'Like a Hurricane' vs. 'I'm the Ocean' - (which is the best Neil Young water metaphor song that is around 7 or 8 minutes long?)

down by the river is literal & not metaphor?

that can be part of the next poll, neil young water songs that aren't metaphors and are 9 minutes long

cortez the killer came dancing across the water, man, with his galleons and guns. what a killer

Look out mama there's a white boat comin' up the river

I will respect the poll as it's put and besides it's not "Cortez Was the Water" like some "Smokey Is the Bandit" thing, or "Powderfinger (Dissolved in Water)" or something. And I'll vote for "I'm the Ocean" because it's awesome while "Like A Hurricane" is my cue to hit the bathroom at a Neil concert. The latter is more like a tropical depression that stalls over the Bahamas. Plus it sounds like he says, there's come in your eye, which, while consistent with getting blown away, doesn't seem to have much to do with hurricanes. Plus, "you could have been anyone to me": then why sing about him/her? I'm cool with long languid solos; right now I'm listening to the Weld "Cortez" and boy it takes its time. But "Like a Hurricane" swirls around and around, "oh boy great another solo", but there's little progression toward any payoff. The payoff in "I'm the Ocean" is just the lyric that states the title of the song (see, I don't look for much), but it delivers the point of the chug.

"I'm The Ocean" is MASSIVE. No hesitation about my vote.

there's come in your eye?

nah, I showered.

(but seriously, it's the "there's calm in your eyes" part, but I dislike this song enough to willfully mishear it.)

I'm The Ocean

Another vote for 'i'm the ocean'. 'Like a hurricane' is just rubbish I say.

'like a hurricane' is good but 'i'm the ocean' is pretty epic, though it probably didn't need the gurgling underwater vox at the end.

For the record, "Like a Hurricane" is technically a simile, not a metaphor.

So, yeah... "I'm the Ocean."

the "like a hurricane" hate on ILM is unacceptable.

maybe you would be better suited to a college dorm type atmosphere.

played to death almost as much as fuckin "wish you were here"

really? man, people were not playing "like a hurricane" when I went to college. or "wish you were here" for that matter. is this a state school thing?

"Like a Hurricane", a song so...ok...that Adam Sandler can "rock" it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MgpT22xYPU

but once Adam Sandler played "I'm the Ocean" and it was waaaay radder.

"a song so...ok" has basically always been my take on Like a Hurricane.

whereas I'm the Ocean is RAWK. guitar noise that starts off the song = so, so great. the lyrics are sorta this crazy romp through allllll of neil's favorite subjects - aging, indians, cars, technology. there are a dozen classic lines in the song and the whole thing has a lot of weight to it.

vs. LaH - one of those songs where the lyrics get kinda embarrassing if you actually sit down and read em. a pretty melody and all, but the song just dragssss. this is what I imagine NY sounds like to people who don't like NY.

I just looked it up and I'm the Ocean apparently hasn't been played live since 1997. how does NY not realize that this is up there with anything he's ever done? would things possibly be different if the song had been released in the 70s instead of the 90s?

"this is what I imagine NY sounds like to people who don't like NY."

yes! That's an excellent way of putting it.

"Like a Hurricane" was my first exposure to NY, so it's a sentimental thing having originally bought it as a single even, and though I like "I'm the Ocean" a lot, it still loses something with its grunge associations. But I probably don't really think that, even: they're both great songs and I can't even pretend to be objective. So "LaH" FTW. Even.

"Like a Hurricane" is amazing. The album it was taken from may not be all that impressive, but that song is easily in his all time top 10 songs.

case closed

lol

I vote Danger Bird (6:54)

oops water metaphor, whatever, still wins

birds are probably like 90% made of water anyway

I just looked it up and I'm the Ocean apparently hasn't been played live since 1997. how does NY not realize that this is up there with anything he's ever done?

Apparently they did the track but honestly I can't imagine Crazy Horse getting through this all the way at the pace Pearl Jam played it.

Both great, but the solo on "Hurricane" was a holy shit moment in my life so sentimental choice.

^^^This

would be interesting to see how "I'm The Ocean" held up in a solo pipe organ arrangement. might be pretty sweet actually.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

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

pfffffft.

like a hurricane apologists didn't even have the balls to speak up.

would be interesting to see how "I'm The Ocean" held up in a solo pipe organ arrangement

It sounds great...Fallen Angel, last song on Mirror Ball

no kidding. but anyways, these two song aren't in the same league. "i'm the ocean" isn't bad or anything, but come on

'but come on' = also the basis of my argument

would be interesting to see how "I'm The Ocean" held up in a solo pipe organ arrangement

It sounds great...Fallen Angel, last song on Mirror Ball

ha, you're right - totally forgot that. annnnyway, i approve these results.

Yeah, fair enough... (from someone with the balls to speak up.)

So what's next, "Cowgirl in the Sand" vs. "Change Your Mind"?