Nash was born in Blackpool, England, during World War II. His mother was evacuated from the Nashes' hometown of Salford (now in Greater Manchester ), where Graham grew up. In the early 1960s he was a leading member of The Hollies, one of the UK's most successful pop groups ever. Although recognised as a key member of the group, he seldom sang lead vocals, although he did write many of the band's songs, most often in collaboration with Allan Clarke. Best known in the US for their 1965 hit "Bus Stop", the Hollies also scored with "Look Through Any Window" in 1965, "Stop, Stop, Stop" in 1966, "Carrianne", and "On a Carousel " in 1967, among others. Nash was pivotal in the forging of a sound and lyrics showing an obvious hippie influence on The Hollies' album Butterfly, a collection that brought differing opinions on the band's musical direction to the fore.
In 1968, after a visit to the US during which he met David Crosby in Laurel Canyon and began recreational drug use, Nash left The Hollies at the height of their fame to form a new group with Crosby and Stephen Stills. A threesome at first, Crosby, Stills & Nash later became a foursome with Neil Young: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). With them, Nash went on to even greater worldwide success. Nash, nicknamed "Willy" by his band mates in CSNY, has been described as the glue that keeps their often fragile alliances together. A mark of this is the loyalty and support Nash showed to his best friend, Crosby, during Crosby's well-documented period of drug addiction ending in the mid 1980s. Nash's solo career has often been shelved in favour of reunions on stage and in the studio with either Crosby and Stills or Crosby, Stills and Young. His own solo work shows a love of melody and ballads. His solo recordings have experimented with jazz and electronic percussion but tend not to stray too far from a pop format with well-defined hook lines.
Nash became very politically active after moving to California to join with David Crosby and Stephen Stills, as reflected such in Nash songs as "Military Madness" and "Chicago (We Can Change the World)". His song "Immigration Man", Crosby and Nash's biggest hit as a duo (see below), arose from a tiff he had with a US Customs official while trying to enter the country. Nash became an American citizen on August 14, 1978.
Starting in 1972, Nash teamed with Crosby, the two continuing as a successful recording and performing duo until the more or less permanent reformation with Stills for the CSN album of 1977. The pair reunited for another Crosby & Nash studio album in 2004, and a legitimate release of music from a 1970s Crosby-Nash tour as on a widely circulated bootleg appeared in 1998.
In 1979, Nash co-founded Musicians United for Safe Energy.
In 2005, Nash collaborated with Norwegian musicians a-ha on the songs "Over the Treetops" (penned by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy) and "Cosy Prisons" (penned by Magne Furuholmen) for the Analogue recording.
In 2006, Nash worked with David Gilmour and David Crosby on the title track of David Gilmour's third solo album, On an Island. In March of 2006, the album was released and quickly reached #1 on the UK charts. Nash and Crosby subsequently toured the UK with Gilmour, singing backup on "On an Island", "The Blue", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and "Find the Cost of Freedom".
Nash is part of the No Nukes group which is against the expansion of nuclear power. In 2007 the group recorded a music video of a new version of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth".
Graham Nash has been putting the finishing touches on a 65-song career-retrospective box set, Reflection, due in February 2008.
Nash became an early collector of photographs beginning in the 1970s. The sale of his collection in 1990 by Sotheby's became an important milestone in establishing the market for fine-art photography. Proceeds of the sale funded charitable causes and provide the means for Nash to co-found Nash Editions, a digital fine-arts printmaking firm that used some of the most advanced scanning and printing equipment in early days. The company continues to operate today. Starting with an IRIS printer, a device initially designed for color-proofing for commercial printing, Nash experimented in the late 1980s with creating large-scale digital photos. Using image management software written by Nash and Holbert, a hand-built scanner, and an IRIS Graphics IRIS 3047 printer, they developed methods to adapt the printer's output to the fine-arts printing of black-and-white photographs on archival-paper substrates. In August 2005, Nash and colleague Mac Holbert donated that IRIS 3047 printer to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.
Nash has also exhibited a collection of his photographs at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego and elsewhere. In 2004, he released a catalog of his photography as a book entitled Eye to Eye.
Man in the Mirror
Graham 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 song "Man in the Mirror" by Graham Nash explores the emotions of feeling lost and aimless. The opening verse compares the singer's life to a circus, indicating a sense of chaos and unpredictability. However, despite their uncertainty, the singer's "hang-ups are down," suggesting a willingness to let go of their anxieties and enjoy the moment. This is exemplified by the image of the singer finding a tree in the middle of nowhere and living off its fruit, perhaps indicating a sense of contentment in the simplicity of life.
The second verse takes a more practical approach, urging listeners to focus on the things that keep us alive instead of getting lost in abstract concepts like "nowhere." The singer presents a simple but important reminder that two plus two always equals four, symbolizing the importance of practicality and groundedness. The repetition of "Living from day to day / Somewhere" reinforces the sense of aimlessness and lack of direction, while the line "And I don't care what the people say / Cause if everyone knows the way we're nowhere" suggests a resignation to this fact.
The final lines of the song introduce the titular "man in the mirror," suggesting a moment of self-reflection. The singer wonders if the image they see in the mirror matches the persona they are projecting to the world. The song ends on this introspective note, leaving the listener with the impression that perhaps finding direction and purpose starts within.
Line by Line Meaning
On the end of a tight rope
I feel like I'm on the brink of falling or failing, with nothing solid to hold on to.
I'm over the town
I'm above it all, with a view of everything, but feeling separate and disconnected.
I'd be good in a circus
I feel like I'm performing for others, but not sure if I'm really good at anything or just a clown.
But so would a clown
I feel like I'm just as much a performer as anyone else, and maybe not that different from a clown.
From the way that I feel
My emotions and mood are defining my reality, and I can't escape their influence.
All my hang-ups are down
I'm letting go of my fears, doubts, and insecurities, and feeling more free and open.
In the middle of nowhere
I'm lost, confused, and without any clear direction or purpose.
I found me a tree
I discovered something simple and natural that brings me comfort and inspiration.
And the fruit that we live on
The basic necessities of life, like food, water, air, and shelter, sustain us and remind us of our humanity.
Reminds me of me
I see myself reflected in the world around me, and feel a sense of interconnectedness with everything.
Though we live in the air
We rely on intangible, ephemeral things like love, faith, hope, and dreams, that are hard to grasp but essential to our existence.
I'm not sure that we're free
I question whether we have true freedom or if we're bound by societal norms, expectations, and limitations.
And I don't really have much to say
I'm feeling introspective and contemplative, and not inclined to speak unless I have something meaningful to say.
Cause I'm Living from day to day
I'm taking life as it comes, without too much planning or worrying about the future, and just trying to make the most of each moment.
Somewhere
I'm not sure where I'm going or what my ultimate destination is, but I trust that I'll get there eventually.
And I don't care what the people say
I'm not seeking validation or approval from others, and I'm comfortable with my own choices and beliefs.
Cause if everyone knows the way we're nowhere.
I'm aware that many people are also struggling to find meaning and purpose in life, and that there may not be any clear answers or solutions.
Two and two make four
I believe in rational, logical thinking, and the basic principles of math and science that govern our world.
They never make five
I recognize that there are limits and boundaries to what is possible, and that some things may never add up or make sense.
And as long as we know it
If we accept our limitations and work within them, we can still find ways to thrive and succeed.
We all can survive
We're all in this together, and if we support each other and share our resources, we can weather any storm.
Make sure that the things you do
Be mindful and intentional about the choices you make, and the impact they have on others and the world around you.
Keep us alive
Strive to create a world that is sustainable, just, and equitable, and that fosters creativity, learning, and growth for all.
Is the image I'm making
Am I presenting a true and authentic version of myself to the world, or am I putting on a facade or mask to hide my true feelings?
The image I see
Do I like and respect the person I see in the mirror, or am I disappointed or ashamed of who I am?
When the man in the mirror
When I look at myself, I'm confronted with my own fears, doubts, and shortcomings, and have to reckon with them.
Is talking to me
I have to listen to my own inner voice, and take responsibility for my own choices and actions, and the impact they have on others.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GRAHAM NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind