Stephen Stills was born in Dallas, Texas on January 3, 1945 to a military family. Moving around as a child, he developed an interest in blues and folk music. He was also influenced by Latin music after spending his teenage years in Costa Rica and the Panama Canal Zone, where he graduated from high school.
Stills dropped out of the University of Florida to pursue a music career in the early 1960s. He played in a series of unsuccessful bands including the Continentals, which featured future The Eagles guitarist Don Felder. Stills eventually ended up in a nine-member vocal harmony group, the house act at the famous Cafe Au Go Go in NYC, called the Au Go Go Singers (Rick Geiger, Roy Michaels, Michael Scott, Jean Gurney, Kathy King, Nels Gustafson, Bob Harmelink, Richie Furay & Stills) where and when he met Richie Furay. This group also did some touring in the Catskills, and in the South, released one album in 1964, then broke up in 1965. Afterwards, Stills, along with four other former members of the Au Go Go Singers: Geiger, Michaels, Gurney & Scott, formed The Company, a folk/rock group. Immediately prior to performing in the Au Go Go Singers, Stills could be seen singing solo in Gerde's Folk City, a well-known coffee house in Greenwich Village. The Company embarked on a 6-week tour of Canada where Stills met a young guitarist named Neil Young. On the VH1 CSNY Legends special, Stills would say that at that time, Young was doing what he always wanted to do, "play folk music in a rock band." The Company broke up in New York within four months, opening up the way for Geiger to join a light opera company in Los Angeles; Michaels to link up with Jimi Hendrix, Gurney to go on to college while doing TV commercials, and Scott to tour with a retro-Highwaymen. Stills did session work and went to various auditions (including an unsuccessful one for The Monkees). In 1966 he convinced a reluctant former Au Go Go Singers, Richie Furay, then living in Massachusetts, to move with him to California.
Solo years
In the wake of CSNY's success, all four members recorded solo albums. In 1970, Stills released his self-titled debut, which featured guests Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, "Mama" Cass Elliot, and Ringo Starr (credited only as "Richie") as well as contributions from various members of the CSNY band. It provided Stills with the hit single "Love The One You're With" as well as the concert favorite "Black Queen." Stills followed this with Stephen Stills 2, which featured "Change Partners." Nash saw this song as a metaphor for the many relationships in CSNY, while Stills viewed the band as something much less bland and repetitive.
The next year, Stills teamed up with ex-Byrd Chris Hillman and several CSNY sidemen to form the band Manassas. During a Manassas tour in France, Stills met and married French singer-songwriter Veronique Sanson. Then he switched to Columbia Records, where he recorded two albums: Stills in 1975 and the punningly titled Illegal Stills in 1976. The former record found Stills in an uncharacteristically joyful mood; his marriage was going great, his son Chris had just been born, and he was happy living in Colorado. "To Mama From Christopher and the Old Man" was an exceptionally optimistic view of his new family.
In 1976, Stills attempted a reunion with Neil Young. At one point, Long May You Run was slated to be a CSNY record, but when Crosby and Nash left to fufill recording and touring obligations, according to both David and Graham the other pair wiped their vocals from the recordings, as Stills and Young decided to go on without their erstwhile partners as The Stills-Young Band. However, Young would leave midway through the resulting tour due to an apparent throat infection. Stills was contractually bound to finish the tour, which he did, but upon returning home, his wife announced she wanted a divorce and wished to move back to France. Stills reunited with Crosby and Nash shortly afterwards, thanks to the efforts of Nash's future wife Susan, who got Nash to forgive Stills for wiping the Crosby and Nash vocals from Long May You Run. This led to the semi-permanent CSN reunion of 1977, which has persisted even though all three have released solo records since then.
In 1997, Stills became the first person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice in the same night for his work with CSN and the Buffalo Springfield.
2005 saw Stills release 'Man Alive'; his first solo offering in 14 years. Although not troubling the chart compilers, the record was critically well received and is regarded by many fans as his best since the mid seventies.
Stills was the inspiring influence for Ray LaMontagne who, after hearing one of his songs, decided to quit his job and focus on music.
Old Times Good Times
Stephen Stills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jump in the Pirogue, pole down the Bayou
Bogue Falaya River was dark and cold
Seven years old, I couldn't find my way home
Old times, good times
Old times, good times
Got myself a job in a jax beer bar
Got myself together, went to New Orleans
Found myself workin' for rice and beans
And it was good times
Old times, good times
Old times, good times
New York city was so damned cold
I had to get out of that town before I got old
California and rock and roll dream
Got too high and we blew our whole scene
But we had a good time
Old times, good times
Old times, good times
Old times, good times
Old times, good times
The lyrics to Stephen Stills's song "Old Times Good Times" describe the different phases of life that the singer has gone through, and how each period was characterized by certain experiences and feelings. The first verse talks about the singer's early childhood, when he needed time alone to explore and learn about the world. He would go out on the Bogue Falaya River, which was dark and cold, on a pirogue (a type of flat-bottomed boat), and couldn't find his way home at times. This verse suggests a sense of adventure, curiosity, and independence, but also a feeling of vulnerability and uncertainty.
The second verse talks about the singer's teenage years and early adulthood, when he learned how to play guitar and started working in a bar in New Orleans. This period was marked by a newfound sense of purpose and identity, as well as the struggle to make ends meet and find one's place in the world. The third verse talks about the singer's experience of moving to New York and then California, exploring the world of rock and roll, and ultimately experiencing both success and failures. This verse captures the excitement and energy of youth, but also the risks and uncertainties of pursuing one's dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was young and needed my time alone
As a child, I desired solitude and would often spend time alone in my pirogue, navigating through the Bayou and the dark, cold waters of the Bogue Falaya River, sometimes getting lost and unable to return home.
Old times, good times
The singer reflects fondly on his past, acknowledging that despite the challenges and difficulties he may have faced, these experiences have become a source of cherished memories.
When I was twelve, I learned how to play the guitar
At the age of twelve, the singer developed an interest in musical instruments and taught himself how to play the guitar.
Got myself a job in a jax beer bar
The artist started working at a bar that served Jax beer, most likely as a way to gain experience and earn some money.
Got myself together, went to New Orleans
After getting his act together, the artist traveled to New Orleans, presumably in search of new opportunities and experiences.
Found myself workin' for rice and beans
The singer eventually found work in New Orleans, but it was modest: he only earned enough to get by, working for barely enough to afford rice and beans.
And it was good times
Despite the modest living and earning only the basics, the singer enjoyed himself during this period in his life.
New York city was so damned cold
The artist reflects on a time when he was in New York City which he finds to be unbearably cold, probably because he doesn’t have the warm clothes to survive in the winters.
I had to get out of that town before I got old
The artist knew the importance of leaving that place before he got too old to enjoy his opportunities when he had the energy and spice of youth left in him.
California and rock and roll dream
The artist then talks about his dream of California and rock and roll, probably feeling hopeful for a chance to pursue his dreams in the hip and vibrant music and cultural scene of California.
Got too high and we blew our whole scene
Unfortunatley, their excitement got out of hand and irresponsible choices got the best of the singer and his companions, leading to ruining the opportunities they had created.
But we had a good time
Despite the setback earlier, the artist still found value and enjoyment in the moment and the memories made.
Old times, good times
The theme of the song is tragedy and the blues, despite which the singer reflects on the power of cherished memories to keep those times during which he experienced hardship and difficulty loved and appreciated.
Old times, good times
The song ends with the repeated refrain of the previous line, underscoring the idea that we can take comfort in our memories, regardless of the pain that we may have suffered in the past.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Stephen Stills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind