 

And sometimes people think "Animal Farm" is just a book about animals. And they get Ds in English from people like me

 

Great song from a great album. I'd love to get a HiRes mastering of 'Again'. If it sounds anything like Neil's works from Archives it would be a major winner.

 

And I thought it was inspired by this film.

 

Good point! On the other hand, Neil has on several occasions put things out of chronological order such as when he redid "Ordinary People" for Chrome Dreams II and a song or two from Greendale where Grandpa had died earlier in the narrative. None of these bother me in the least because an artist can do whatever he/she wants, and, to me, it does not make the point of the work any less valid.

 

I thought the version of Ordinary People used on CDII was from the original sessions with the Blue Notes. Guess I'd better check the liner notes.