In the late summer of 1965, after seeing a new band called Jefferson Airplane at The Matrix club, Grace and Jerry decided to start their own group, assembling it fairly quickly. The band made its debut at the Coffee Gallery in San Francisco's North Beach section on October 15, 1965, and continued to perform throughout 1966.
The band released only one single during its lifetime in 1966, "Someone to Love," (later re-titled "Somebody To Love") written by Darby, backed with "Free Advice." Issued on Autumn Records' tiny North Beach subsidiary label, the single made little impact outside of the Bay Area, but the association with Autumn did lead the band to working with staff producer Sylvester Stewart, still in the process of forming his own band, Sly and the Family Stone. Purportedly, Stewart would eventually walk out as the band's producer during a demo session after it took Great Society over 50 takes just to get one song right.
Momentum for the band began to build as they started opening for Jefferson Airplane and other successful local bands, with Columbia Records offering the Great Society a recording contract. By the time the contract arrived in the mail, however, Grace had been spirited away to replace departing vocalist Signe Toly Anderson in the Airplane, taking "Someone to Love" and her own composition "White Rabbit," one of Great Society's live showcases, with her. As both the visual and musical focal point, the band could not survive without its lead singer, and disbanded in the fall of 1966. Grace and Jerry would divorce as well.
Columbia would eventually release tapes of live performances by Great Society as two separate albums in 1968 after Grace found fame, repackaging both as a double LP in 1971. In 1995, Sundazed issued a compilation disc featuring the band's lone single amidst unreleased studio session material.
Love You Girl
The Great Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and when I go
don't let no one say
that it isn't so
But something's calling out to me
that I don't understand
but can't refuse
And though I set my world on fire
and spread its ashes wide, you made your mark
The sounds I love to hear are being made
so it appears across the way
And now the bells are ringing loud
to call me up
to do what I must do
And trying to replace myself
I likely won't have time to think of you
I guess I'll never know what could have been
if had stayed here by your side
But still I've got to go and find out
what it is that's hurtin me inside
And when I've kissed your tears away
I'll bundle up my dreams, and say goodbye
The Great Society's song Love You Girl is about the conflict between love and personal freedom. The singer expresses his love for a girl and assures her that it is genuine. However, something inside him is calling out to him and he cannot resist its pull. The song implies that this inner calling is related to the singer's need for personal growth and change, but it also suggests that his pursuit of these things may come at the expense of his relationship with the girl.
The lyrics mention that the singer has set his world on fire and spread its ashes wide, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for his desire to break free from his current life and forge a new path. The sound that he loves to hear, which is being made across the way, can be seen as a symbol of the new opportunities and experiences he wishes to pursue. Meanwhile, the bells that are calling him up to do what he must do represent the sense of urgency and inevitability that comes with making significant life changes.
Ultimately, the singer feels torn between his love for the girl and his need to follow his inner calling. He recognizes that leaving her behind will be painful and that he may never know what could have happened if he had stayed with her. However, he also knows that he must go and find out what is hurting him inside. The song ends on a somewhat bittersweet note, with the singer promising to kiss the girl's tears away before leaving to pursue his dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you girl,
I deeply care about you and cherish our relationship,
and when I go
When I leave and part ways with you,
don't let no one say
Do not allow anyone to suggest or claim otherwise,
that it isn't so
That my love and commitment towards you isn't genuine and true.
But something's calling out to me
However, I feel a compelling force within me,
that I don't understand
But I am unsure of what it is or why I feel it,
but can't refuse
And yet, I cannot ignore or deny it,
And though I set my world on fire
Even if I achieve all of my goals or desires,
and spread its ashes wide, you made your mark
And even though my success may affect our relationship or life together, you have already left a permanent impact on me,
The sounds I love to hear are being made
The things I enjoy or find important are actively happening or present,
so it appears across the way
And it seems that those elements are waiting for me somewhere else,
And now the bells are ringing loud
The signals or opportunities are becoming more obvious and insistent,
to call me up
To encourage or remind me of my potential or purpose,
to do what I must do
To fulfill my obligations or responsibilities,
And trying to replace myself
As I pursue my goals or ambitions elsewhere,
I likely won't have time to think of you
I may not be able to prioritize or involve you in my thoughts or plans,
I guess I'll never know what could have been
I accept that there may always be a sense of regret or curiosity about the alternative path,
if I had stayed here by your side
If I had chosen to stay with you instead,
But still I've got to go and find out
But despite it all, I feel a need to leave and explore for myself,
what it is that's hurtin me inside
To understand or resolve the internal conflict or struggle that I am facing,
And when I've kissed your tears away
Once I have provided comfort or relief to your sorrow or sadness,
I'll bundle up my dreams, and say goodbye
I will gather my aspirations and leave our current situation, saying farewell.
Contributed by Grace T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.