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.
Nobody's Fool
Buffalo Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, you can see it's a lie
What he said to you
Made you sad, kinda made me glad
'Cause I got the same from you!
I ain't your fool, you better go away.
Don't apologise.
I'm through listenin' to your lies.
You thought I'd be here if you came back
You were so damn sure of yourself.
But just look around, you see it ain't so
You better start looking for help.
So many times you've stood and laughed at me
Now I'll take my turn
You've had your way up until today
I guess it's time you learned.
The lyrics of Buffalo Springfield's song "Nobody's Fool" are essentially about a relationship gone wrong. The singer, Furay, is telling his partner that he knows she's lying because he's received the same treatment from her. He's tired of being treated as a fool and demands that she go away. Furay asserts his independence from the relationship and his unwillingness to listen to more of her lies. The line "You thought I'd be here if you came back/You were so damn sure of yourself" suggests that she left him previously and thought he'd still be there when she returned, but he's moved on.
The lyrics also reveal Furay's anger towards his partner who has taken advantage of him for too long. He's finally taking his turn and standing up for himself. He believes it's time for her to learn a lesson and realize that she can't treat people poorly and expect them to stick around. Despite the anger in the lyrics, there's an underlying sadness and disappointment that the relationship couldn't work out.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement about standing up for oneself and refusing to be a pawn in someone else's game. It's a reminder that relationships should be equal and respectful, and that we shouldn't accept anything less.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you can see it's a lie
I know you've been told something that's not true.
What he said to you
You were told something by a man.
Made you sad, kinda made me glad
You were upset by what he said, but it made me happy.
'Cause I got the same from you!
I've been hurt by you in the same way.
I ain't your fool, you better go away.
Don't try to deceive me anymore; leave me alone.
Don't apologise.
Saying you're sorry won't make things better.
The words you're saying wouldn't be okay
What you're saying doesn't make sense or is false.
I'm through listenin' to your lies.
I won't listen to you deceive me anymore.
You thought I'd be here if you came back
You thought I would still be here for you if you returned.
You were so damn sure of yourself.
You were overly confident and didn't consider other possibilities.
But just look around, you see it ain't so
Things have changed, and you can see that now.
You better start looking for help.
You need to seek help and support from others.
So many times you've stood and laughed at me
You've mocked and ridiculed me repeatedly.
Now I'll take my turn
It's my time to respond and stand up for myself.
You've had your way up until today
You've been in control and had your say until now.
I guess it's time you learned.
It's time for you to realize your actions have consequences.
Contributed by Annabelle N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.