Lost Lyrics is about adding verses to existing works from various musical artists. “Cortez the Killer” by Neil Young was released in 1975 on his album Zuma. The song was ranked 27 on Guitar World’s 50 Greatest Guitar Solos and 329 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Upon its release, the song was banned in Spain by Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Here are my added verses:
——
Their manner of existence thrived
Over time the empire grew
Flourished under worshiped sun
It was the life they knew
Little did they understand
What arrived that fateful day
Their ending was at hand
Their world would go away
It all went down quite suddenly
Five hundred years ago
Nothing would survive
At the hands of their new foe
——
Cortez the Killer with Lost Lyrics
Original lyrics by Neil Young in green and the lost lyrics in black italics.
He came dancing across the water
With his galleons and guns
Looking for the new world
And that palace in the sun
On the shore lay Montezuma
With his coca leaves and pearls
In his halls, he often wandered
With the secrets of the world
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
Their manner of existence thrived
Over time the empire grew
Flourished under worshiped sun
It was the life they knew
Hate was just a legend
And war was never known
The people worked together
And they lifted many stones
And they carried them to the flat lands
But they died along the way
And they built up with their bare hands
What we still can’t do today
Little did they understand
What arrived that fateful day
Their ending was at hand
Their world would go away
It all went down quite suddenly
Five hundred years ago
Nothing would survive
At the hands of their new foe
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
——
Fun fact: There really are lost lyrics to this song. During the recording, an electrical circuit blew, causing the engineering console to go dead. As a result, the final verse and additional instrumental work was lost. If you listen closely, you can hear the crude splice near the end to provide a finish for the recording.
Listen to the song…
The Neil Young Archives.
Statistics for Cortez The Killer from Sugar Mountain.
Featured image: Cortez and Montezuma at Mexican Temple, by Constantino Brumidi, as part of the Frieze of American History located in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol.
Linked to dVerse Poets Pub — Open Link Night #305 December Live Edition, where Björn Rudberg is hosting.
Linked to FOWC with Fandango — Palace.
See more Lost Lyrics.
this is such a cool idea, Ron, and so well executed!
<3
David
Thanks David. It’s a concept I’ve been thinking about for a while.
Superb, in idea and the way it was carried out, and presented…aside from the fact that there really are lost lyrics…what a great choice, I mean what an amazing song of Neil Young, and theme.
Thanks Ain. The song having real lost lyrics was a pure coincidence.
I really like the concept of lost lyrics. You picked a good artist and song to add lost lyrics to and even more cool that there really were some. With Cortez the Killer the long and glorious intro (the lifestyle Montezuma and followers lived) that gets cut short in the end. Nicely done!
Thanks Lisa. I’m planning a series of these — already have half a dozen songs in mind. This song has always intrigued me (I am one of the few that actually bought the Zuma album). It was destined to be my first probably because the style of rhyming historical stories very much fits with my writing style. I didn’t know about the actual lost lyrics until most of this was complete and I was researching the dates and other background info — let’s call it a lucky coincidence.
You’re welcome. Very happy to hear you are planning more. May I hope to see a Bob Dylan offering in the bunch?
Definitely (but not sure which one yet)
Great poem! 🙂
Wonderful post Ron, and an excellent tribute you pay to the original. You should mail them to Neil as a thank you for his original creation.
Thanks Rob. How about “Dear Neil, I found these rattling around my brain. Do they belong to you?”
This is marvelous, Ron. Your new lyrics are a perfect fit. And thank you so much for the 50 solos, so much (re)listening pleasure is in store for me!
Fits together seamlessly. Now you’ve got me humming Neil Young too. (K)
Thanks. This one has been playing in my head the past couple of days as I put this together.
Nicely done, Ron!
Thanks Ingrid
This is very good, Ron. Well done.
Thanks Mason
“Their world would go away”: I often wonder, did they know their end was near? Will we know?
Pax,
Dora
…one of the world’s unanswered questions…
This is wonderfully done!
Thanks Punam
You are welcome, Ron.
So many songs needs to have this done… it could be something lost, or maybe in some case another point of view… Cortez wrote himself into infamy without even understanding what he did…
I heard a documentary about his translator La Malinche once, which is even more interesting.
I just read up on La Malinche, that is quite a story…perhaps fertile ground for additional poems.
This is gorgeously rendered! 💝💝 I especially love; “Flourished under worshiped sun/It was the life they knew.”