Initially formed by the trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, the genesis of the group lies in two 1960s rock bands, The Byrds and The Hollies, and the demise of a third, Buffalo Springfield. Friction existed between David Crosby and his bandmates in the Byrds, and he was dismissed from the Byrds in the fall of 1967.
By early 1968, Buffalo Springfield had also disintegrated over personal issues, and after aiding in putting together the band’s final album, Stephen Stills found himself unemployed by the summer. He and Crosby began meeting informally and jamming, the results of one encounter in Florida on Crosby’s schooner being the song “Wooden Ships,” composed in collaboration with another guest, Paul Kantner.
Graham Nash had been introduced to Crosby when the Byrds had toured the UK in 1966, and when the Hollies ventured to California in 1968, Nash resumed his acquaintance with Crosby. At a party, Nash asked Stills and Crosby to repeat their performance of a new song by Stills, “You Don’t Have To Cry,” with Nash improvising a second harmony part. The vocals gelled, and the three realized that they had a unique vocal chemistry.
Creatively frustrated with the Hollies, Nash decided to quit and throw his lot in with Crosby and Stills.
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
The title refers to Stephen Stills’ former girlfriend, singer/songwriter Judy Collins and the lyrics to most of the suite’s sections consist of his thoughts about her and their imminent breakup. Collins is known for her piercing blue eyes, which are referenced in the title. Stephen Stills on NPR, 15 July 2007, in talking about the release of demo tapes he made in 1968, called Just Roll Tape reveals that Judy Collins was with him in the studio when these tapes were recorded. She told him “not to stay [at the studio] all night”, Stephen said. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is one of the demo songs. When the interviewer asked if he and Judy were still a couple then, because the interviewer had always thought the song was a breakup song, Stephen, after deferring an answer, went on to say that “the breakup was imminent.” “We were both too large for one house.” Stills said that he liked parts of this demo version of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” better than the released version.
It’s getting to the point
Where I’m no fun anymore
I am sorry.
Sometimes it hurts so badly
I must cry out loud
I am lonely.
I am yours, you are mine,
You are what you are
And you make it hard–Remember what we’ve said, and done, and felt
about each other
Oh babe, have mercy.
Don’t let the past remind us of what we are not now.
I am not dreaming.
I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are.
And you make it hard–Tearing yourself away from me now,
You are free and I am crying.
This does not mean I don’t love you,
I do, that’s forever, and always.
I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are.
And you make it hard–Something inside is telling me that
I’ve got your secret. Are you still listening?
Fear is the lock, and laughter the key to your heart.
And I love you.I am yours, you are mine, you are what you are.
And you make it hard,
And you make it hard–Friday evening, Sunday in the afternoon,
What have you got to lose?
Tuesday mornin’, please be gone I’m tired of you.
Can I tell it like it is? Help me I’m sufferin’.
Listen to me baby–Help me I’m dyin’.
It’s my heart that’s a-sufferin’, it’s a dyin’.
That’s what I have to lose.
I’ve got an answer
I’m going to fly away,
What have I got to lose?
Will you come see me Thursdays and Saturdays?
What have you got to lose?Chestnut brown canary, ruby-throated sparrow.
Sing a song, don’t be long.
Thrill me to the marrow.
Voices of the angels, ring around the moonlight.
Asking me, said she so free,
How can you catch the sparrow?Lacy lilting lady, losing love lamenting,
Change my life, make it right.
Be my lady.
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