Though born in Seattle, Washington (where she spent the first ten years of her life), she moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1949. As a child Collins studied classical piano with Antonia Brico, making her public debut at age 13 performing Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos. It was the music of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and the traditional songs of the folk revival of the early 1960s, that piqued Collins' interest and awoke in her a love of lyrics. Three years after her debut as a piano prodigy, she was playing guitar. She eventually made her way to Greenwich Village, New York City, where she busked and played in clubs until she signed with Elektra Records, a record label with which she was associated for 35 years. In 1961, Collins released her first album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, at the age of 22.
At first she sang traditional folk songs, or songs written by others, in particular the social poets of the time, such as Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Bob Dylan. She recorded her own versions of seminal songs of the period, such as Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Pete Seeger's "Turn, Turn, Turn". Collins was also instrumental in bringing then little known composers to a wider public; for example, she recorded songs by Canadian poet Leonard Cohen, and Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
With her 1967 album Wildflowers, she began to record her own compositions, the first of which was entitled "Since You've Asked". This album also provided Collins with a major hit, and a Grammy award, with her version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", which reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1968's Who Knows Where the Time Goes was produced by Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills & Nash), with whom Collins was romantically involved at the time (she is the "Judy" of the Stills-written CSN classic "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"). It had a mellow country sound, and included Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon" and the title track, a Sandy Denny song which has been covered by several artists.
By the 1970s, Collins had a solid reputation as an art song singer and folksinger. She had also begun to stand out with her own compositions. She was also known for her broad range of material: her songs from this period include the traditional gospel song "Amazing Grace", the Stephen Sondheim Broadway ballad "Send in the Clowns" (both of which were top 20 hits as singles), and her own compositions such as "My Father" and "Born to the Breed".
In 1979 she posed nude on the album "Hard Times For Lovers".
In more recent years, Collins has taken to writing, producing a memoir, "Trust Your Heart" in 1987, and two novels. Though her record sales are not what they once were, she still records and tours. One of her more recent albums is a collection of songs based on her novel Shameless. She performed at US President Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993, singing "Amazing Grace" and "Chelsea Morning". (The Clintons have stated that their daughter Chelsea was named after Collins' recording of the Joni Mitchell song.)
Activism
Like other folk singers of her generation, Collins was drawn to social activism. She is a representative for UNICEF and campaigns on behalf of the abolition of landmines. Following the 1992 death of her son Clark Taylor at age 33 after a long bout with depression and substance abuse, she has also become a strong advocate of suicide prevention. Her 2003 book, Sanity & Grace, chronicles her recovery from her son's suicide and attempts to provide some comfort and guidance to other families dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide. She describes the "Seven T's" as a means for going through this process of recovery: Truth, Therapy, Trust, Try, Treat, Treasure, and Thrive. The Truth is that there should be no guilt in suicide; Therapy helps people express their emotions and seek grief counseling; Trust is the effort to believe that one can make it through the loss and keep a belief in life and in the future; Try means to stay away from drugs and alcohol or any excess--including overeating--as a means to deal with the loss and pain; Treat means to take care of the mind, body, and spirit with exercise and meditation; Treasure means to keep the memory of the moments to be treasured, and for this Collins recommends writing and keeping a journal; and Thrive means to be positive, hopeful, open to love and others, and continuing to know that you can rebuild your life on a basis of hope.
Awards and recognition
Grammy Award, Best Folk Performance or Folk Recording, "Both Sides Now", 1968
Grammy Award, Song of the Year, "Send in the Clowns", 1975
Nominated with Jill Godmillow for an Academy Award for the documentary "Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman" (1975), about her classical piano instructor, conductor Antonia Brico.
Discography
Maid of Constant Sorrow (1961)
The Golden Apples of the Sun (1962)
Judy Collins #3 (1964)
The Judy Collins Concert (1964)
Judy Collins' Fifth Album (1965)
In My Life (1966)
Wildflowers (1967)
Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (1968)
Whales and Nightingales (1970)
Both Sides Now (1971)
Living (1971) (Live)
Colors of the Day (1972) (Greatest Hits)
True Stories, and Other Dreams (1973)
Judith (1975)
Bread and Roses (1976)
So Early in the Spring (1977) (15th anniversary collection)
Hard Times for Lovers (1979)
Running for My Life (1980)
Times of Our Lives (1982)
Home Again (1984)
Trust Your Heart (1987)
The Stars Of Christmas (Selected Especially For Avon) (1988)
Sanity and Grace (1989)
Fires of Eden (1990)
Baby's Bedtime (1990)
Baby's Morningtime (1990)
Judy Sings Dylan... Just Like a Woman (1993)
Come Rejoice! A Judy Collins Christmas (1994)
Shameless (1994)
Voices (1995)
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate (1997)
Forever: An Anthology (1997)
Both Sides Now (1998)
Classic Broadway (1999)
All on a Wintry Night (2000)
Judy Collins Live at Wolf Trap (2000)
Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (2004)
The Essential Judy Collins (2004)
Portrait of an American Girl (2006)
Videography
Baby's Bedtime (1992)
Baby's Morningtime (1992)
Junior playing the operator of a home for unwed mothers opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate (1998)
The Best of Judy Collins (1999)
Intimate Portrait: Judy Collins (2000)
Judy Collins Live at Wolf Trap (2003)
Wildflower Festival (2003) (DVD with guest artists Eric Andersen, Arlo Guthrie, and Tom Rush)
Bibliography
Trust Your Heart (1987)
Amazing Grace (1991)
Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength (2003)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Judy Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I try to explain how I feel
That I still need your love after all that I've done
You won't believe me
All you will see is a girl you once knew
Although she's dressed up to the nines
At sixes and sevens with you
I had to let it happen, I had to change
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
So I chose freedom
Running around, trying everything new
But nothing impressed me at all
I never expected it to
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
They are illusions
They are not the solutions they promised to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me
Don't cry for me Argentina
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
Have I said too much?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do is look at me to know
That every word is true
Judy Collins's song Don't Cry For Me Argentina is a ballad that expresses the emotions of Eva Perón, a political icon in Argentina, as she reflects on her life moments before her death. In the first verse of the song, Eva mentions that it won't be easy for her to explain how she feels to the person she is addressing the message to. She acknowledges that she's made mistakes and makes an attempt to get the person to understand that she still needs their love. However, the person won't believe her and will only see her as the girl they once knew. Although she's dressed in expensive clothes, she is still struggling to find a balance in her relationship with this person.
In the second verse, Eva indicates that she had to make some difficult choices in life. She chose freedom and embraced new experiences, but found that nothing could measure up to the love that she has for the person she's addressing the message to. She reassures the person not to cry for her because she never left them. All through her wild days and mad existence, she kept her promise and stayed true to them. She emphasizes that fortune and fame were never what she desired or needed to be happy. The answer has been with her all along, and the person should not keep their distance from her.
Line by Line Meaning
It won't be easy, you'll think it's strange
It will be hard for you to understand my feelings.
When I try to explain how I feel
I will attempt to express my emotions.
That I still need your love after all that I've done
I require your affection despite my actions.
You won't believe me
You will not trust me.
All you will see is a girl you once knew
You will perceive the same person you knew before.
Although she's dressed up to the nines
Even though I may be elegantly attired.
At sixes and sevens with you
I'm confused and uncertain about us.
I had to let it happen, I had to change
I had to allow for and undergo a transformation.
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
I couldn't remain in my impoverished state.
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
I was spending time indoors and avoiding the light.
So I chose freedom
I opted for independence.
Running around, trying everything new
I was experimenting with different things.
But nothing impressed me at all
However, nothing caught my interest.
I never expected it to
I did not anticipate it.
Don't cry for me Argentina
Please do not weep for me, Argentina.
The truth is I never left you
I have always been with you.
All through my wild days
Even throughout my eventful life.
My mad existence
My frenzied way of life.
I kept my promise
I honored my commitment.
Don't keep your distance
Do not remain aloof from me.
And as for fortune, and as for fame
Regarding wealth and renown.
I never invited them in
I did not seek them out.
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired
Despite appearances indicating I wanted them.
They are illusions
They are not real.
They are not the solutions they promised to be
They cannot provide the answers I was seeking.
The answer was here all the time
The solution was always within reach.
I love you and hope you love me
I care for you and wish you feel the same.
Don't cry for me Argentina
Please do not weep for me, Argentina.
Have I said too much?
Did I reveal too much information?
There's nothing more I can think of to say to you
I have shared all I have to say.
But all you have to do is look at me to know
However, you can discern everything by observing me.
That every word is true
That everything I have said is honest.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind