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 Lamb Ran Away With the Crown
Judee Sill Lyrics
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"If you try to evoke the spark
You can fly through the dark
With a red midnight raven
To rule the battleground"
So I drew my sword and got ready
But the lamb ran away with the crown
So I drew my sword and got ready
Tho' the beast within me's a liar
He made me glow with a strange desire
And I rode on the fire, with a blue sacred opal
to bless the battleground
But I turned to see its reflection
and the lamb ran away with the crown
Once a demon lived in my brow
I screamed and wailed and I cursed out loud
And I sailed through the clouds on ten crested cardinals
To guard my battleground
But I laughed so hard I cried
And the lamb ran away with the crown
But I laughed so hard I cried
And the lamb ran away with the crown
Judee Sill's song "The Lamb Ran Away With the Crown" is an enigmatic and cryptic masterpiece that showcases her musical and lyrical genius. The song begins with the singer hearing a serpent speak about the possibility of evoking the spark and ruling the battleground with the help of a red midnight raven. The imagery here is symbolic and can be interpreted in different ways. It could be a reference to temptation, power, or even the devil. The singer responds by drawing her sword and getting ready to confront the serpent, but to her surprise, the lamb – a symbol of innocence and gentleness – runs away with the crown.
The song goes on to describe the singer's internal struggle with the beast within her, which she describes as a liar that makes her glow with a strange desire. She rides on the fire, with the blue sacred opal, to bless the battleground. This could be seen as a reference to her trying to overcome her inner demons, which are causing her to struggle. However, as she turns to see its reflection, the lamb runs away with the crown once again. Later, the singer describes a demon that lived in her brow, causing her to scream and wail and guard her battleground with ten crested cardinals. However, she ends up laughing so hard that she cries, implying that perhaps the struggle was not as serious as she had thought. The lamb runs away with the crown once again, leaving the singer to ponder its significance.
The lyrics of "The Lamb Ran Away With the Crown" are open to interpretation and could mean different things to different people. Some have suggested that the song is about the struggle between good and evil, while others believe it to be a commentary on the music industry or the culture of the 1970s. Regardless of its meaning, the song's intricate wordplay and complex metaphors demonstrate Sill's skill as a songwriter. Sill herself described the song as an "allegory" in an interview.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I heard a serpent remark
I once received advice from a cunning serpent
"If you try to evoke the spark
The serpent suggested I tap into my inner power
You can fly through the dark
With this power, I can navigate through difficult times
With a red midnight raven
This power will manifest itself in a dark, mysterious form
To rule the battleground"
I can use this power to gain dominance over my challenges
So I drew my sword and got ready
I prepared myself for the challenge ahead
But the lamb ran away with the crown
But my gentler, more innocent side took over instead
Tho' the beast within me's a liar
Despite my wild nature, sometimes I deceive myself
He made me glow with a strange desire
My wild side motivates me in inexplicable ways
And I rode on the fire, with a blue sacred opal
I bravely ventured forth, wielding a powerful gem
To bless the battleground
Hoping to bring luck to my endeavors
But I turned to see its reflection
But in my moment of triumph, I paused to reflect
and the lamb ran away with the crown
And once again, my innocent nature took over instead
Once a demon lived in my brow
I used to be plagued by inner demons
I screamed and wailed and I cursed out loud
I was tormented by these demons and expressed my pain
And I sailed through the clouds on ten crested cardinals
I sought escape and soared high above my troubles
To guard my battleground
I hoped to keep my issues at bay
But I laughed so hard I cried
But despite my efforts, I found my situation amusing
And the lamb ran away with the crown
And once again, my gentle side emerged victorious
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUDEE SILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind