The band's original lineup consisted of Neil Young (vocals, guitar), Stephen Stills (vocals, guitar), Richie Furay (vocals, guitar), Bruce Palmer (bass) and Dewey Martin (drums). Palmer left the band in 1968 and was replaced by Jim Messina. The band's only Top 40 single, "For What It's Worth", was released in 1967. The band split in 1968. Despite lasting for under 25 months, the band was massively influential on many later folk rock and country rock artists and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
The band only released three albums in its short life, "Buffalo Springfield" (1966), "Buffalo Springfield Again" (1967) and "Last Time Around" (1968). "For What It's Worth", which peaked at #7 in early 1967, was the band's only Top 40 single in the United States. 1967's "Rock 'n' Roll Woman" came the closest to giving the band a second Top 40 entry, peaking at #44.
Stills and Young would go on to perform with David Crosby and Graham Nash in the hugely popular rock act Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young shortly after Buffalo Springfield's demise. Furay and Messina went on to found country-rock group Poco, before Furay embarked on his own solo career. After Messina left Poco, he formed Loggins and Messina with singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins.
On October 23 and 24, 2010, Young, Furay and Stills, along with drummer Joe Vitale and Rick Rosas (replacing the deceased Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer, respectively) reunited for two performances for the Bridge Schools Benefit concert in Mountain View, California.
The band played six concerts starting in Oakland, CA, on June 1, 2011, followed by dates in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, before moving on to play the 2011 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. A proposed full tour in 2012 never took place. On February 27, 2012, founder member Furay announced that the band was on indefinite hiatus.
Hung Upside Down
Buffalo Springfield Lyrics
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I'm going blind, please help.
There I sat until three,
Gettin' further behind myself, by myself.
And I'm hung upside down,
And I'm hung upside down,
And I'm hung upside down,
Come on, come on,
Someday I will be free,
And the'll be time, you just wait.
I will come to you see,
What I bring you when I get straight,
Oh it's too late.
And I'm hung upside down,
Hung upside down,
Hung upside down,
Hung upside down.
The lyrics of Buffalo Springfield's song "Hung Upside Down" are at once cryptic and deeply emotional, a reflection of the tumultuous times in which they were written. At its core, the song is an expression of helplessness and despair, a plea for help from someone who feels as though they're losing control. The line "I'm going blind, please help" is a metaphor for the feeling of being overwhelmed by circumstances beyond one's control, while "there I sat until three, getting further behind myself, by myself" suggests a sense of isolation and disconnection from the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Look what's happen' to me,
I am experiencing something unfortunate and I need help.
I'm going blind, please help.
I am experiencing significant impairment and I require assistance.
There I sat until three,
I have been in a specific location for quite some time, up until the early morning hours.
Gettin' further behind myself, by myself.
I am in a state where I am struggling to keep up with both myself and everything else.
And I'm hung upside down,
I am in a place of turmoil and I feel as though I am hanging upside down.
Come on, come on,
I am expressing urgency towards those listening, encouraging them to take action.
Someday I will be free,
Eventually, I will be liberated from this state of unrest.
And the'll be time, you just wait.
There will come a moment when I will have the time to explain this situation to you.
I will come to you see,
I will make an effort to see you so that we may discuss this further.
What I bring you when I get straight,
When I am free from this chaos, I will bring you something to make up for the distress I am causing.
Oh it's too late.
It may be too late for me to make amends, the damage may have already been done.
And I'm hung upside down,
I am still in the same state of turmoil as before, still feeling as though I am upside down.
Hung upside down,
Again, expressing my current state of unrest.
Hung upside down,
I am still dangling in this precarious position.
Hung upside down.
Reiterating once more- I am currently coping with significant turmoil.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN STILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind