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.
There's a Rugged Road
Judee Sill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stretchin' all across the last frontier
There a stranger strives solitary
Blessed is the lonesome pioneer
Roll on, roll on, roll on, night birds are flyin'
Come on, the light is gone, hope's slowly dyin'
Tell me how you come ridin' through
On the long and lonely road to kingdom come
He can blaze a trail, though the rumblin'
Dims his guiding light to just a spark
When the hour is low, he comes tumblin'
But when the moon is high he gives his heart
Roll on, roll on, roll on, night birds are flyin'
Come on, the light is gone, hope's slowly dyin'
Tell me how you come ridin' through
Gainin' steady 'til this round is won
On the long and lonely road to kingdom come
People far below chasin' pleasures
Offer him directions on the run
Prophets on the path offer treasures
Though she's mighty hungry he takes none
Roll on, roll on, roll on, night birds are flyin'
Come on, the light is gone, hope's slowly dyin'
Tell me how you come ridin' through
Blindly faithful but followin' none
On the long and lonely road to kingdom come
When the sun goes down at the right time
He comes windin' through the purple haze
Just a feather's touch in the night time
But it'll color all my weary days
Shinin' finer than this earthly sun
On the ragged, rugged road to kingdom come
On the ragged, rugged road to kingdom come
The opening lines of Judee Sill’s “There’s a Rugged Road” set the tone for the rest of the song as it talks about a journey full of hardships and struggles that the traveler goes through on unfamiliar territory. The song speaks of a vagabondish individual, someone who chooses to travel through the rural countryside, along a path that’s rugged and unforgiving. It’s a journey of self-discovery, and the individual on this journey is someone who wants to be away from civilization, chase their dreams, and find their own path. The song speaks of the trials and tribulations of the individual, of how they’re still surveying the journey, still trying to figure out where to go next, but is still determined to keep moving forward, through the day and into the night.
Sill speaks of the various obstacles on the journey: of how the hour is low, and how the traveler continues to forge ahead, overcoming whatever doubts or fears that may creep into them. And just like the traveler, those who’ve gone before them also faced their trials, and Sill sings about the “prophets on the path” who offer their own “treasure” to guide others. The song speaks of how, although the traveler may hunger for company on this journey, they choose to face it alone, relying only on their steely determination to get them to where they need to be. When the journey is finally made, the traveler will emerge victorious, and the journey would have made them “shinin’ finer than this earthly sun.”
Line by Line Meaning
There's a rugged road on the prairie
In the western frontier, there exists a rough and uneven path.
Stretchin' all across the last frontier
This path spans across the entirety of the unsettled wilderness.
There a stranger strives solitary
An unknown traveller pushes on alone in this daunting environment.
Blessed is the lonesome pioneer
Despite the hardships, the one who forges ahead alone is rewarded.
Roll on, roll on, roll on, night birds are flyin'
As the journey continues, time passes relentlessly and the darkness descends.
Come on, the light is gone, hope's slowly dyin'
With the fading of daylight, the traveler's optimism fades as well.
Tell me how you come ridin' through
Explain how you continue to persevere despite the obstacles in your path.
Still surveyin' the miles yet to run
Despite the distance already travelled, there is still a long way to go.
On the long and lonely road to kingdom come
This is a challenging and solitary path towards some great reward.
He can blaze a trail, though the rumblin'
Despite the difficulties, the traveler can still lead the way forward.
Dims his guiding light to just a spark
The challenges make it harder to see the way, but the traveler's resolve keeping the spark of hope alive.
When the hour is low, he comes tumblin'
At their weakest moments, the traveler may falter and almost give up.
But when the moon is high he gives his heart
At other times, the traveler is able to draw strength from the power of nature and keep going.
People far below chasin' pleasures
There are others who are content to remain below, chasing transient and shallow pleasures.
Offer him directions on the run
They may try to tempt or influence the traveler, but he remains resolute in his own path.
Prophets on the path offer treasures
There may be others on the same spiritual journey who offer tangible or intangible rewards.
Though she's mighty hungry he takes none
Despite his own hunger, the traveler resists the temptation of these earthly treasures.
Blindly faithful but followin' none
His faith is strong, but he remains independent and beholden to no one.
When the sun goes down at the right time
In the moments when the universe seems aligned, as if by fate, something special happens.
He comes windin' through the purple haze
The traveler appears, as if emerging from a mystical and ephemeral mist.
Just a feather's touch in the night time
Even his slight presence in the darkness contributes to something greater.
But it'll color all my weary days
His arrival and presence brings new meaning and purpose to the otherwise difficult journey.
Shinin' finer than this earthly sun
His spiritual light shines brighter than anything else in this mundane world.
On the ragged, rugged road to kingdom come
This difficult path is one that leads to a transcendent spiritual state, and is worth the hardship and solitude.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Judee Sill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind