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.
The Donor
Judee Sill Lyrics
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'Til I've finally caught 'em
Dreams fall deep
Where voices come a-chimin'
Moanin' and a-rhymin'
Warnin' me their words are
Ringin' and a-whinin'
Hear 'em weep
Songs from so deep
While I'm sleepin'
Seep in
Sweepin' over me
Still the echo's achin'
"Leave us not forsaken"
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison
Eleison, Eleison, eleison
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
So sad, and so true
That even shadows come
And hum the requiem
Oh waters of the moon
Your vapors swirl and swoon
Your wake is wide
And sorrow's like an arrow
Shootin' straight and narrow
Aimin' true, its sting goes
Reachin' to the marrow
Silence cried
Now songs from so deep
While I'm sleepin'
Seep in
Sweepin' over me
Still the echo's achin'
"Leave us not forsaken"
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison
Eleison, eleison, eleison
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
So sad, and so true
That even shadows come
And hum the requiem
Kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison
The song "The Donor" by Judee Sill is a haunting and introspective piece that explores the depths of the author's emotions and psyche. The lyrics seem to be an intense contemplation of the state of the world, and the sorrow and suffering that is pervasive within it. The opening lines of the song describe the author's experience of chasing dreams to the bottom, until they finally catch up with her. She then describes the voices that she hears in her sleep, warning of the impending doom that is to come.
The second verse of the song seems to be a reflection on the grief that people feel in the face of death and loss. The author uses the metaphor of water to describe the swirling emotions and sadness that comes with mourning. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Kyrie eleison," which is a Greek phrase that translates to "Lord have mercy." This phrase is often used in religious contexts, particularly in the Catholic Church, as a plea for forgiveness or help.
Line by Line Meaning
Chasin' to the bottom
I've been going down a certain path intently and relentlessly, without regard for where it leads.
'Til I've finally caught 'em
I've been pursuing my dreams for so long, and it seems like I've finally achieved them.
Dreams fall deep
My desires and aspirations are buried deeply within me.
Where voices come a-chimin'
In the depths of my mind, there are voices that speak to me.
Moanin' and a-rhymin'
Those voices are filled with pain, and their words are put in a poetic arrangement.
Warnin' me their words are
Those voices are warning me with their words.
Ringin' and a-whinin'
The voices are persistent and filled with sadness.
Hear 'em weep
I can feel the sorrow in their voices.
Songs from so deep
The voices are singing me songs from the deepest part of my subconscious.
While I'm sleepin'
These songs come to me while I'm not consciously aware of them.
Seep in
These songs flow into my mind and become a part of me.
Sweepin' over me
These songs overwhelm me with their power.
Still the echo's achin'
Even after the songs have stopped, their impact on me remains and hurts me.
"Leave us not forsaken"
The songs are begging me to not forget about them and leave them behind.
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
The chorus repeats 'Lord, have mercy' in Greek.
Kyrie eleison
The song is a prayer for mercy and forgiveness.
Eleison, eleison, eleison
The repeated plea for mercy emphasizes the urgency of the request.
Oh waters of the moon
An invocation to the mysterious and powerful forces of nature.
Your vapors swirl and swoon
The forces of nature are powerful and volatile, but also beautiful.
Your wake is wide
The impact of the forces of nature is felt far and wide.
And sorrow's like an arrow
The pain and grief caused by difficult experiences are sharp and piercing.
Shootin' straight and narrow
The pain caused by difficult experiences is focused and precise.
Aimin' true, its sting goes
The pain and grief is aimed directly at me and is deeply felt.
Reachin' to the marrow
The pain caused by difficult experiences penetrates to the deepest levels of my being.
Silence cried
The overwhelming pain and grief have caused me to lose my voice and suffer in silence.
So sad, and so true
The reality of the pain and grief is deeply saddening and inescapable.
That even shadows come
Even the darkest parts of my mind are consumed by the pain and grief.
And hum the requiem
Even my subconscious is filled with mourning and grief.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JUDEE SILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind