Crazy Horse has also released 5 albums of its own. They have received inconsistent critical reaction, partially due to the band's frequent and radical lineup changes; though bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina appear on every album, few other musicians have appeared on more than one. The band's first and best-received self-titled album also featured Jack Nietzsche, Nils Lofgren, and Danny Whitten, who became the topic of various Neil Young songs after his heroin overdose in late 1972. On Crazy Horse's 1972 album, "Loose," they were all replaced with John Blanton, Greg Leroy, and George Whitsell, who was a member of Crazy Horse's predecessor The Rockets. Crazy Horse's third album also released in 1972, "At Crooked Lake," replaced those three with Rick and Mike Curtis.
Later that decade in 1978, Crazy Horse released another album under its own name entitled "Crazy Moon." This would feature, along with the steady Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina, some guest work by Neil Young and guitarist Frank Sampedro, who had joined the band in 1975 for Young's album "Zuma." This lineup would be used for many of Crazy Horse's albums with Neil Young through the rest of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. In the late 1980s, Young used Frank Sampedro in his R&B-styled Bluenotes backing band, but did not use Molina or Talbot as he thought their style was unfitting. Now without Sampedro, Crazy Horse recruited Sonny Mone and Matt Piucci for their most recent album, "Left For Dead," released 1989. Piucci would later play on Billy Talbot's 2006 solo release. The album's title track is a pointed remark about their frustrating relationship with Young in the late 1980s, and included a number of other references to Neil Young and his work.
Southern Man
Crazy Horse Lyrics
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Don't forget what your good book said
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burning fast
Southern man
I saw cotton and I saw 'bacc
Tall white mansions and little shacks
I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?
Southern man better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book said
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burning fast
Southern man
Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown
I've seen your black man coming 'round
Swear by God, I'm gonna cut him down!
I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?
The song "Southern Man" by Crazy Horse is a protest song about racism and the civil rights movement in the American South. The lyrics are directed towards the southern white man, urging him to "keep your head" and "don't forget what your good book said" as change is coming. The song speaks about the hypocrisy of the southern way of life, with cotton fields and mansions existing alongside poverty and inequality. The lyrics challenge the white man's often violent, racist behavior towards black men and women and the crosses burned as an intimidation tactic.
The song describes a violent and oppressive society where black men and women are silenced and beaten by their white counterparts. The lyrics, "I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking, how long? how long?", highlight this brutality and demand change. The narrative of the song culminates in a reference to a white man threatening to kill a black man, demonstrating the deep-rooted racism and violent tendencies in the South.
Overall, the song "Southern Man" by Crazy Horse is a powerful protest against racism and bigotry, calling for justice and equality in the American South.
Line by Line Meaning
Southern man better keep your head
The people of the south should be careful and stay composed.
Don't forget what your good book said
Remember the principles of religion and respect everyone's right to equality.
Southern change gonna come at last
The south is going to change, and things will be better.
Now your crosses are burning fast
The hatred that you have been carrying for centuries is burning rapidly.
Southern man
A reference to the people of the south.
I saw cotton and I saw 'bacc
I have witnessed slavery and the cotton crop grown by slaves.
Tall white mansions and little shacks
There is a huge wealth gap, and there are people living in extreme poverty.
Southern man, when will you pay them back?
When will the people of the south work to rectify the injustices of history?
I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking
I heard the physical, emotional and mental abuse that slaves were being subjected to.
How long? How long?
How long will the atrocities of slavery go on?
Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown
A reference to the daughter of the owner of the plantation.
I've seen your black man coming 'round
People are starting to stand up for their rights, and they will not be oppressed forever.
Swear by God, I'm gonna cut him down!
I will use violence to uphold the ideals of white supremacy.
Writer(s): NEIL YOUNG
Contributed by Colin H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.