History in popular culture



“Cortez the Killer” History in Popular Culture

1450 – 1750

History in popular culture

"Cortez the Killer" is a song by Neil Young from his 1975 album, Zuma. It was recorded with Young's band Crazy Horse and ranked #321 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song is about Hernán Cortés, a conquistador who conquered Mexico for Spain in the 1500s. "Cortez the Killer" also makes reference to the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II and other events that occurred in the Spanish conquest of the New World.

The music is typical of the Zuma album — simple, big chords and a bass that sometimes becomes very powerful and fades again. The song repeats the chords Em7, D and Am7 while Young adds his signature solo riffs throughout. It is played in Young's favoured "double dropped D", or "D modal" tuning (DADGBD) — standard guitar tuning with top and bottom strings tuned down a whole tone.

Only after 3:20 minutes the lyric starts. First it pictures Cortés and his "galleons and guns" on their quest of the new world shores. There lived Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs, inconceivably rich and full of wisdom, but in a civilization that was doomed despite its beauty and amazing achievements. By immense human toll of building, their huge and still existing pyramids had been erected, which is praised in the song. Instead of describing the battles of Cortez with the native indians, the lyric in the last verse suddenly jumps from third person narrative to first person, with a reference to a "woman living there", describing a romantic relationship of Neil Young gone bad. This may refer to Cortez's Aztec mistress whom he loved dearly (perhaps Doña Marina, his interpreter), or to some other unspecified relationship. Finally after another spell of guitar, Young simply mutters, "Cortez ... what a killer."

Young has stated in concert that he wrote the song while studying history in high school. In Jimmy McDonough's biography of Young, entitled Shakey, the author asked Neil if his songs were autobiographical. Young replied, "...What the f*ck am I doing writing about Aztecs in 'Cortez the Killer' like I was there, wandering around? 'Cause I only read about it in a few books. A lotta sh*t I just made up because it came to me." Nevertheless, the song was banned in Spain, according to Young's notes for the album Decade.

Also of note is that the song fades out after nearly seven and a half minutes as (according to Young's father in Neil and Me) an electrical circuit had blown, causing the console to go dead. In addition to losing the rest of the instrumental work, a final verse was also lost. When producer David Briggs had to break this news to the band, Young replied "I never liked that verse anyway." The additional verse has not been performed or recorded to this day.

Cortez The Killer by Neil Young

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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.

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.

The top ten songs are:

1. "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan

2. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

3. "Imagine" by John Lennon

4. "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye

5. "Respect" by Aretha Franklin

6. "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys

7. "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry

8. "Hey Jude" by The Beatles

9. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana

10. "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles

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