Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is a folk-rock supergroup formed when Crosby, … Read Full Bio ↴Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is a folk-rock supergroup formed when Crosby, Stills & Nash (Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, David Crosby from the Byrds, and Graham Nash from the Hollies) asked Neil Young, also of Buffalo Springfield to join them in 1969 and form "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young".
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.

Goodbye Dick
Crosby Stills Nash & Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

But I saw you walkin
the White House lawn.
Goodbye Dick, goodbye Dick.
Goodbye Rosemary,
goodbye Rosemary.
I saw you take your typewriter
out of the White House door
No one wants you

to type here anymore

Goodbye Rosemary,
goodbye Rosemary.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Crosby Stills Nash & Young's song "Goodbye Dick" are a direct reference to the former President of the United States, Richard Nixon. In the song, the singer observes Dick (a nickname for Richard) walking on the White House lawn, implying his departure or resignation from office. The repetition of the phrase "Goodbye Dick" signifies a sense of relief or satisfaction from the singer.

The reference to Rosemary could be interpreted as Rosemary Woods, Nixon's secretary, who famously took responsibility for the erasure of a crucial section of the Watergate tapes. The singer witnesses Rosemary removing her typewriter from the White House, symbolizing her departure or dismissal from her position. The line "No one wants you to type here anymore" suggests that her actions during the Watergate scandal have disgraced her in the eyes of those in power.

Overall, the song "Goodbye Dick" is a commentary on the end of Nixon's presidency and the disillusionment and dissatisfaction felt towards him and his administration.

Line by Line Meaning

But I saw you walkin
However, I observed you strolling

the White House lawn.
across the expanse of the White House's beautifully manicured grounds.

Goodbye Dick, goodbye Dick.
Farewell Richard Nixon, farewell Richard Nixon.

Goodbye Rosemary,
Adieu, Rosemary,

goodbye Rosemary.
farewell, Rosemary.

I saw you take your typewriter
I witnessed you carrying your trusty typewriter

out of the White House door
and exiting through the grand doors of the White House

No one wants you
Nobody desires your presence

to type here anymore
to continue typing within these premises any longer

Goodbye Rosemary,
Farewell, Rosemary,

goodbye Rosemary.
farewell, Rosemary.