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.
So You've Got a Lover
Buffalo Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not likely to see you anymore:
With the dawn I fly, so you must listen.
Just to spite me, you've chosen to ignore
That I'm onto why you're always missin'.
Chorus:
So you've got a lover
They tell me there's another
Who could never tell he loves you too.
Before you yell, there's another thing
I guess you should hear now while I'm thinking of it.
Ringing bells don't bother me,
Unless they become like strings to guide a puppet.
(Chorus)
No one ever can tell how much more love there is to find,
If you'll just listen.
[Stills hums incoherently - forgotten words]
Sometimes resembles mud, sometimes it's crystal.
(Chorus)
The lyrics of Buffalo Springfield's "So You've Got a Lover" imply a sense of remorse of the singer towards his former partner, whom he is unlikely to be with as he is moving on. The singer acknowledges that his former partner has found someone else but is cynical about the nature of their relationship. The singer implies that the person his former partner is with is merely using her as a convenience, only contacting her when they need her. The singer confronts his former partner, asking them to listen to what he has to say before dismissing him. He warns her that sometimes people can be manipulated; and that it can be hard to tell the difference between sincere love and deceitful manipulation.
The singer's sentiments imply a melancholic sense of loss and hurt; his acknowledgment that his former partner has moved on with someone else suggests that he is unable to come to terms with the end of the relationship. He is vulnerable, implying that the new partner may not genuinely love or care about her, and that she may be in danger of being manipulated. The singer, in the chorus, challenges his former lover's choice by asking whether the person she chose really cares for her, or if he only uses her when it's convenient for him. The singer implies that a true lover is one who consistently expresses their feelings and emotions towards their partner and does not hide them. The singer ends the song on a philosophical note, pondering the significance of love and how one can recognize sincere love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not likely to see you anymore:
I won't have the opportunity to see you anymore.
With the dawn I fly, so you must listen.
I'm leaving early in the morning, so you must pay attention to what I'm saying.
Just to spite me, you've chosen to ignore
You have purposely chosen to ignore what I've said to upset me.
That I'm onto why you're always missin'.
I know why you're always absent and not around.
Chorus:
Refrain
So you've got a lover
You have found someone to love.
Who just rings a bell when he needs you?
Your lover only contacts you when he needs something.
They tell me there's another
Rumors have it that there's somebody else in your life.
Who could never tell he loves you too.
That person can't express their love for you, unlike I do.
Before you yell, there's another thing
Before you get angry, there's another point I want to make.
I guess you should hear now while I'm thinking of it.
I think you should hear this now while I'm considering it.
Ringing bells don't bother me,
Hearing bells doesn't irritate me.
Unless they become like strings to guide a puppet.
Unless they are controlling your every move, like a puppet being controlled by strings.
(Chorus)
Refrain
No one ever can tell how much more love there is to find,
You never know how much more love is available to discover.
If you'll just listen.
If only you'll pay attention.
[Stills hums incoherently - forgotten words]
Lyrics are forgotten, and the singer hums instead.
Sometimes resembles mud, sometimes it's crystal.
Love can be murky or clear like mud or crystal.
(Chorus)
Refrain
Contributed by Mateo F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.