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)
Weight of the World
Judy Collins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
pressed and polished, shaking hands down at the store
Everyone had come to see the all-star hop the greyhound bus and go to war
He punched me in the arm to say goodbye
It was the first time that I saw our father cry
I kept all my brother's letters tied in ribbon in a box beneath my bed
Every night I read by flashlight with the covers in a tent above my head
It was his way of trying to ease my mind
While I was trying not to read between the lines
The weight of the world, too heavy to lift
So much to lose, so much to miss
It doesn't seem fair that an innocent boy
Should have to carry the weight of the world
Then it was football games and homecoming and
picking out our dresses for the prom
With my brother in some desert dodging bullets when he wasn't dodging bombs
While we went from the land of brave and free
To just being afraid to disagree
While I was being brought down to my knees by
The weight of the world, too heavy to lift
So much to lose, so much to miss
It doesn't seem fair that an innocent boy
Should have to carry the weight of the world
It was the middle of December when the Army sent my brother home at last
While the flagpole by the football field flew the colors half-way down the mast
The wind blew cold and snow was coming down
Still everybody turned out from our town
As we laid my brother in that frozen ground
The weight of the world, too heavy to lift
So much was lost, so much was missed
It doesn't seem fair that any boy or any girl
Should have to carry the weight of the world
The song "Weight of the World" by Judy Collins is a hauntingly beautiful and poignant tribute to the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families during wartime. The verses describe the singer's memories of her brother Michael, who had gone off to war, leaving her and their family behind. She vividly recalls the day he left, how he was dressed up in his finest clothes, shaking hands with everyone at the store before boarding a Greyhound bus to head off to battle. The whole town had come to see him off, and the scene was both heroic and sad. The singer remembers how her brother punched her in the arm to say goodbye, which was a sign of affection in their family. But it was also the first time she saw her father cry, which was a sign of the emotional toll that war takes on families.
The second verse of the song describes how the singer kept all her brother's letters tied up with a ribbon, hidden beneath her bed. She would read them every night by flashlight, taking comfort in his reassurances that he was doing fine. But she could also sense the underlying tension and danger in his words, and she struggled not to read between the lines. Meanwhile, back home, life went on, with football games and dances and all the usual teenage milestones. But the shadow of war hung heavy over everything, and the singer describes how she and her friends became afraid to disagree, worried that any wrong move might somehow endanger her brother's safety. Finally, in the last verse, she describes how her brother came home at last, but in a coffin draped with the American flag. The whole town turned out to mourn him and to pay tribute to his service and sacrifice. But the singer wonders why it had to be this way, why an innocent boy like her brother had to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. It's a question that will always haunt us, and this song captures the heartbreak and sadness of war in a way that few others ever could.
Line by Line Meaning
I still see my brother Michael, pressed and polished, shaking hands down at the store
The singer remembers her brother Michael as a young man, dressed up and saying farewell to friends and family before leaving for war.
Everyone had come to see the all-star hop the greyhound bus and go to war
The departure of young men like Michael to war was a community event, with many people coming out to say goodbye and wish them luck.
He punched me in the arm to say goodbye
Michael's way of saying goodbye to his sister was playful and physical but also bittersweet.
It was the first time that I saw our father cry
Michael's departure was a difficult moment for his family, especially his father, who was deeply moved.
I kept all my brother's letters tied in ribbon in a box beneath my bed
The artist treasured the letters she received from Michael during his time at war and kept them as a precious memory.
Every night I read by flashlight with the covers in a tent above my head
Despite the danger and stress of war, Michael's letters to his sister were positive and reassuring, helping her feel safe and supported.
His words said "Not to worry, doing fine" It was his way of trying to ease my mind While I was trying not to read between the lines
Michael's letters tried to put his sister's mind at ease, even as she sensed the difficulties and dangers he faced.
The weight of the world, too heavy to lift So much to lose, so much to miss It doesn't seem fair that an innocent boy Should have to carry the weight of the world
The artist is overwhelmed by the burden of war, which falls disproportionately on young soldiers like her brother who are innocent victims of the circumstances they find themselves in.
Then it was football games and homecoming and picking out our dresses for the prom With my brother in some desert dodging bullets when he wasn't dodging bombs While we went from the land of brave and free To just being afraid to disagree While I was being brought down to my knees by
While life at home went on as normal, Michael was risking his life in a dangerous and unstable place, and the contrast between the two worlds was jarring for his sister.
It was the middle of December when the Army sent my brother home at last While the flagpole by the football field flew the colors half-way down the mast The wind blew cold and snow was coming down Still everybody turned out from our town As we laid my brother in that frozen ground
Michael's death was a traumatic event for his family and community, and the cold, wintry weather of the funeral underscores the sense of loss and sadness.
The weight of the world, too heavy to lift So much was lost, so much was missed It doesn't seem fair that any boy or any girl Should have to carry the weight of the world
The final chorus of the song emphasizes the sense of injustice that comes from young people being sent into war and losing their lives unnecessarily.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AMY SPEACE, J VEZNER, JUDSON CASWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind