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.
The Rent Is Always Due
Buffalo Springfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're still the child
Suspended in space
Crying out to you
Beckons you to yet another fine place
Where the trials of life are few
Who says you are coming on
They won't remember you
The rent is always due.
The cloudy men
Who take their place
And stand in line
They do
Know not of
The satin face
That separates them from you
Just put your blue jeans on
Grab your guitar and write a song
Don't think I'm kidding you
The rent is always due.
She rides a broom
With gold-plated straw
And flutters around
And dies
The Brylcream fools
Just standing on
Digesting all their lives
But then you walk along
And she starts coming on
Beneath her melting broom
The rent is always due.
The lyrics of Buffalo Springfield's "The Rent Is Always Due" offer a mix of caution and encouragement to young people on the cusp of adulthood. They address the longing to escape the trials of life and pursue opportunity, while simultaneously emphasizing the inevitability of struggle and the normalcy of death. The first verse describes the childlike desire for a "fine place" where life is easy, but also dismisses the notion that immortality is attainable. The chorus reinforces this idea by stating that "the rent is always due," a metaphor for the perpetual effort required to survive.
The second verse contrasts the common people, represented as "cloudy men" standing in line, with the singer's own exalted position, symbolized by the "satin face." The advice given is to make use of one's talent, symbolized by the guitar, to create something meaningful and memorable. The message is that individuality and creativity can set one apart from the masses and give one a lasting legacy. The final verse introduces a witch as a character, painted in a striking image of "gold-plated straw" and a "melting broom." The contrast between this fantastical figure and the mundane "Brylcream fools" serves as a reminder of the power of imagination and the futility of conforming to society's expectations.
Overall, "The Rent Is Always Due" offers a poetic, insightful take on the transition from youth to adulthood, emphasizing both the desire to escape and the necessity of struggle along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Young
The song begins by addressing someone young.
You're still the child
The song reminds the young person that they are still a child, albeit growing up rapidly.
Suspended in space
The young person finds themselves in a state of limbo, with no fixed trajectory through life yet established.
Crying out to you
Life seems to be calling out to the young person, urging them to explore and engage with the world around them.
Beckons you to yet another fine place
The call of life is described as tempting and enticing, full of promise and possibility.
Where the trials of life are few
The song suggests that there are places in life where troubles are scarce and joys are plentiful, if you know where to look.
Who says you are coming on
The song interrogates the young person, questioning their assumptions about their future and what it holds.
Don't think you're living long
The song warns the young person that life is short and precarious, and that they should make the most of it while they can.
They won't remember you
The song suggests that most people won't leave a lasting impression on the world, and that this is a sobering thought for those who seek to make an impact.
The rent is always due.
The song's title phrase is repeated here, suggesting that there are always consequences to our actions, and that we must pay a price for the choices we make.
The cloudy men
The second verse begins by describing a group of people as 'cloudy men', implying that they are shapeless and lacking in substance or clarity.
Who take their place
These men are said to be waiting in line, perhaps for something important or desirable.
And stand in line
The repetition of the previous line drives home the idea that these men are very focused on their place in the queue.
They do
The song shortens the next line after this one, perhaps to emphasize the idea of these men being forgettable or anonymous.
Know not of
The song now highlights the lack of awareness or understanding these men possess, in contrast to the young person who is constantly seeking to learn and grow.
The satin face
The song introduces a mysterious new image here, of a 'satin face' which separates the cloudy men from the young person. What this represents is not yet clear.
That separates them from you
The song reveals that this face is what distinguishes the young person from the queue of men, implying that it is a symbol of some kind of privilege or advantage.
Just put your blue jeans on
The song now turns to a command, telling the young person to get dressed in a way that is casual and unpretentious.
Grab your guitar and write a song
The song urges the young person to make music, to express themselves creatively and authentically.
Don't think I'm kidding you
The song reminds the young person that these are not idle or frivolous suggestions, but heartfelt advice given from a place of experience.
The rent is always due.
The song repeats its title phrase once more, bringing together the various threads of the narrative so far and emphasizing the importance of being responsible in life.
She rides a broom
The final verse introduces a new character, a woman who is depicted as riding a broomstick. This is perhaps referencing traditional images of witches or supernatural beings.
With gold-plated straw
The song embellishes this image by giving the broomstick a luxurious material, suggesting that it is an object of great value or power.
And flutters around
The song continues to describe this woman's movements in a way that is fanciful and strange.
And dies
Suddenly the mood shifts, and we are told that the woman dies. This suggests that even those with magical or mysterious powers are subject to the same fate as everyone else.
The Brylcream fools
The song now makes reference to a specific hair care product, implying that some people place too much emphasis on their physical appearance and neglect more important aspects of life.
Just standing on
These 'fools' are now portrayed as passive and inert, simply waiting for something to happen or for their turn to come.
Digesting all their lives
The song uses a metaphor of digestion to suggest that these people are processing or absorbing their experiences without fully engaging with them or making the most of them.
But then you walk along
The song now switches to talking directly to the young person again, suggesting that they are the one who can change things.
And she starts coming on
The woman on the broomstick returns, this time in a context that is less clear. She seems to be responding to the young person's actions, though we don't know what those are yet.
Beneath her melting broom
The song returns to the imagery of the broomstick, this time describing it as melting. This suggests that it is a fleeting or temporary thing, not something that can be relied on long-term.
The rent is always due.
The song ends as it began, repeating its title phrase one last time. The sense is that life is a never-ending cycle of responsibilities and obligations, but that there is always hope for those who seek to make their own path through it.
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.