Suite: Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Written by Stephen Stills and performed by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, this song is actually a set of four smaller songs performed together as a 'Suite' and therefore the name. And since the song is about Judy Collins, Stephen's former girlfriend, there is a theory that says the name is a play at words using 'Suite' to also mean 'Sweet' Judy Blue Eyes since Judy did indeed have piercing blue eyes.


Stephen and Judy were on the verge of a breakup since Stills said to an interviewer that 'the breakup was imminent'. In the song, Stills refers to the turbulent nature of their relationship and Judy also said there were parts that referred to her therapy sessions. These add to the very fabric of the song, and the mixture of many emotions -jealousy, love, anger, despondence, mania all wave a tapestry of words that is seldom seen in music.

The version posted here is the version performed at Woodstock. The Studio version is obviously better mixed and performed.

What is also fascination is that the band actually came together because of this one song. Stephen Stills and David Crosby had contemplated forming a three-man vocal group but just didn't manage to find a third voice. They were performing another song as a duet when Graham Nash unexpectedly joined in adding a third vocal harmony that was just perfect for the song.

Even the tuning of the acoustic guitars for this song is different. Instead of the standard EADGBE, the guitar is actually tuned to a EEEEBE.

I found this song in an old BASF tape back in 1990 when my mother opened up a box of stuff my uncle had left behind in the 80s. The tape was in decent condition and had CSNY written on it when I found it. I had no clue about the band and neither did anyone I met then (this was pre-mtv India). But I was instantly in love with the three, sometimes four voices I could hear (the tape obviously had CSN and CSNY songs in it). My instant favourite was 'Teach your children' and 'Deja Vu', but the one song I still listen to is 'Suite Judy Blue Eyes'. I seem never to tire of it.

Lyrics:


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
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,
Yes and for always
I am yours, you are mine
You are what you are
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
You make it hard
And you make it hard (x 3).

Friday evening, Sunday in the afternoon
What have you got to lose?
Tuesday morning, please be gone I'm tired of you.
What have you got to lose?
Can I tell it like it is? (Help me I'm suffering)
Listen to me baby.
It's my heart that's a suffering (Help me I'm dying)
It's a dying, 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 the song don't be long
Thrill me to the marrow.

Voices of the angels, ring around the moonlight
Asking me, said she's so free
How can you catch the sparrow?

Lacy, lilting, lyric, losing love, lamenting
Change my life, make it right
Be my lady.

Que linda me la traiga Cuba,
La reina de la Mar Caribe.
Cielo sol no tiene sangre allí,
y que triste que no puedo vaya,
Oh va, oh va, va.

Translation:
(Oh, what beauty Cuba brings me,
The queen of the Caribbean Sea,
Sunny sky has no blood over there,
And how sad that I cannot go,
Oh go, oh go, go.)