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.
Prison Song
Crosby & Nash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And said I have to leave you
For buying something from a friend
They say I've done wrong
For protecting the name of a man
They say I'll have to leave you,
So now I'm bidding you farewell
For much too long.
For every man inside,
If he can hear you sing
It's an open door.
There's not a rich man there,
Who couldn't pay his way
And buy the freedom that's a high price
For the poor.
Kids in Texas
Smoking grass,
Ten year sentence
Comes to pass
Misdemeanor
In Ann Arbor,
Ask the judges
Why?
One day a friend said to her kids
I'm gonna have to leave you
For selling something to the man
I guess I did wrong
And although I did the best I could
I'm gonna have to leave you
So now I'm kissing you farewell
For much too long.
And here's a song to sing,
For every man inside
If he can hear you sing
It's an open door.
There's not a rich man there
Who couldn't pay his way
And buy the freedom that's a high price
For the poor
The lyrics to Crosby & Nash's "Prison Song" are a poignant commentary on the American prison industrial complex and the systemic injustices that continue to disproportionately affect people of color and the poor. The song itself is a stripped-down folk ballad, with acoustic guitars and a simple melody setting the stage for the sobering message of the lyrics.
The first verse describes a friend who has been forced to leave because they were caught buying something from a friend, protecting the name of a man. It's left up to the listener to interpret precisely what this means, but it's clear that there is some level of corruption and wrongdoing at play. The singer bids farewell to their friend, knowing that it will likely be a long time before they see each other again. The chorus speaks directly to the plight of those inside: "And here's a song to sing, for every man inside, if he can hear you sing, it's an open door." The idea is that even though the physical doors of the prison may be closed, music has the power to transcend those barriers and offer hope and solidarity.
The second verse takes a more specific look at some of the injustices of the prison system, highlighting the case of kids in Texas who are given ten-year sentences for smoking marijuana, while in Ann Arbor, a mere misdemeanor can lead to significant jail time. The language in this verse is deliberately stark and straightforward, driving home the point that the system is broken and often arbitrary.
Overall, "Prison Song" is a powerful and moving call to action that asks us to examine our assumptions about justice and fairness in American society. By framing the message in a plaintive, folksy melody, the song becomes all the more effective at conveying the human toll of the prison system.
Line by Line Meaning
One day a friend took me aside
A friend approached the singer privately
And said I have to leave you
The friend tells the singer that they have to part ways
For buying something from a friend
The singer is being accused of wrongdoing for purchasing goods from a friend
They say I've done wrong
The artist is being blamed for a mistake they claim they did not make
For protecting the name of a man
The artist asserts that they only wanted to protect the reputation of another person
They say I'll have to leave you,
The authorities or accusers have decreed that the singer cannot stay in their current situation
So now I'm bidding you farewell
The singer is saying goodbye to someone they are close to
For much too long.
The artist implies that the length of separation will be difficult to bear
And here's a song to sing,
The artist is dedicating a song to a particular audience or group of people
For every man inside,
The song is intended to uplift and encourage those who are incarcerated
If he can hear you sing
The singer believes that their song has the power to reach and inspire others
It's an open door.
The artist suggests that singing can open up possibilities and opportunities
There's not a rich man there,
The singer speculates that incarcerated individuals are not just poor or disadvantaged
Who couldn't pay his way
The singer believes that wealthy people have the means to avoid ending up in prison
And buy the freedom that's a high price
The singer suggests that financial resources are often required to gain freedom from incarceration
For the poor.
The artist notes that poorer individuals often lack the means to avoid or escape imprisonment
Kids in Texas
The artist changes the subject to highlight an example of unjust incarceration
Smoking grass,
The singer suggests that marijuana use should not result in severe punishment
Ten year sentence
The singer notes that the penalty for this offense is excessive
Comes to pass
The situation is accepted and cannot be changed
Misdemeanor
The artist contrasts the severity of the punishment with the seriousness of the 'crime'
In Ann Arbor,
The artist cites another example of unjust treatment
Ask the judges
The singer suggests a lack of understanding or logic on the part of those in authority
Why?
The artist ends the song with a rhetorical question, expressing frustration and the need for change
One day a friend said to her kids
The singer starts another verse with another story of separation
I'm gonna have to leave you
The friend regrets that she will have to say goodbye to her children
For selling something to the man
The friend is accused of selling something illegal or illicit to a law enforcement officer
I guess I did wrong
The friend admits to a mistake but is still being treated unfairly
And although I did the best I could
The friend is implying that they tried their best to make the right choice
I'm gonna have to leave you
The friend reiterates that they will be separated from their loved ones
So now I'm kissing you farewell
The friend is saying a heartfelt goodbye to those they care about
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: GRAHAM NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind