Talk:Powderfinger (song)

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Songs

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Interpretation

Provided one possible interpretation of the song's narrative. Jimbo —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jimbo7x7 (talk • contribs) 20:39, 11 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

My foot. It's clearly a military craft("numbers on the side") and the gun has to be a cannon of some sort(since the narrator mentioned it first off ' and' it took out a large part of the dock with its first shot). Also my interpretation is that boat killed him with its second shot. Williamskidfears (talk) 00:09, 13 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I can't find any mention of illegal activities, back woods or that a shot took out a large portion of the dock in the lyrics of this song. PerDaniel (talk) 18:35, 30 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

For whatever reason, ever since I was a kid and first heard it, I thought thought this song was from the perspective of a young southern man in during the civil war who sees a Union boat. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.148.222.114 (talk) 01:27, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think the Interpretation given in the article is as close as we are going to get, it's just about spot on how I had interpreted the song myself. Correct the song doesn't say there is illegal activity going on, but it's obvious to make that assumption, or why would the authorities be approaching? I thought that maybe the boat had taken the first shot because they saw that the young man on the dock was armed. I don't agree with Williamskidfears, were in the song does it say "took out a large part of the dock with its first shot"? What it says is,'the first shot hit the dock and I started running'. Although it doesn't say it in the song, you get the impression of it being based in the backwoods, maybe the 'my brother's off hunting in the mountains' evokes the idea of it being placed in the backwoods. I think also the song would maybe be more modern than the Civil war period, from the description of the boat, IE it is described as making big waves, would lead you to think that it is a fast moving motorised boat, and ‘a big red beacon’, not too sure what Mr Young means by this, but I have always taken it to mean a light bar, with flashing lights, the kind of thing a Police launch would have, he also describes the boat as being white, having a rail and a gun, which I would take, as someone else said, as being actually mounted on the boat. The song has always intrigued as to what the story is, I had always imagined that it is recounting a true story of some sort, but apparently Neil Young says he just made it up, which I somehow don’t believe, but hey if that’s what he says, I don’t what to make a thing out of it. Whatever the story it is a great song, which above all is the point I suppose, bravo Mr Young.

Yakacm (talk) 17:36, 27 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Its a young man being killed by many bad men or women. Everyday in our inner cities, jungles or impoverished countries and rural backwater scenes good young men are killed by bad usurpers of life for no good reason at all. They were simply in the right place at the wrong time. The dude tried but ultimately failed to hold back the hate and evil of overwhelming forces and his face exploded into the sky. Guns, guns, guns. Protect us please from the powder and the finger.

It's pretty damn clear. Get rid of the guns, get rid of weapons, get rid of hate and deep resentment creating the overwhelming desire to kill our young men. When those animalistic urges have been purged from the human soul, maybe we won't have powder inside of cartridges and a finger right there on the trigger ready to pull it or to fire the cannon or to shoot the missile for that matter. Shelter me from the powder and the finger.

As an 18 year old victim of a random big city shooting I know exactly what that kid felt like. Neil Young wrote that song for me and put it on Rust Never Sleeps 3 years later. Fortunately my face did not splash into the sky!

One of the best goddamn songs Neil Young ever, ever wrote. I bought the album as soon as it came out. Love every freaking song on it. Save us from the powder and the finger Lord✝️ 70.15.36.91 (talk) 01:35, 9 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

There is also an italian cover...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5WkRAmWXzs — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.34.5.68 (talk) 22:02, 26 February 2020 (UTC)[reply]