Cortez – the destroyer of civilisations. To think that we still put these murderers, racists and cruel, violent scum on plinths and venerate them.
Neil Young 1963 to 1970: Every Album, Every Song: Amazon.co.uk: Opher Goodwin: 9781789522983: Books
Today’s Music to keep me IIINNnnSSAaaaaNNnneEE – Neil Young
Well as I am currently writing a book on Neil Young and have listened to all his sixties output again I thought it might be an idea to play some for pleasure!! It’s so good!!
Man, look at that cat play!! Two of the best wildest solos in rock history!!
Today’s Music to keep me SsSSAAaaNNnnEee – Neil Young – Cortez the Killer
To think that we still put these murderers, racists and cruel, violent scum on plinths and venerate them.
Today’s Music to keep me SsssAaaaannnnnNEeee – Neil Young – Cortez The Killer
One of the greats
Neil Young – Cortez the Killer – a track that got him banned!
Hernan Cortez led a successful invasion of South America in 1519 in which there was the brutal overthrown of the Aztec empire. It only took 2 years. One can only imagine the impact of the Spanish, with their horses, armour, galleons and superior technology. It was the equivalent of a superior race of aliens landing today. The Aztecs were utterly demoralised.
In their lust for gold Cortez committed atrocities, tortures and massacres.
Neil rather idealised the Aztec culture which had its own barbarism but did, for me, capture the brutality of the cynical Western European invasions of the Americas, Australia, Africa and around the world. Having developed a superior technology they set about ruthlessly invading the world, pillaging, raping and practicing genocide, setting up their empires and extracting wealth.
All largely sanitised in the history books.
What a great song. For some reason it was banned by Franco in Spain!!
“Cortez The Killer”
He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.On the shore lay Montezuma
With his coca leaves and pearls
In his halls he often wondered
With the secrets of the worlds.
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
In that palace in the sun.On the shore lay Montezuma
With his coca leaves and pearls
In his halls he often wondered
With the secrets of the worlds.
And his subjects
gathered ’round him
Like the leaves around a tree
In their clothes of many colors
For the angry gods to see.
And the women all were beautiful
And the men stood
straight and strong
They offered life in sacrifice
So that others could go on.
Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones.
They carried them
to the flatlands
And they died along the way
But they built up
with their bare hands
What we still can’t do today.
And I know she’s living there
And she loves me to this day
I still can’t remember when
Or how I lost my way.
He came dancing across the water
Cortez, Cortez
What a killer.