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)
Through the eyes of love
Judy Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see you shine
Take the time to know your mind
As we grow closer
See into your heart
Find a resting place
Keep the faith, loose all trace of stormy weather
Changing what I know of love
Through the eyes of love
We can do anything, miracles are possible
As long as we're together
Through the eyes of love
We can have everything, nothing is impossible
We'll be unstoppable
Through the eyes of love
Through the eyes of faith
We can bear our souls
Always know we can show
We trust one another
Let each other in
Share our darkest fears
Hold me near, make it clear
In time, we'll discover
How to see the sun
Breaking through the tears of yesterday
Shining through the clouds
A rainbow is ours
I feel the power that love showers
Through the eyes of love
We can do anything, miracles are possible
As long as we're together
Through the eyes of love
We can have everything, nothing is impossible
We'll be unstoppable
Through the eyes of love
Every time we touch
We can learn so much
Every time we touch
Be sure it's out of love (love is enough)
Through the eyes of love
We can do anything, miracles are possible
As long as we're together
Through the eyes of love
We can have everything, nothing is impossible
We'll be unstoppable
Through the eyes of love
In Judy Collins’s song “Ice Castles,” the focus is on the power of love and the way it can change our perspective on life, especially when we look at it through the “eyes of love.” The song emphasizes the idea that if we’re able to open ourselves up to love, we can accomplish anything and overcome any obstacle, including “stormy weather” or “tears of yesterday.” Moreover, through love, we’re able to learn from each other and grow together as a couple, discovering new things about ourselves and the world around us.
However, this is not a simple love song, but rather one about the transformative power of love. Collins talks about breaking away from what she knows about love and finding a new way forward that is free from “sorrows.” She talks about how trust and communication are essential components of a successful relationship, and how through these things, we can “bear our souls” to one another and share our deepest fears without fear of judgment.
Overall, “Ice Castles” is a beautiful testament to the power of love to change our lives and help us achieve things we never believed were possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the eyes of love
Looking at life with love, affection & care helps us achieve miracles.
I can see you shine
I recognize your true potential & appreciate your inner beauty.
Take the time to know your mind
Spend some time trying to understand yourself better.
As we grow closer
As we get emotionally attached to each other, we experience togetherness.
See into your heart
Look inside yourself deeply; explore your emotions and thoughts.
Find a resting place
Discover inner peace & tranquility, which provides a sense of security & refuge.
Keep the faith, loose all trace of stormy weather
Believe in yourself & stay optimistic, stay motivated and never let negativity hold you down.
Changing what I know of love
Love transforms us and changes our outlook towards life.
For all my tomorrow's, no more sorrows
The author wishes to lead a life free from regrets & sadness in the future.
Through the eyes of faith
Believing with conviction in faith has the power to move mountains.
We can bear our souls
We can share our deepest emotions & experiences with each other.
Always know we can show
We can freely express ourselves & be honest with each other.
We trust one another
We share mutual trust & respect for each other.
Let each other in
Allow each other access to our inner thoughts & emotions.
Share our darkest fears
Share our most private thoughts & intimate fears.
Hold me near, make it clear
Hold me closely, make me feel loved and connected with you.
In time, we'll discover
As time passes, we'll unravel the mysteries & secrets of life.
How to see the sun
Learn how to see the light & positivity in everything.
Breaking through the tears of yesterday
Overcoming the emotional trauma of the past & being hopeful for the future.
Shining through the clouds
The light of hope shining through the darkness & obstacles of life.
A rainbow is ours
We can achieve anything as long as we stay strong, hopeful, and supportive of each other.
I feel the power that love showers
Love has an immense power to heal, transform and empower us.
Every time we touch
Every time we connect with each other physically or emotionally, there is an opportunity to learn and grow.
We can learn so much
We can learn to understand ourselves & each other a little better every time we connect.
Be sure it's out of love (love is enough)
Ensure that everything we do is out of love and respect for each other, as that's all that truly matters.
Through the eyes of love
Love has the power to help us achieve anything; there are no barriers or limits with it.
We can do anything, miracles are possible
Love provides the motivation & strength to do the impossible, achieve the extraordinary.
As long as we're together
We can overcome any obstacle & face any challenge as long as we support and care for each other.
We can have everything, nothing is impossible
Love gives us the power to dream big & achieve more than we ever thought was possible.
We'll be unstoppable
Together we can overcome anything & achieve greatness; we are a force to be reckoned with.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole Sager, Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
helios1912
This velvet sledgehammer of a ballad has become known for the singers and their renditions. The biggest hit was by Melissa Manchester which peaked at #13 on Adult Contemporary charts in April 1979. I have always liked this perfect pitch version by Judy Collins. To credit the songwriting team that has been overlooked, the music by Marvin Hamlisch and those scalpel sharp lyrics are by Carole Bayer Sager. Thanks for the post, JudyCollinsForever.
David da Fonseca
Linda version!!
Ktye Covff
Melissa Manchester Is The Original Singer Of "Through The Eyes Of Love"
Recorded In 1979. From The Movie "Ice Castles". If There Is Another Version
Of This Song Please Let Me Know.