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.
Déjà vu
David Crosby Lyrics
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I would probably know just what to do
Don't you?
If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel
I would probably know just how to deal
With all of you
And I feel like I've been here before
And you know it does make me wonder
What's going on under the ground
Do you know?
Don't you wonder?
What's going on
Down under you
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
We have all been here before
The lyrics to David Crosby's song Déjà Vu speak to the phenomenon of feeling like you have already experienced a moment, even though you know consciously that it is the first time you are experiencing it. Crosby's lyrics take the listener on a journey through the possibility of past lives and the concept of cyclical time. The opening lines, "If I had ever been here before, I would probably know just what to do," suggest that the singer is feeling a sense of familiarity, as though they have lived through this moment before.
Crosby then introduces the idea of reincarnation, suggesting that if he had "ever been here before on another time around the wheel," he would know how to handle the situation. The repetition of the phrase "We have all been here before" reinforces this idea, suggesting that all humans have lived multiple lives and have experienced the same moments countless times. The imagery of "what's going on under the ground" adds an air of mystery to the lyrics, as if there is something deeper and unexplained occurring beneath the surface.
Overall, Déjà Vu is a thought-provoking exploration of memory, past lives, and the cyclical nature of time. Crosby's lyrics encourage listeners to consider the possibility of alternate realities or past experiences influencing our present moments.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had ever been here before
If I had experienced this situation previously
I would probably know just what to do
I would understand how to handle it
Don't you?
Don't you also have this feeling?
If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel
If I had encountered this in a past life
I would probably know just how to deal
I would be capable of managing it
With all of you
Including you all in this situation
And I feel like I've been here before
I have a sense of familiarity
Feel like I've been here before
It seems like I have experienced this before
And you know it does make me wonder
This makes me curious
What's going on under the ground
What is happening behind the scenes
Do you know?
Do you have any insight on this?
Don't you wonder?
Are you not also curious about it?
What's going on
What is happening
Down under you
Beneath the surface of what is visible to you
We have all been here before
We have all experienced something similar in the past
We have all been here before
We have all encountered this before
We have all been here before
We all share this common experience
We have all been here before
We have all been in a similar situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAITLIN CROSBY, JAY DYLAN NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind