Look at Mother Nature on the run/
In the nineteen seventies.

Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush” is a song (kind of) about environmental conservatism and activism from over forty years ago. The song is vague, but Young’s one clear lyric that stands out is the above, “Look at Mother Nature on the run in the nineteen seventies.” The rest of what happens in the song is very much open to interpretation.

It appears that Young (or the narrator) is in his bedroom getting high waiting for his (or his replacement’s) draft number to be selected to go to the Vietnam war. As he is waiting there he has dreams of the past and future, as well as thoughts about his current situation. He thinks about warfare from the past. There are knights, and drumming and peasants nearby cheering…overall it seems like a relatively idyllic, orderly time.

He contrasts that to a future wartime when the children will be crying as the chosen people are selected to escape the hazy earth towards the sun to find a new home. He sees the connection between the need to harvest the earths minerals and the destruction of the environment and the wars to obtain the riches from the earth.

Young’s “After the Gold Rush” has very high notes and it is interesting how Young slips in and out on falsetto so smoothly. It is almost imperceptible. His voice is controlled and gentle throughout. His piano playing is slow and deliberate, and it gives the song a somber mood. Interestingly, the instrument given a solo is a trumpet.

After the Gold Rush Lyrics

Well I dreamed I saw the knights in armor comin’
Sayin’ something about a queen
There were peasants singin’ and drummers drummin’
And the archer split the tree
There was a fanfare blowin’ to the sun
That was floating on the breeze
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the 1970s
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the 1970s

I was lyin’ in a burned out basement
With the full moon in my eyes
I was hopin’ for replacement
When the sun burst though the sky
There was a band playin’ in my head
And I felt like getting high
I was thinkin’ about what a friend had said
I was hopin’ it was a lie
Thinkin’ about what a friend had said
I was hopin’ it was a lie

Well, I dreamed I saw the silver space ships flyin’
In the yellow haze of the sun
There were children cryin’ and colors flyin’
All around the chosen ones
All in a dream, all in a dream
The loadin’ had begun
Flying Mother Nature’s silver seed
To a new home in the sun
Flying Mother Nature’s silver seed
To a new home

written by Neil Young