2. Neil Young - "Down By The River"
This song previously appeared on a list of songs that are over 50% guitar solo (and we also crowned Neil Young the best bad guitarist on earth), and the fact that Young's lyrics are sparse makes the line "Down by the river I shot my baby" hit that much harder. Also, I would not be surprised if Neil Young has actually killed somebody at some point in his life.
1. Jimi Hendrix - "Hey Joe"
If "Run For Your Life" by The Beatles is the threat, "Hey Joe" is the delivery. Jimi Hendrix famously asks his acquaintance Joe "Where you going with that gun in your hand?" but frequently shifts into a first person and sings lines from Joe's perspective. It's possible that Joe is a split personality of Jimi's, a character he invents to distance himself from the crime. He's certainly thought it out, including a getaway to Mexico. Hendrix will always be best known for his guitarisms, but he's a damn good singer and sometimes a damn good songwriter. How sweet is that unison walking bass part at 2:00? Answer: very.
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