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.
Soldier of the Heart
Judee Sill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soldier of the heart, take me along
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so true?
Soldier of the heart, I'm marchin' with you
The battlefield's so cold
Take my heart as a token
I'd love to give it to you
Flyin' after a faraway cry
I wandered to a brink so high
Plungin' down to the last degree
The next thing I knew I came to
And saw he was carryin' me
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so fine?
Soldier of the heart, I wish you were mine
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so true?
Soldier of the heart, I'm marchin' with you
The battlefield's so cold
Take my love as a token
I long to give it to you
Flames arise from the sword in his hand,
We'll march in over no-man's land,
And burn the enemy's stolen throne,
I'll carry your gun till it's done,
And we can go rollin' back home
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so right?
Soldier of the heart, take me tonight
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so true?
Soldier of the heart, I'm marchin' with you
The battlefield's so cold
Take my promise to warm you
I'm gunna give it to you
Flames came rippin' thru battle torn skies,
Though wounded, I tried not to cry
I said, "So long, I guess I'll be leavin' you,"
But when I peeked in on the end,
I saw he was pullin' me thru
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so strong?
Soldier of the heart, take me along
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so true?
Soldier of the heart, I'm marchin' with you
Soldier of the heart, I'm followin' you...
In "Soldier of the Heart," Judee Sill sings about a soldier who is strong, true, and righteous. The singer is in awe of this soldier, and longs to be by his side. The song takes place on a battlefield and describes the emotions the singer experiences through the chaos of war. The singer thinks of the soldier as a hero and wants to follow him wherever he goes. She sings about how the soldier has the power to take on the enemy and burn their stolen throne. The singer is moved by the strength and righteousness of the soldier, and wants to go with him until the end.
The song is a beautiful metaphor for the power of love in the face of war, and how it can act as a weapon to overcome hatred. The soldier of the heart represents the power of love and the strength it possesses to overcome all opposition. He is a symbol of hope, and how even in the darkest of times, love and hope can lead to victory. The song speaks to the resilience of the human spirit and how love can be a source of strength during difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so strong?
Addressing the soldier who is guarding the heart, questioning how he became so protective and steadfast in his mission to protect the heart.
Soldier of the heart, take me along
Asking the soldier to take the singer with him on his mission to protect the heart, showing the singer's trust in the soldier.
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so true?
Questioning how the soldier became so loyal and devoted to the cause of protecting the heart.
Soldier of the heart, I'm marchin' with you
Expressing the singer's willingness to join the soldier in his mission to protect the heart.
The battlefield's so cold
Describing the harsh and unforgiving environment in which the soldier and singer must protect the heart.
Take my heart as a token
Offering the singer's heart as a symbol of trust and devotion to the cause of protecting the heart.
I'd love to give it to you
Expressing the singer's desire to give the soldier her heart and to join him in his mission.
Flyin' after a faraway cry
Describing the singer's journey to find the soldier and the heart.
I wandered to a brink so high
Describing the singer's journey to a difficult and dangerous place in search of the heart.
Plungin' down to the last degree
Describing the danger and hard work the singer put in to find the soldier and heart.
The next thing I knew I came to
Describing the sudden realization the singer had that the soldier was carrying her.
And saw he was carryin' me
Realizing that the soldier was carrying her to safety and that they would be able to protect the heart together.
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so fine?
Praising the soldier's appearance and commendable character qualities.
Soldier of the heart, I wish you were mine
Expressing the singer's desire to be with the soldier and to protect the heart together.
Flames arise from the sword in his hand,
Describing the soldier's powerful weapon and his ability to inflict damage on opponents.
We'll march in over no-man's land,
Planning to cross the battlefield, despite no-man's land being the deadliest part of it.
And burn the enemy's stolen throne,
Planning to defeat the enemy and to reclaim what was taken from them.
I'll carry your gun till it's done,
Offering to help the soldier by carrying his weapon until the battle is over; noting the singer's trust in the soldier's ability to protect the heart.
And we can go rollin' back home
Anticipating victory and their safe return home once the mission is accomplished.
Soldier of the heart, how'dya get so right?
Acknowledging the correctness and accuracy of the soldier's actions and decisions in protecting the heart.
Soldier of the heart, take me tonight
Expressing the singer's desire to be with the soldier and to protect the heart together, even if it means risking their lives.
Take my promise to warm you
Offering the singer's promise to provide comfort and support to the soldier in their mission to protect the heart.
I'm gunna give it to you
Stating her intention to follow through on her promise to support the soldier in any way.
Flames came rippin' thru battle torn skies,
Describing the intense and dangerous battle that takes place around the soldier and the singer.
Though wounded, I tried not to cry
Despite feeling pain and sadness due to the danger around them, the singer tries to stay strong and not give up.
I said, "So long, I guess I'll be leavin' you,"
Telling the soldier that she cannot stay any longer because it is time to leave the battlefield.
But when I peeked in on the end,
Realizing that her journey with the soldier and her quest to protect the heart had come to an end.
I saw he was pullin' me thru
Realizing that the soldier had saved her again by helping her overcome the fear and danger on the battlefield.
Soldier of the heart, I'm followin' you...
Stating that the singer will continue to follow the soldier and to protect the heart together.
Writer(s): JUDEE SILL
Contributed by Alexandra W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.