Commonly referred to by their initials CSNY, the band is primarily known for their four-part vocal harmonies. They were one of the few North American groups that rivaled the Beatles in popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
After the 1970 shootings at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, Neil Young wrote "Ohio", a tribute to the four students who were shot by the Ohio National Guard. Many radio stations would not play the song "Ohio" because of the anti-war tone of the song. Even so, largely because of its topical nature, "Ohio" bumped "Teach Your Children", released three weeks earlier, from its ascent in the charts, replacing it on the popularity climb, ending at number fourteen, while "Teach Your Children" ended at number sixteen.
In the early seventies, each member released solo albums and by 1972, the band had essentially split up. Nash and Crosby began to perform as a duo and recorded and toured as Crosby & Nash (or, alternatively, Crosby-Nash). A 1974 CSNY reunion tour was a massive success, but attempts to make a second CSNY album ended with another split and separate albums from Crosby & Nash and The Stills-Young Band, both in 1976. After a falling-out between Stills and Young, CSN reformed to release CSN and has been the primary configuration since. CSNY finally returned in 1988 with American Dream, and again in 1999 with Looking Forward. Subsequent material has mostly been from Crosby, Stills & Nash, with the exception of live releases featuring all four members.
It is important to note that on their most famous album, Déjà vu, nearly every song features the trio configuration. Neil Young joins only on a handful of songs he didn't write (guitar on "Woodstock," "Almost Cut My Hair"). Neil Young is absent on "Teach Your Children," "Our House," "Carry On," "Déjà Vu" and therefore the most famous work by the group can be credited to the original trio configuration.
In 1991, Crosby was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Byrds. Neil Young was inducted in 1995 as a solo artist. Stephen Stills was inducted in 1997 as both a member of Buffalo Springfield (along with Young) and Crosby, Stills & Nash (with Crosby & Nash), Graham Nash was inducted in 2010 as a member of The Hollies.
Déjà vu
Crosby Stills Nash & Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would probably know just what to do
Don't you?
If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel
I would probably know just how to deal
With all of you
And I feel like I've been here before
And you know it does make me wonder
What's going on under the ground
Do you know?
Don't you wonder
What's going on
Down under you?
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
The lyrics of Crosby Stills Nash & Young's song Deja Vu deals with the idea of reincarnation and the suggestion that we have all been here before. The opening lines of the song, "If I had ever been here before, I would probably know just what to do," suggest that individuals may have lived previous lives, and if so, they would have prior knowledge of the circumstances in their current life. This is reinforced in the next line, "If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel, I would probably know just how to deal, with all of you." The wheel metaphor is commonly used to describe the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Eastern philosophy.
The chorus of the song, "And I feel like I've been here before, feel like I've been here before, and you know it does make me wonder, what's going on under the ground, do you know? don't you wonder what's going on down under you?" further emphasizes this idea of reincarnation and past lives. The lyrics suggest that there is something going on beyond our current awareness, something happening under the ground which continues to cycle and repeat.
Overall, the song offers a contemplative and philosophical perspective on the idea of reincarnation and how it might impact our lives and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had ever been here before
Had I experienced this exact moment in time before
I would probably know just what to do
I would have a sense of familiarity and know how to navigate this situation
Don't you?
Do you share my sentiment or am I alone in this feeling?
If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel
If I had previously encountered this same situation, albeit in a past life
I would probably know just how to deal
I would have the capacity to effectively manage and handle it
With all of you
With everyone present in this moment in time
And I feel like I've been here before
I have a sensation of experiencing this moment previously
Feel like I've been here before
It feels like this moment in time has occurred before
And you know it does make me wonder
This feeling prompts me to question
What's going on under the ground
What is the underlying reality of this situation
Do you know?
Do you share my sense that something is amiss?
Don't you wonder
Do you have any doubts or questions about the situation?
What's going on
What is occurring in this moment in time?
Down under you?
Beneath the surface of this situation, what could be happening that is not immediately apparent?
We have all been here before
As humans, we have all encountered similar situations in the past
We have all been here before
We have collectively experienced moments like this as a species
We have all been here before
This is not a unique or one-time occurrence for any of us
We have all been here before
As beings that have lived and died many times over, we have undoubtedly encountered similar moments and feelings in past lives
We have all been here before
This moment is not novel or exceptional, but rather a recurring theme throughout human history
Lyrics © CTM Outlander Music LC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Caitlin Crosby, Jay Dylan Nash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gelubatir9794
Personnel
David Crosby – vocals all tracks except "4+20"; rhythm guitar on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Woodstock," "Déjà Vu," and "Country Girl"
Stephen Stills – vocals all tracks except "Almost Cut My Hair"; guitars all tracks except "Our House"; bass on "Carry On," "Teach Your Children," and "Déjà Vu"; keyboards on "Déjà Vu" and "Everybody I Love You"; organ on "Carry On" and "Woodstock"; piano on "Helpless"; percussion on "Carry On"
Graham Nash – vocals all tracks except "Almost Cut My Hair" and "4+20"; piano on "Woodstock" and "Our House"; organ on "Almost Cut My Hair"; rhythm guitar on "Teach Your Children"; percussion on "Carry On" and "Country Girl"; tambourine on "Teach Your Children"
Neil Young – vocals on "Helpless" and "Country Girl"; guitars on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Helpless," "Woodstock," "Country Girl," and "Everybody I Love You"; keyboards, harmonica on "Country Girl"
Additional musicians
Greg Reeves – bass on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Helpless," "Woodstock," "Our House," "Country Girl," and "Everybody I Love You"
Dallas Taylor – drums all tracks except "Teach Your Children" and "4+20"; tambourine on "Teach Your Children"
Jerry Garcia – pedal steel guitar on "Teach Your Children"
John Sebastian – harmonica on "Déjà Vu"
@gelubatir9794
Personnel
David Crosby – vocals all tracks except "4+20"; rhythm guitar on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Woodstock," "Déjà Vu," and "Country Girl"
Stephen Stills – vocals all tracks except "Almost Cut My Hair"; guitars all tracks except "Our House"; bass on "Carry On," "Teach Your Children," and "Déjà Vu"; keyboards on "Déjà Vu" and "Everybody I Love You"; organ on "Carry On" and "Woodstock"; piano on "Helpless"; percussion on "Carry On"
Graham Nash – vocals all tracks except "Almost Cut My Hair" and "4+20"; piano on "Woodstock" and "Our House"; organ on "Almost Cut My Hair"; rhythm guitar on "Teach Your Children"; percussion on "Carry On" and "Country Girl"; tambourine on "Teach Your Children"
Neil Young – vocals on "Helpless" and "Country Girl"; guitars on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Helpless," "Woodstock," "Country Girl," and "Everybody I Love You"; keyboards, harmonica on "Country Girl"
Additional musicians
Greg Reeves – bass on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Helpless," "Woodstock," "Our House," "Country Girl," and "Everybody I Love You"
Dallas Taylor – drums all tracks except "Teach Your Children" and "4+20"; tambourine on "Teach Your Children"
Jerry Garcia – pedal steel guitar on "Teach Your Children"
John Sebastian – harmonica on "Déjà Vu"
@gelubatir9794
Personnel
David Crosby – vocals all tracks except "4+20"; rhythm guitar on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Woodstock," "Déjà Vu," and "Country Girl"
Stephen Stills – vocals all tracks except "Almost Cut My Hair"; guitars all tracks except "Our House"; bass on "Carry On," "Teach Your Children," and "Déjà Vu"; keyboards on "Déjà Vu" and "Everybody I Love You"; organ on "Carry On" and "Woodstock"; piano on "Helpless"; percussion on "Carry On"
Graham Nash – vocals all tracks except "Almost Cut My Hair" and "4+20"; piano on "Woodstock" and "Our House"; organ on "Almost Cut My Hair"; rhythm guitar on "Teach Your Children"; percussion on "Carry On" and "Country Girl"; tambourine on "Teach Your Children"
Neil Young – vocals on "Helpless" and "Country Girl"; guitars on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Helpless," "Woodstock," "Country Girl," and "Everybody I Love You"; keyboards, harmonica on "Country Girl"
Additional musicians
Greg Reeves – bass on "Almost Cut My Hair," "Helpless," "Woodstock," "Our House," "Country Girl," and "Everybody I Love You"
Dallas Taylor – drums all tracks except "Teach Your Children" and "4+20"; tambourine on "Teach Your Children"
Jerry Garcia – pedal steel guitar on "Teach Your Children"
John Sebastian – harmonica on "Déjà Vu"
@pocusfocus
I'm 71 and this isn't a Hippie masterpiece...It is a masterpiece for the ages for all.
@mr2000dukr
Amen fellow 71 y.o. when i listen to this i dont feel old. i miss the 70's.🌞
@hrhrae1959
@Honest Mark good morning! So far so good out in Vegas. Hope you are having a good one too. 😊
@Ileah
As we used to say, keep your sh-shirt on, brother. I can think of lots of worse things than to be or to have been a hippie. As a human and a music lover you should know without a slightly older female having to tell you that music connects directly to the soul, whatever you prefer to call it or even yourself, for loving to listen to it.
@AnotherDamnFandomShow
Im 37 and when I was a kid, I found this tape in my mom's house. I WORE IT OUT. Literally destroyed the cassette from listening so much.
@dr.aniasara7038
I'm 73, and this is still my favorite band next to the Beatles. Ageless.
@jackspry9736
RIP David Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023), aged 81
You will always be remembered as a legend.
@fatboy3076
loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
@jayfredrickson8632
The man is gone 😔 but the music lives on 🎵🎶
@francineroot-adler7205
Have been listening to his/their music all day! In the day, it changed my life. I hear this music and I am right there again! Thanks David for all the gifts you left us!