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.
Find The Coast Of Freedom
Crosby Stills Nash & Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mother Earth will swallow you, lay your body down
Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground
Mother Earth will swallow you, lay your body down
The lyrics of Crosby Stills & Nash's song Find the Cost of Freedom explore themes of war, sacrifice, remembrance, and the price that must be paid for freedom. The opening lines appear to be the musings of someone lying in bed, thinking about their ancestors and how they fought and died for a cause that they believed in. The reference to a valley covered with blue bones is a stark image of the aftermath of a battle, where the dead have been left to rot on the ground. The next line, "All the brave soldiers that cannot get older been askin' after you," is a poignant reminder that those who gave their lives in the service of their country never had the chance to grow old and see the world change around them.
As the song progresses, the references to war become more explicit, with the mention of "armageddon's side" and the idea that everyone is talking without really listening. The question "how can we decide?" suggests that there is no clear answer to the problems of war and violence, and that the cost of freedom is something that can never be fully reckoned with. The repeated refrain of "Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground/Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down" reinforces the idea that the ultimate price of freedom is death, and that those who die for their beliefs become part of the earth itself.
Overall, the lyrics of Find the Cost of Freedom are a powerful meditation on the human cost of war and the sacrifices that must be made to secure freedom. By juxtaposing the image of a peaceful bedtime with vivid images of war and death, the song reminds us that violence is never far away, and that the price of freedom is something that must always be paid.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight again, following me to bed
The light of day reminds me of the events that have happened in the past.
I think about a hundred years ago, how my fathers bled
The singer is remembering his ancestors' sacrifices when they fought for freedom.
I think I see a valley, covered with bones in blue
The singer imagines a valley full of the bones of dead soldiers.
All the brave soldiers that cannot get older been askin' after you
The soldiers who died fighting for freedom are still waiting for people to continue their legacy.
Hear the past a callin', from armegeddon's side
The singer is hearing the echoes of the past from a world full of chaos.
When everyone's talkin' and no one is listenin', how can we decide?
In a world where people do not listen to others, how can we make informed decisions?
Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground
Dig deeper to find out the true cost of freedom.
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down
When you die, you will be buried in the ground.
Find the cost of freedom, buried in the ground
Dig deeper to find out the true cost of freedom.
Mother earth will swallow you, lay your body down
When you die, you will be buried in the ground.
(Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground)
Dig deeper to find out the true cost of freedom.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Stephen Stills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mandy Johnson
Rest in Peace David Crosby.. You were a significant part of my generation. Thank you.
Patricia Powell
Absolutely!!
Nils Topp
The guy was a socialist. Maybe even a communist. The cost of his freedom and all of our freedoms, are the souls of my fallen brothers and sisters, who have died in service of protecting it in our nations uniform.
Deb Melton
What talent - never to be another band like CSN & Y - their harmony was brilliant!! I will miss David very much - RIP your music will carry on!!!
Achim DeadheaD
ooooo yes peace
Mike & Carol Brown
I watched Seal Team episode where this was the closing song and have been buried in the past ever since. I listened to this song while serving in Viet Nam. I am utterly overwhelmed with emotion and have been having trouble getting things out of my mind that have been buried for so long. The Seal Team episode captured the feelings of so many vets, like me, that has never been broadcast so effectively before.
Judi Harbin
Thank you for your service. Last night's episode of Seal Team just might be the best episode of a tv show ever. I couldn't sleep last night after watching it and can't get it out of my head either. My husband is recovering from a knee replacement surgery and couldn't make it to our tv room to watch it. When he's ready to go downstairs to the tv, I'll watch it again and I know I'll sob just as much the second time. Again, thank you for your service.
Karen V
@Judi Harbin if you have lap top you might be able to watch ep on it from CBS website. Thank you for your service.
Fred E
I watched myself and had to search the song
Michael Williams
I watched that episode too. I was crying by the end, and I was never a vet. Missed Viet Nam by a year or so. Though I do have my own health issues. I also tear up when ever I see images of the USS Arizona (Memorial). Thank you for your service.