Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They had their first number-one hit in April 1965 with a cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan. Crosby appeared on the Byrds' first five albums and produced the original lineup's 1973 reunion album. He subsequently formed Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1968 with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.
After the release of their debut album, CSN won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1969. Neil Young joined the group for live appearances, their second concert being Woodstock, before recording their second album Déjà Vu. Meant to be a group that could collaborate freely, Crosby and Nash recorded three gold albums in the 1970s, while the core trio of CSN remained active from 1976 until 2016. CSNY reunions took place in each decade from the 1970s through the 2000s.
Songs Crosby wrote or co-wrote include "Lady Friend", "Everybody's Been Burned", "Why", and "Eight Miles High" with the Byrds and "Guinnevere", "Wooden Ships", "Shadow Captain", and "In My Dreams" with Crosby, Stills & Nash. He wrote "Almost Cut My Hair" and the title track "Déjà Vu" for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 1970 album of the same name. He is known for having employed alternative guitar tunings and jazz influences. He released six solo albums, five of which charted. Additionally, he formed a jazz-influenced trio with his son James Raymond and guitarist Jeff Pevar in CPR. Crosby's work with the Byrds and CSNY has sold over 35 million albums.
Crosby was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once for his work in the Byrds and again for his work with CSN. Five albums to which he contributed are included in Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, three with the Byrds and two with CSN(Y). He was outspoken politically and was sometimes depicted as emblematic of the counterculture of the 1960s.
Breathless
David Crosby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This dance that we do leaves me breathless
Reeling on the edge of falling down
A lodestone pull that leaves me breathless
Through many lifetimes handed down
And you touch hands
And you taste breath
You try to walk in step and stumble laughing
You hold each other up to stop the fall
You hold each others eyes like a magnet
And for a moment time just seems to stall
And you touch hands
And you taste breath
And you watch each other
A bell once struck will ring forever
It just gets louder the closer it is held
Love is a bell, once struck will ring forever
It just gets louder the closer it is held
The closer it is held
You lead me like a spirit through the forest
Where I alone would surely fear to go
Safely with my hand on your shoulder
Somehow it's a thing I just know
And you touch hands
And you taste breath
And you watch each other
A bell once struck will ring forever
It just gets louder the closer it is held
Love is a bell, once struck will ring forever
It just gets louder the closer it is held
The closer it is held
David Crosby's "Breathless" is a song about the power of love and connection between two people, as they dance through life together. The opening lines express the feeling of being on the brink of falling, supported only by the magnetic force that draws the two lovers together. This force is likened to a lodestone, carrying with it the weight of many lifetimes passed down through history, bringing the couple to this moment in time.
As the two of them dance, they touch hands and taste each other's breath, deeply immersed in the moment. They stumble and laugh, holding each other up, and time seems to stop for a moment. In this instant, they hold each other's gaze like a magnet, their love echoing through the ages like a bell that rings forever. The closer they hold onto each other, the louder the bell rings, becoming a powerful and unending force that resonates into eternity.
The second half of the song sets a different tone, as the lyrics shift from a poetic description of love to a more personal expression of intimacy. Here, one lover leads the other through a forest, where alone they would fear to go. Guided only by the love and trust between them, they make their way safely, hand-in-hand. As with the opening lines, the message is clear: through love, we can conquer our fears and find our way together.
Overall, "Breathless" is a beautiful celebration of the transformative power of love, its ability to bind us together across time and space, and its capacity to inspire us to be our best selves.
Line by Line Meaning
This dance that we do leaves me breathless
The experience of our relationship is so intense and overwhelming that it leaves me feeling breathless.
Reeling on the edge of falling down
I feel unsteady and vulnerable, like I am about to lose my balance and fall apart.
A lodestone pull that leaves me breathless
Our connection has a magnetic force that draws me in and leaves me feeling breathless.
Through many lifetimes handed down
Our relationship feels like it has existed for many lifetimes and has been passed down through generations.
And you touch hands
Our physical touch is a powerful and meaningful expression of our connection.
And you taste breath
Our intimacy is so close that we can taste each other's breath when we are close.
And you know
We have an intuitive understanding of each other that goes beyond words.
You try to walk in step and stumble laughing
We may not always get things right, but we can find humor in our mistakes and keep moving forward together.
You hold each other up to stop the fall
When one of us is struggling, the other is there to provide support and keep us from falling.
You hold each others eyes like a magnet
Our gaze is intense and magnetic, drawing us closer together.
And for a moment time just seems to stall
Our connection is so strong that it feels like time stands still when we are together.
A bell once struck will ring forever
Love is a powerful force that echoes through time, forever ringing in our hearts and souls.
It just gets louder the closer it is held
The more we hold onto love and nurture our relationship, the louder and more meaningful it becomes.
You lead me like a spirit through the forest
You guide me through the unknown and sometimes scary paths of life like a spirit guide.
Where I alone would surely fear to go
I would be too afraid to venture into these unknown paths alone, but with you by my side, I feel safe and fearless.
Safely with my hand on your shoulder
Your physical presence is a source of safety and comfort, and I know I can always rely on you.
Somehow it's a thing I just know
Our connection is not something that can be explained with words alone, but it is something that we both just instinctively know.
And you watch each other
We are always studying and observing each other, learning more about ourselves and our relationship in the process.
Contributed by Jordyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.