The title track, the album's first single, was an elegy for Neil Young's 1948 Buick Roadmaster hearse, his first car. The album stemmed from a desire by both Young and Stills to pick up where they left off with their Buffalo Springfield-era guitar explorations. CSNY cohorts David Crosby and Graham Nash got wind of the project, and "Long May You Run" briefly became a CSNY album. But before long, Young and Stills decided to wipe Crosby and Nash's vocal harmonies from the album tracks in their absence (ironically, Crosby and Nash were busy putting finishing touches on their own duet record.) Crosby and Nash were livid when they found out, and it would be eight years before the quartet even considered working together again (Crosby, Stills and Nash would regroup in 1977 for an album and tour.)
Fontainebleau
The Stills-Young Band Lyrics
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Who put all the tar on the morning sand?
Who took everything from where it once was
And put it where it last was seen?
Fontainebleau, they painted it green
Fontainebleau, for the well-to-do
At the Fontainebleau
There's a palace in the gravy
That's holding on and on and on
Even after all the blue-haired ladies
And the wheelchairs are gone
I guess the reason I'm so scared of it
Is I stayed there once and I almost fit
I left before I got out of it
People were drownin' in their own
Fontainebleau, was that me?
Fontainebleau, well, I guess I'll see
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau, where the surfer works
Fontainebleau, 'til the break of day
Fontainebleau, 'cause it takes a shark
Fontainebleau, to catch a wave at the Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
The lyrics to The Stills-Young Band’s “Fontainebleau” seem to reflect a certain sense of nostalgia and fear associated with the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. The first stanza of the song questions the changes that have occurred over time, with all the palm trees and sand now covered with tar. The second stanza describes the Fontainebleau as a luxurious palace for the well-to-do, painted green to match the surrounding landscape. The third stanza expresses a fear of being trapped in the Fontainebleau, with people drowning in their own problems.
The chorus repeats the name of the hotel, almost as if calling it out or trying to make sense of its mystique. The final stanza paints a picture of the hotel’s location on the shore, where a surfer works until the break of day, and where one must have the skill and bravery of a shark to catch a wave at the Fontainebleau.
Overall, the song seems to convey a sense of hopelessness and loss associated with both the passage of time and the luxurious lifestyle of the Fontainebleau Hotel. It may be interpreted as a commentary on the emptiness of the American Dream, or a reflection on the illusion of happiness and luxury.
Line by Line Meaning
Who put the palm over my blond?
Who has covered up and hidden away what used to be bright and enticing for me?
Who put all the tar on the morning sand?
Who has ruined and darkened the beauty of the morning beach?
Who took everything from where it once was
And put it where it last was seen?
Who relocated and rearranged all the things that belonged in their original places?
Fontainebleau, they painted it green
Fontainebleau, for the well-to-do
At the Fontainebleau
The Fontainebleau hotel was repainted to attract and cater to the wealthy clientele who stay there.
There's a palace in the gravy
That's holding on and on and on
Even after all the blue-haired ladies
And the wheelchairs are gone
The hotel is like a grand palace that continues to exist and thrive, despite the departure of its elderly guests.
I guess the reason I'm so scared of it
Is I stayed there once and I almost fit
I left before I got out of it
People were drownin' in their own
The singer has a deep fear of the hotel because they stayed there and almost became trapped in its luxury lifestyle, but left before they lost themselves completely. The hotel guests are so consumed with their wealth and excess that they are drowning in their own indulgences.
Fontainebleau, was that me?
Fontainebleau, well, I guess I'll see
Fontainebleau
The singer questions whether they themselves were once a part of the Fontainebleau lifestyle and wonders if they will return to it in the future.
Fontainebleau, where the surfer works
Fontainebleau, 'til the break of day
Fontainebleau, 'cause it takes a shark
Fontainebleau, to catch a wave at the Fontainebleau
The hotel is popular among surfers who work there until dawn, relying on the sharks in the ocean to create the best waves to ride along the Fontainebleau beach.
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
A repetition of the hotel's name, reflecting its overwhelming presence and hold on the artist's mind.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind