DÉJÀ VU - CARRY ON

CARRY ON

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG

SONGWRITER: STEPHEN STILLS

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: DÉJÀ VU

LABEL: ATLANTIS RECORDS

GENRE: FOLK ROCK

YEAR: 1970

 

         Crosby, Stills & Nash(CSN) was a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills, and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member, they are called Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). They are noted for their lasting influence on American music and culture, and for their intricate vocal harmonies, often tumultuous interpersonal relationships, and political activism.

          CSN formed in 1968 shortly after Crosby, Stills and Nash performed together informally in July of that year, discovering they harmonized well. Crosby had been asked to leave The Byrds in late 1967, and Stills' band Buffalo Springfield had broken up in early 1968; Nash left his band The Hollies in December, and by early 1969 the trio had signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Their first album, Crosby, Stills & Nash, was released in May 1969, from which came two Top 40 hits, "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (Nº 21) and "Marrakesh Express" (Nº 28). In order to tour the album, the trio hired drummer Dallas Taylor and session bassist Greg Reeves, though they still needed a keyboardist; Ahmet Ertegun suggested Neil Young, who had played with Stills in Buffalo Springfield, and after some initial reluctance, the trio agreed, signing him on as a full member. The band, now named Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, started their tour, and played their second gig at Woodstock Festival in the early morning hours of August 18, 1969. The first album with Young, Déjà Vu, reached number one in several international charts in 1970, and remains their best selling album, going on to sell over 8 million copies with three hit singles: "Woodstock", "Teach Your Children", and "Our House". The group's second tour, which produced the live double álbum 4 Way Street(1971), was fraught with arguments between Young and Taylor, which resulted in Taylor being replaced by John Barbata, and tensions with Stills, which resulted in his being temporarily dismissed from the band. At the end of the tour the band split up. The group have since reunited several times, sometimes with and sometimes without Young, and have released eight studio and four live albums.

         Crosby, Stills & Nash were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and all three members were also inducted for their work in other groups: Crosby for the Byrds; Stills for Buffalo Springfield; and Nash for the Hollies. Neil Young has also been inducted as a solo artist and as a member of Buffalo Springfield but not as a member of CSN. They have not made a group studio album since 1999's Looking Forward, and have been inactive as a performing unit since the end of 2015. Whether or not this break is permanent remains to be seen, as the group has often been inactive for years at a time.

         Déjà Vu is the second studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their first as a quartet with Neil Young. It was released in March 1970 by Atlantic Records. It topped the pop album chart for one week and generated three Top 40 singles: "Woodstock", "Teach Your Children", and "Our House". It was re-released in 1977 and an expanded edition was released in 2021 to mark its fiftieth anniversary. In 2003, the album was ranked Nº 148 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Certified 7x platinum by RIAA, the album's sales currently sit at over 8 million copies. It remains the highest-selling album of each member's career to date.

One morning I woke up and I knew you were really gone

A new day, a new way,

And new eyes to see the dawn

Go your way

I'll go mine and carry on

 

The sky is clearing and the night has cried enough

The sun he comes the world so often up

Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but to carry on

 

The fortunes of fables are able to sing a song,

Now witness the quickness with which we get along

To sing the blues, you've got to live the dues

And carry on

 

Carry on love is coming,

Love is coming to us all

 

Where are you going now my love?

Where will you be tomorrow?

Will you bring me happiness?

Will you bring me sorrow?

 

Are the questions of a thousand dreams

What you do and what you see

Lover, can you talk to me?

 

Girl, when I was on my own

Chasing you down

Was it made you run

Tryin' your best just to get around

The question of a thousand dreams

What you do and what you see

Lover, can you talk to me?