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.
On the Way Home
Buffalo Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I held my breath with my eyes closed
I went insane
Like a smoke ring day when the wind blows
Now I won't be back 'till later on
If I do come back at all
But you know me and I miss you now
I saw myself as you knew me
When the change came
And you had a chance to see through me
Though the other side is just the same
You can tell my dream is real
Because I love you can you see me now
Though we rush ahead to save our time
We are only what we feel
And I love you Can you feel it now?
The lyrics of Buffalo Springfield's "On The Way Home" describe the experience of a dream and the emotions associated with it. The dream is so vivid that the singer feels like he's lost his mind. He describes the dream as a "smoke ring day," a surreal experience in which he's holding his breath and closing his eyes. The dream is so real that the singer wonders if he'll ever come back to reality, but in the midst of it all, he misses someone special.
The narrative shifts to a "strange game" where the singer sees himself as others see him. It's a moment of clarity where he sees that he's been seen through. Despite the realization, he knows that he's still the same person and the dream is a representation of his true feelings. He loves the person he's missing, and hopes they can feel it too.
Line by Line Meaning
When the dream came
As soon as I had success, fame or wealth i.e. what I had always wished for, I was too overwhelmed to react.
I held my breath with my eyes closed
I was too scared to believe that my dream came true so I couldn't react and just held my breath and shut my eyes.
I went insane
I lost control of my emotions and mind due to this incredible experience.
Like a smoke ring day when the wind blows
It was so surreal and fleeting, like a smoke ring that disappears quickly after being blown in the wind.
Now I won't be back 'till later on
I may not return for a while since I need to process the oddity of my experience before coming back to reality
If I do come back at all
This whole experience may change me and I may not come back to who I previously was.
But you know me and I miss you now
Despite my odd behavior, the feelings and familiarity between us is still there and I miss you despite everything.
In a strange game
Life again seemed unpredictable and complex like it's just a game but doesn't follow any conventional rules.
I saw myself as you knew me
I had to face the real facts about myself and the person I had become in context of other people's perception of me.
When the change came
When something eventually forced me from my cocoon of fantasy back to the real world, mostly probably harshly.
And you had a chance to see through me
It exposed the real me that I had hidden underneath to hide from others and to protect myself as well.
Though the other side is just the same
Despite the froth and fuss, when it comes to the real solid core of my personality, it remains the same no matter what.
You can tell my dream is real
By merely feeling the same for you and by loving you more, you know that my dream was real and has brought me changes.
Because I love you can you see me now
I hope that in your eyes, my feeling and connection to you is still visible amidst all the chaos.
Though we rush ahead to save our time
We feel like time's running out and that deadlines are there, we rush to achieve our goals before it's too late.
We are only what we feel
Our emotions, beliefs and desires define us and what we do, bit by bit.
And I love you can you feel it now?
Amidst all the noise and mad frenzy, can you still feel my love for you?
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind