Her eponymous debut album was released to major acclaim in 1971 and was followed two years later by Heart Food. She recorded demos for a third album in 1974 and they were released in 2005 under the title Dreams Come True.
Sill was heavily influenced by Bach's metric forms and suites, while lyrically her work drew substantially on Christian themes of rapture and redemption.
Judee's father and brother both died in separate incidents when Judee was quite young. Her mother's subsequent marriage to Tom and Jerry animator Kenneth Muse was marked by heavy drinking, and this, combined with her rebellious nature, drove her away from home and into a life of crime and drug use in her teens.
Having learned her signature gospel-inflected keyboard style during her incarceration for writing bad checks, Sill kicked her heroin addiction and decided to pursue songwriting. Now a talented pianist, organist and guitarist, Sill returned to the West Coast where she encountered Graham Nash and David Crosby (touring with them for a time as their opening act) and David Geffen who offered her a contract with his nascent label. Her albums were received well by critics but found little commercial success. Judee struggled with drug addiction during phases again following a car accident and its resulting physical pain and dropped out of the music scene and died of a drug overdose in November of 1979.
It was through Geffen that she met Graham Nash, who quickly became a fan, and produced the first single for her album, "Jesus Was a Cross Maker." The rest of Judee Sill was orchestrated and produced by Bob Harris, Sill's ex-husband. Judee Sill was released in 1971 to immediate acclaim. Lushly orchestrated, the album featured Sill's voice in multiple overdubs, often in a four-part chorale or fugue. The album fit in well with the light rock/folk-rock underpinnings of what came to be known as the "Laurel Canyon sound" associated with other female singer-songwriters such as Carole King and Joni Mitchell (Mitchell, also signed to Asylum, was at work on Ladies of the Canyon at the time). A tour as the opening act for Nash and David Crosby exposed her intimate songwriting and skillful guitar playing to a larger audience, but her record failed to make much of an impact, despite the somewhat heavy airplay of "Jesus Was a Cross Maker." A self-professed perfectionist, one song could often take her a year to write, and it wasn't until late 1972 that Sill returned to record and release her second and last album, Heart Food. It too received enthusiastic reviews but did poorly commercially. Sill took over the chores of both orchestrating and arranging Heart Food, with the production relying more heavily on multilayered strings and lush expanse. Unable to draw a sizable crowd yet unwilling to play as a support act, Sill's name and moderate fame both receded, and she disappeared from view entirely. Rumors abound as to what happened next, although it is definitely known that she returned to her heroin addiction as well as becoming heavily involved with cocaine. Graham Nash has said that he learned as early as 1974 that Sill had died of an overdose, a claim that would later prove to be incorrect, but considering how closely the two had worked only a few years earlier it does illustrate just how completely Sill had dropped out by this time.
Her first success was the selling of her song "Lady-O" to The Turtles. Long after her death, she has been lauded by many musicians, including Jim O'Rourke who mixed the posthumous collection of unreleased material, Dreams Come True. Her two original albums have been reissued as a double CD with a number of live recordings and demos as bonus tracks.
Enchanted Sky Machines
Judee Sill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you say I'm unreal?
I could easily love you
If you'd just let me feel
I can't play forever
The games I've outgrown
But just till enchanted sky machines
take all the gentle home
is so hard to restrain
Just waitin' for the time
Could maybe make me insane
My heart is so hungry
Livin' on patience alone
Please hurry enchanted sky machines
Take all the gentle home
I believe the beginning
Won't be too far away
The power's gittin' stronger
I see signs every day
So I'll swallow my yearnin
And I won't let it be shown
Until the enchanted sky machines
Take all the gentle home
My desire is a rosebud
in the magic design
I can't wait to feel it bloom
They'll be landin' anytime
Then when the skeptics are wondern'
Where all the faithful have flown
We'll be on enchanted sky machines
The gentle are going home
The lyrics of Judee Sill's song Enchanted Sky Machines speak of a deeply pining heart that is waiting to be fulfilled. The persona longs desperately for someone to touch and love, but is restrained by both the fear of being deemed unreal and the need to be patient. The vivid imagery of the enchanted sky machines taking all the gentle home is a metaphor for salvation or that long-awaited happiness that the persona is waiting for. The hunger for love and fulfillment is evident throughout the piece and is characterized by the powerful metaphor of a rosebud waiting to bloom. The persona talks of the power that is getting stronger, expressing hope and anticipation that the long-awaited happiness may be coming soon.
The lyrics reveal a depth of emotion and vulnerability that is powerful and relatable. It speaks to the longing that all humans experience in some form or the other and the hope that things can get better. The use of metaphors ties the song together and transmits the theme beautifully through the powerful language used.
Line by Line Meaning
If I told you some secrets
The singer wonders if she should confide in someone.
Would you say I'm unreal?
She is worried that the person she confides in might not believe her.
I could easily love you
The singer feels strongly about the person she is addressing.
If you'd just let me feel
She wishes the person would let her show her feelings.
I can't play forever
The singer can't continue pretending anymore.
The games I've outgrown
She has matured and doesn't want to play childish games anymore.
But just till enchanted sky machines
take all the gentle home
She just wants to be herself until the end of days.
Just needin' to touch you
is so hard to restrain
She wants to show her feelings and touch the person but is holding back.
Just waitin' for the time
Could maybe make me insane
She is waiting for the right moment but it's driving her crazy.
My heart is so hungry
Livin' on patience alone
She wants to love and be loved but has to be patient.
Please hurry enchanted sky machines
Take all the gentle home
She wants to be herself but knows her time is limited.
I believe the beginning
Won't be too far away
She remains hopeful that the start of something great is near.
The power's gittin' stronger
I see signs every day
She senses that things are changing and getting better.
So I'll swallow my yearnin
And I won't let it be shown
She'll keep her feelings to herself until the time is right.
Until the enchanted sky machines
Take all the gentle home
She will be patient and wait for the end of days.
My desire is a rosebud
in the magic design
She wants her passion to grow and bloom like a flower.
I can't wait to feel it bloom
They'll be landin' anytime
She is excited for her feelings to come to fruition.
Then when the skeptics are wondern'
Where all the faithful have flown
When people are confused about what's happening, she'll be flying away.
We'll be on enchanted sky machines
The gentle are going home
The gentle and patient will find their home among the skies.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JUDEE SILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind