After the success of Déjà Vu, all four members of CSNY released solo albums. Crosby released If I Could Only Remember My Name, while Nash released Songs for Beginners. In the autumn of 1971 the best friends toured together as an acoustic duo to favorable reviews; consequently, in 1972 the two decided to record an album together and the result was Graham Nash David Crosby. The album reached #4 on the American Billboard charts and ensured that the twosome were still a viable draw without the more successful and prolific Stills and Young. Further work together was precluded by the CSNY reunion of 1973-1974, Nash's solo effort Wild Tales, Byrds' reunion album, and Crosby's ongoing collaboration with early electronica artist and Grateful Dead associate Ned Lagin.
Deciding to continue working together, the two signed a contract with ABC Records and began recording what would become Wind on the Water. However, Stills and Young invited the duo to recording session for their duo album Long May You Run. Crosby & Nash were forced to leave the recording session because they had a duo album due for ABC Records and Stills and Young wiped their vocals from Long May You Run instead releasing it as The Stills-Young Band. Crosby & Nash said that they wouldn't work with either Stills or Young again.
Crosby & Nash ended up releasing three albums for ABC. Wind on the Water came out in 1975 and was followed the next year by Whistling Down the Wire and Crosby-Nash Live in 1977. All three albums featured a backing band called The Mighty Jitters featuring: Russ Kunkel (drums), Tim Drummond (bass), Craig Doerge (keyboards), Danny Kortchmar (guitar), and David Lindley (guitar/violin). Famed session bassist Leland Sklar alternated with Drummond in the studio. All of these musicians were among the most in demand in Los Angeles at the time, and the line-up of Kunkel, Doerge, Kortchmar, and Sklar had previously recorded as The Section. Depending upon avaliability of the various members, the twosome would either tour as a full blown electric-based aggregation or in a semi-acoustic format with Doerge and Lindley. When CSN reunited on a more or less permanent basis in 1977, Doerge would follow the group to Miami for the CSN sessions, contributing to several songs and collaborating on the song "Shadow Captain" with Crosby. Crosby and Doerge would continue to collaborate regularly until the early 1990s.
In addition to their album work, Crosby & Nash were the harmony vocalists of choice for a number of prominent singer-songwriters and AOR rock performers in the mid to late 1970s. Among their most recognizable session work is Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" and the James Taylor hit "Mexico". They also appeared on albums by Dave Mason, J.D. Souther, Elton John, Art Garfunkel, Gary Wright, Carole King (who sat in with them at various concerts), the Section and latest on David Gilmour's 2006-album On An Island.
In 1979 they reconvened to record a new album for Capitol Records, but sessions were dampened by Crosby's increased dependence upon freebase cocaine; this was eventually released as Nash's Earth & Sky without any songs from Crosby. The CSN album Live It Up was also supposed to be a Crosby & Nash record, but Atlantic Records refused to release anything that didn't feature the full CSN trio.
In 2004, Crosby & Nash released their first studio record since 1976 with the double-album Crosby & Nash. The album featured Crosby & Nash backed mostly by members of Crosby's solo band CPR. A single CD version was released in 2006 when CSNY began its "Freedom of Speech '06" tour.
Man in the Mirror
Crosby & Nash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm over the town
I'd be good in a circus
But so would a clown
From the way that I feel
All my hang-ups are down
In the middle of nowhere
I found me a tree
Reminds me of me
Though we live in the air
I'm not sure that we?re free
And I don't really have much to say
Cause I'm Living from day to day
Somewhere
And I don't care what the people say
Cause if everyone know the way we?re nowhere.
Two and two make four
They never make five
And as long as we know it
We all can survive
Make sure that the things you do
Keep us alive
And I don't really have much to say
Cause I've living from day to day
Somewhere
And I don't care what the people say
Cause if everyone knows the way we?re nowhere.
Is the image I'm making
The image I see
When the man in the mirror
Is talking to me
The lyrics of Crosby & Nash's "Man in the Mirror" depict a person who is lost and uncertain about their direction in life. The opening lines suggest that the singer is teetering at the end of a tightrope, over a town, and that they possess skills that could make them well-suited to joining a circus. However, the singer seems to identify more with a clown than with a high-wire artist. The second verse describes how the singer has retreated to "the middle of nowhere," presumably in search of clarity and meaning. There, they find a tree that produces fruit that "reminds me of me." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the idea that we are all products of our environment and that each of us possesses our own unique identity. But even though the singer has found a place of seclusion, it is not clear if they are truly free or if they are just isolated.
The song's chorus speaks to the singer's underlying sense of aimlessness and lack of direction. They are living "from day to day" and don't care what others think about them. The final lines pose a question about identity and self-image: "Is the image I'm making / The image I see / When the man in the mirror / Is talking to me." This suggests that the singer is grappling with the question of who they truly are and whether the person they see reflected back at them is an accurate representation of their inner self.
Line by Line Meaning
On the end of a tight rope
I am in a difficult position, where there is not much room for error
I'm over the town
I am in a position of power or control over the people in the town below
I'd be good in a circus
I have talents that would be well-suited for an unconventional or unpredictable environment
But so would a clown
My talents are not unique, and others might have similar skills to mine
From the way that I feel
Based on my emotional state
All my hang-ups are down
I feel free and unburdened by my usual worries or anxieties
In the middle of nowhere
I am in a remote or isolated location
I found me a tree
I discovered a source of sustenance or stability in this barren place
And the fruit that we live on
This sustenance represents our way of life or our means of survival
Reminds me of me
This source of sustenance reflects my identity or personality
Though we live in the air
Despite our sense of freedom or detachment from the world below
I'm not sure that we?re free
I question whether our detachment is truly liberating or merely illusory
And I don't really have much to say
I do not feel the need to express myself or communicate my thoughts
Cause I'm Living from day to day
I am focused on surviving or getting by in the present moment
Somewhere
In an unspecified location or context
And I don't care what the people say
I am indifferent to the opinions or judgments of others
Cause if everyone know the way we?re nowhere.
If everyone were aware of our aimless existence or lack of direction
Two and two make four
This is a basic mathematical fact that we can rely on
They never make five
We cannot change or ignore this fact, or hope for an unrealistic outcome
And as long as we know it
If we accept this fact as true and do not try to deny or avoid it
We all can survive
We can endure and thrive, even with limited resources or opportunities
Make sure that the things you do
Be mindful of your actions and their impact on others
Keep us alive
Contribute to our collective survival and well-being
Is the image I'm making
Am I projecting a false or distorted image of myself?
The image I see
Am I being honest with myself about who I really am?
When the man in the mirror
When I reflect on myself and my life
Is talking to me
Am I listening to my own inner voice and wisdom?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GRAHAM NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind