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.
Special Care
Buffalo Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lookin' at me, do you think I'm,
Blowing' my cool, playin' the fool?
You there on the corner,
Starin' at me, do you think I'm,
Trouble? Would you like to shoot me down?
To make you aware of the forsaken,
If you don't care then we'll come and burn your house down.
Come on over sometime and talk about how all men are created equal,
Only some they mo' equal than others.
The lyrics of Buffalo Springfield's song "Special Care" are about the prejudices faced by marginalized communities, particularly by people of color. The lyrics imply a sense of fear and uncertainty felt by someone in the public eye, who is constantly being scrutinized and judged. The first verse may refer to the ways in which people in power often disregard or stereotype those deemed "inferior" or outside of the mainstream. The singer is questioning whether they are being judged unfairly, and if their behavior is seen as "playing the fool" or "blowing their cool" because of their race or status. The second verse refers to the potential for violence felt by those considered "trouble" or undesirable. The singer is alluding to the possibility of being threatened with violence, either by police or by vigilantes who may feel emboldened to act upon their prejudices.
The chorus of the song is a call to action, imploring listeners to take special care of those who are forsaken by society. The lyrics suggest that indifference to the plight of others will eventually lead to destruction, whether through burning down literal houses or through more metaphorical violence. The final lines of the song reference the idea of equality and how it is not evenly distributed in society. "Only some they mo' equal than others" implies that there are those who benefit from the status quo and have more power and privilege than others.
Overall, "Special Care" is a protest song about the inequalities and injustices faced by marginalized communities in America. It highlights the need for empathy, education, and awareness to combat the prejudices that continue to persist.
Line by Line Meaning
Ou' there in the window,
Looking outside through the window, at nothing in particular.
Lookin' at me, do you think I'm,
Gazing at me, do you judge me,
Blowing' my cool, playin' the fool?
Making a fool out of myself, losing my temper?
You there on the corner,
You, standing on the street corner.
Starin' at me, do you think I'm,
Staring at me, perceiving me,
Trouble? Would you like to shoot me down?
If you think of me as problematic, would you want to kill me?
And it's time for all that Special Care to be taken,
It's that moment when significant attention should be paid
To make you aware of the forsaken,
To inform you about those who have been abandoned or forgotten
If you don't care then we'll come and burn your house down.
If you are indifferent, we will come and destroy your protection.
Come on over sometime and talk about how all men are created equal,
Come talk about how all individuals are supposedly given the same rights and opportunities,
Only some they mo' equal than others.
Only some people find themselves entitled to more rights.
Contributed by Cameron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Scott Truesdell
One of my all-time favorite Buffalo Springfield songs. It just hits on all levels!
baliscotsurf
I actually dig Fanny's cover.
Paul Coles
Bad boy.........so do i.....
ticarot
Just watched it.
That's why I'm here.
Noel Stefan Stoyanoff
Ya, their version completely crushes it.
Jon Weiss
agreed. Fanny does a better job
David Marrs
I think I like Fanny’s version better too!
mikeisamovie
this whole album was and still IS a five star affair!
Helterskelter4
The bass and drums are freaking awesome if you listen to those isolated, especially at the end of the song. One of my favourite Springfield songs.
Tago Mago
Stills was absolute class in the Springfields, great songs, amazing vocals and superb guitar playing but never hit the later heights of Mr Young but what a criminally under-rated band these were. As good as any band that came from the sixties in my opinion, but what the fuck do I know?