Neil Young’s 1969 song ‘Down by the River’ appears to describe a man shooting his lover, leading many listeners to regard it as a murder ballad. However, Young said at the time that no literal murder was intended, describing the song instead as a desperate expression of a relationship breaking down; the ambiguity remains central to its power.

The nine-minute track appeared on Young and Crazy Horse’s album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and was reportedly written while Young was ill with a fever. Its lyric about shooting his “baby” draws on the violent traditions of blues and folk songs, while the music is noted for Young’s raw guitar work. Young later introduced the song as being about someone unable to control himself, leaving room for both literal and metaphorical readings.