TS: Cowgirl In The Sand vs. Down By The River

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzfldDrZ6j8

yeah it is a pretty cool record. neil says the comp is called "Early Daze" and will sort of tell the complete story of Danny Whitten. will probably be released sometime in 2024.

"Down by the river". This is my 'default song' - if I ever get an annoying song stuck in my head, like "Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep", I start singing "Down by the river" to get rid of it. A great opening chord change, huge spaces in the arrangement to get lost in, spooked atmosphere. And I wonder if he heard "Season of the witch"?

huh never thought of season of the witch as a connection to Down By The River, but now that you mention it ...
i remember reading that molina and talbot thought of the down by the river beat as a super slowed down james brown rhythm. which is kind of funny. guess that puts river in the category of epic rock jamz that have a secret james brown influence like marquee moon.

Cowgirl easily.

i think DBTR sounds corny, especially compared to cowgirl

when i meet a cowgirl fanatic, there's usually a cowgirl somewhere in the listener's past

not for me amigo

and no, i didn't shoot my baby--my love for DBTR is despite the lyrics, not because of them!

i had a ruby in the dust, not a cowgirl

and yeah, the Hey Joe theme of River is is a music cliche by now...

not for me amigo

― 69, Friday, October 19, 2012 5:04 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark

There may be a cowgirl in my future, but none in my past.

i do , and it was the woman in her that made her want to play that gaaaammmmmme (oy vey that's a stinker)

Hello cowgirl in the river
I've got to shoot you with an arrow from my quiver

they really are two peas in a pod these two ditties

what's corny is the lyric 'hello cowgirl in the sand'

ha, true

after re-listening to the Fillmore set, went with Cowgirl. the turnarounds are better.

what's corny is the lyric 'hello cowgirl in the sand'

― mookieproof, Friday, October 19, 2012 7:48 PM

really, I think it's such a great opening lyric. hello cowgirl in the sand, is this place at your command? establishes place, character, and relationship so economically.

i went for down by the river. not sure if that was the right choice. both songs are phantastic. were there any other songs with lyrics in the 1960s longer than nine minutes?

Desolation Row, Sad Eyed Lady

(Huh...never noticed before that those are about the same length)

I really need to get into this album, i have it on LP somewhere. I've listened to it once or twice but always in the background and halfway through "Cowgirl" i stop what i'm doing and this "Oh this must be that 'Cowgirl in the Sand' song everyone always talks about! Cool!"

this is a freaking tough on

*one

cowgirl

Listened to studio and Fillmore versions of both and I guess it's Cowgirl, barely.

Voted cowgirl. DBTR has always felt like a newly solo artist performing a popular standard. I don't think that is an accurate impression, but I've always held that bias. Besides, cowgirl is all time.

Scott Miller, from Game Theory/Loud Family, had this great line about how creepy it was to start out a murder ballad with "Be on my side/I'll be on your side"

I mistakenly thought that buddy miles wrote this song. I will do my research next time, ILX. I apologize to you and Neil both.

cowgirl

Cowgirl. I used to like Down By The River more, but after a long drive playing both at top volume for close to an hour, I came around.

its close. but i think cowgirl wins it for the foreboding way each chorus ends with that "bah bah - bum! bah bah - bum!" riff.

isn't it "bah bah - dum! bah bah - ram"?

i cannot muster an argument either way tbh

voted River on account of its creeping intro which I favor over Cowgirl's abrupt entry

i vote cowgirl cause sexy

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

"Cowgirl In The Sand" though i feel i would vote for "Down By The River" if i listened to both now.

interesting vote

akin to 'vogelsong is our ace unless i'm watching cain'

lol, classic execpt. i have said: Vogelsong is the Giants best pitcher (this year) but Cain is our the ace of 2012.

more now on ILB...

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Not close. In the Neil poll, it was "Down by the River" (448 points/41 votes) over "Cowgirl" (34/351). "Down by the River" must have had a calamitous first debate or something.

something something something people who will take time to fill out a ballot vs. people who will click a radio button something something something

I think the something something something button-clickers got it right!

i disagree. people who want the easy convenience of a click-button poll have no business going near Neil Young

also DOWN BY THE RIVER 4 LYFE! FUCK THA HATERzzz!!!

Button clickers:ballot voters::cds:pono

Why the hell wasn't Cinnamon Girl not included in this poll?

Cinnamon Girl wasn't not included in this poll!

Will always be "Down By The River" for me (I voted btw). Just love the feel of it to death, and those guitars circling each other throughout the song remain all-time-greatest of the great. Love "Cowgirl" as well, just not as much as the guitars in DBTR.