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.
Radio
David Crosby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comes through all the static and hiss
Pulling just enough words from the storm filled sky
To know that someone somewhere needs this
The radioman runs to the wheelhouse
Got that message held tight in his fist
An s.o.s off of the wireless
For you to look out, look down
Reach your hand into the water
For you to look out, look down
And pull someone out of the sea
You are the captain, this is the ship
You will have to decide what gets done
Think about it when you're on watch tonight
'Cause someday this message will come
For you to look out, look down
Reach your hand into the water
For you to look out, look down
And pull someone out of the sea
And your hands are slippery
The wind is strong
The boat is rocking
The world is storm
Your hands are slippery
You feel like turning away to run free
Your hands are so slippery
But you can pull someone out of the sea
For you to look out, look down
Reach your hand into the water
For you to look out, look down
And pull someone out of the sea
For you to look out, look down
Reach your hand into the water
For you to look out, look down
And pull someone out of the sea
"Radio" by David Crosby is a song about the power of communication and the responsibility it carries. The lyrics describe a radioman receiving a message through static and hiss, a distress call from someone in need. The radioman is urged to take action, to reach out and help whoever is calling for help. The chorus repeats the call to action, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the obligation to act.
The song is ultimately about taking responsibility for the people around us, about recognizing when someone is in trouble and doing everything we can to help them. Crosby uses the metaphor of a ship, with the listener as the captain, to illustrate this point. The listener must be attentive and prepared to act when the call comes in, even if it means risking their own safety.
The song is a powerful reminder that we are all connected, and that our actions have consequences beyond ourselves. By looking out for and helping others, we make the world a better and safer place for everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like in the movies a message
Similar to how messages are conveyed in films
Comes through all the static and hiss
The message comes in despite interference
Pulling just enough words from the storm filled sky
The message contains words in midst of a storm
To know that someone somewhere needs this
The message is important to someone, somewhere
The radioman runs to the wheelhouse
The person in charge of radios goes to the control area
Got that message held tight in his fist
The message is being held tightly
An s.o.s off of the wireless
An urgent plea for help through radio
Saying someone somewhere needs this
The plea is for someone in need
For you to look out, look down
The listener is urged to take action
Reach your hand into the water
Metaphorically, reach out to help someone in need
You are the captain, this is the ship
You are in charge of your own life
You will have to decide what gets done
You are responsible for your own actions
Think about it when you’re on watch tonight
Reflect on this when you have some alone time
'Cause someday this message will come
Because a time will come where you may need help
And your hands are slippery
It's difficult to help others sometimes
The wind is strong
There may be obstacles in the way of helping others
The boat is rocking
Difficulties may arise while trying to help others
The world is storm
The world can be a difficult place
Your hands are slippery
It's difficult to help others sometimes
You feel like turning away to run free
You may want to just focus on yourself instead of others
Your hands are so slippery
It's still difficult to help others
But you can pull someone out of the sea
You still have the ability to help others
For you to look out, look down
The listener is urged to take action
Reach your hand into the water
Metaphorically, reach out to help someone in need
For you to look out, look down
The listener is urged to take action
And pull someone out of the sea
Help someone who is struggling
For you to look out, look down
The listener is urged to take action
Reach your hand into the water
Metaphorically, reach out to help someone in need
For you to look out, look down
The listener is urged to take action
And pull someone out of the sea
Help someone who is struggling
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: James Raymond, David Crosby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Luther
This one's my favorite (so far) from the new Croz stuff, and it's a great surprise to find a live version of it online! Man, I'm so glad the old man made it through his wars and troubles...
Tom Hat
His voice is great as ever
Cindi Mladenka
There is only one David Crosby. His music will stand the test of time. It's real.
sherrylynn70 aka Sentimental Journey Productions
Thank you so much for posting this..a treasure for me.
Nino Nick
Fabulous....he shows up all those others from his era that cant be arsed.
More importantly, David is a supremely talented performer/composer.
To see and hear him being so inventive is a joy.
Chris Blower
Love this song ... as much as I miss Jeff Pevar, Shane Fontayne is a great guitar player too
john o'sullivan
This is part of an amazingly strong album. I was blown away when I played it.
Barry Johnson
I had to buy this album after hearing What's Broken. It's excellent!
rtavis
I was stunned when I heard this… what a tune.
BC Blue
We love you, David! Thanks again for your music.