After seven group releases, Young began the production of more than 15 solo albums including Song For Juli, Light Shine, Songbird and a live album with his great touring band titled ON THE ROAD......
Young recorded his first solo album, THE SOUL OF A CITY BOY, in four hours, accompanying himself on guitar. A second album, YOUNG BLOOD, featured supporting musicians, including John Sebastian. After the two solo albums, Young met guitarist Jerry Corbitt on the New York to Boston club circuit, and with keyboardist/guitarist Lowell "Banana" Levinger, and drummer Joe Bauer, they began to perform as The Youngbloods.
Though the song GET TOGETHER appeared on their first album in 1967, they re-released it as a single in 1969, after the heartfelt refrain of "Come on people now, smile on your brother" was used as the television theme for the National Council of Christians and Jews. GET TOGETHER became a worldwide Top Ten hit, and was immediately followed into the charts by, SUNLIGHT and DARKNESS DARKNESS, both written by Jesse for the ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN release that same year...... Having established legendary status with hit singles and albums, the three remaining Youngbloods (Young, Banana and Bauer) launched their own Raccoon Records, and released four albums between 1970 and 1972; the studio recordings, GOOD & DUSTY, and HIGH ON A RIDGETOP; and two live recordings, ROCK FESTIVAL, and RIDE THE WIND.
Young returned to recording solo albums in 1972 and released TOGETHER, which entered the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. In September 1973, hee released what many critics claim is his solo masterpiece, SONG FOR JULI. That recording stayed on the Billboard Top 200 chart for nearly a year, and was followed onto the chart by LIGHT SHINE in 1974, SONGBIRD in 1975, ON THE ROAD in 1975, and LOVE ON THE WING in 1976. Each of the aforementioned six Jesse Colin Young solo albums contained breakthrough tracks that received airplay on radio stations across America.
During the 1970s, Young helped establish the "No Nukes" movement. Involved from the very beginning, Young closed the 1979 No Nukes concert and movie joined by legends Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash singing The Youngbloods anthem GET TOGETHER.
In 1978, Young released AMERICAN DREAMS, an album calling for political involvement, followed by THE PERFECT STRANGER in 1982 with guest stars like Carly Simon. He then returned to acoustic rock with THE HIGHWAY IS FOR HEROES in 1987.
Throughout the 1980s, Young continued to tour, often appearing at fundraisers for various organizations, and sometimes performing with original Youngbloods members Jerry Corbitt and Banana (the Youngbloods acclaimed drummer Joe Bauer, had sadly passed away prematurely of natural causes).
In 1993, Young and his wife Connie, launched their own independent label, Ridgetop Music, from their mountain home in Marin County. They introduced the imprint by releasing a new Jesse Colin Young album of all original material backed by top San Francisco Bay Area musicians, called MAKIN IT REAL. The next release would be a very personal collection of mostly solo slack key acoustic songs, SWEPT AWAY. Just as Jesse's music enterprises were about to blast off with more adventurous recordings, a forest fire engulfed the Ridgetop property in October 1995. The family home and business was completely destroyed, and Jesse moved Connie and their two children to Hawaii with the clothes they had on their backs...... He built a new recording studio at his island home and in 2001 recorded ALOHA E, reflecting upon the events of September 11. That track eventually found its home in his 2004 album release of Hawaiian influenced music, LIVING IN PARADISE. Jesse then released the elegant acoustic, SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS, in which he revisits the Christmas carols of his childhood...... Jesses musical accomplishments are many, including performing with Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin in 1969; touring with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the summer of 1974; closing the NO NUKES movie in 1980; and closing the International Peace Awards in 2004. The song GET TOGETHER was heard on the FORREST GUMP soundtrack bought by 13 million people in 1994, and DARKNESS DARKNESS, written by Jesse, was the theme song for the James Cameron movie GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS in 2003. A cover of the song by Robert Plant won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal in 2003...... Throughout his many years of recording and touring, Jesse has also taken the time to dedicate his life to giving back to the world. He has performed on behalf of organizations ranging from the Dream Foundation to the Kona Pacific Waldorf School (in which Jesse and his wife helped to build, and where they both teach music). Always holding environmentalism as a must," from the time of The Youngbloods to his current endeavors as a performer and teacher, Jesse has even used solar-powered energy for his concerts! He and his wife also grow organic Kona coffee on their farm in Hawaii. In 2005, Artemis Records released THE VERY BEST OF JESSE COLIN YOUNG, 34 songs covering 40-years of singing and songwriting.
Young quit performing music in 2012 when he was diagnosed with "chronic Lyme disease". He was inspired to start performing again in 2016, after being impressed by the musicians at his son's graduation recital at the Berklee College of Music, and asked his son to put together a band of his classmates to perform at Young's performance at SXSW. After touring for a year, Young recorded a new solo record with the band, "Dreamers", released in February 2019.
More information at www.jessecolinyoung.com
Morning Sun
Jesse Colin Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shine the darkness from my eyes
And I wake up in the tree tops
And I got you by my side
There's a sweet smile on your face
And your hair is all undone
And I feel that we are one
When the morning sun has come
When the morning sun has come
And I wake up with a smile
And I walk out on the ridgetop
And I sit there for awhile
And I watch a redtailed hawk
Flying circles 'round the sun
And I feel that we are one
When the morning sun has come
When the morning sun has come
Shine the darkness from my eyes
I listen in the stillness
And I hear my little baby cry
And I look into the face
Of a life that's just begun
And I feel that we are one
When the morning sun has come
The lyrics of Jesse Colin Young's "Morning Sun" paint a vivid picture of a peaceful morning spent with loved ones in nature. The song opens with the singer expressing gratitude for the sun's light, and how it enlightens the darkness of his eyes. He mentions waking up in tree tops, with his loved one by his side. The imagery of the scene is naturally beautiful and serene. The mention of the partner's sweet smile and tousled hair evokes a sense of intimacy and familiarity. The singer's tone throughout the song suggests a deep sense of contentment with the present moment, with no worries about the past or the future.
The second verse follows with the singer waking up with a smile and heading to the ridgetop. He sits there, watching a hawk flying around the sun. The bird's movement captivates the singer, and he feels connected with all elements of nature around him. The final verse starts with the same line as the first, expressing gratitude for the sun's arrival. This time, he listens to the stillness and hears his little baby crying. As he looks into the child's face, he feels a sense of unity- an experience that can't be put into words but can only be felt. The lyrics capture the simplicity, profundity, and beauty of everyday life in nature.
Line by Line Meaning
When the morning sun has come
The start of a new day brings a fresh start and new opportunities.
Shine the darkness from my eyes
The light of the sun helps me see clearly and banishes the darkness.
And I wake up in the tree tops
I have a unique vantage point that allows me to see the world from a different angle.
And I got you by my side
I have a special person in my life to share this experience with.
There's a sweet smile on your face
The person I'm with is happy and content, which makes me happy too.
And your hair is all undone
The person I'm with is carefree and natural, which is beautiful to me.
And I feel that we are one
I feel a strong sense of connection with the person I'm with.
And I wake up with a smile
I'm happy to be alive, surrounded by beauty and love.
And I walk out on the ridgetop
I go to a high point to get a better view of the world around me.
And I sit there for awhile
I take the time to appreciate the beauty around me and reflect on my life.
And I watch a redtailed hawk
I observe the natural world and its inhabitants in wonder.
Flying circles 'round the sun
The hawk is free and powerful, soaring through the sky without constraint.
I listen in the stillness
I take quiet moments to listen to the world around me and reflect on my thoughts.
And I hear my little baby cry
I connect with the next generation and the joys and challenges of raising a child.
And I look into the face
I gaze at the face of innocence and new life.
Of a life that's just begun
I witness the miracle of new life and the promise of the future.
Contributed by Ella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jay Cooper
on Before You Came
I interviewed Jessie when this album was released, he was in Denver for a concert at red rocks I was on the air at free form radio KFML I will never forget the man and his music. I have been trying to reach the music director for Kevin Costner Yellowstone series “ before you came” would be perfect. Put on “dances with wolves pick a scene where there is no dialogue and play it. Should have been in the soundtrack. Thanks for this great lesson and vision Jessie. Always a fan. jay Cooper
Lucille Quiroz
on Songbird
beautifull song