“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (Crosby, Stills & Nash)

Yesterday’s classic song of the day was about Bette Davis’ blue eyes, so let’s continue that theme with a song about a blue-eyed songstress. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” was recorded by Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969 for their self-titled debut album. The song peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #15 on the Cash Box Top 100.

“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” was written by Stephen Stills about his relationship with singer Judy Collins. (Read the title as “sweet Judy blue eyes.”) Stills and Collins met in 1967 and dated for two years, breaking up in 1969 when she was performing in a musical production of Peer Gynt and had an affair with co-star Stacy Keach. To cope with his sadness, Stills wrote this song.

Judy Collins recalls when Stills first played the song for her:

“[Stephen] came to where I was singing one night on the West Coast and brought his guitar to the hotel and he sang me ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,’ the whole song… Afterwards, we both cried—and then I said: ‘Oh, Stephen, it’s such a beautiful song. But it’s not winning me back.’ I’ve always understood that people have to write about their lives. Most of all, I felt the song was flattering and heartbreaking—for both of us. Neither one of us walked away from that relationship relieved. We were feeling like, ‘Whoa, what happened?'”

True to its title, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is actually a suite in four parts.

• The first section (“I am yours, you are mine…”) is sung by Stephen Stills with harmonies by David Crosby and Graham Nash.
• The second section (“Friday evening…”) shifts to half time and features three-part harmony from all the singers.
• The third section (“Chestnut brown canary”) is back in normal time, with each phrase sung by Stills followed (in order) by Nash and Crosby.
• The fourth and final section, in Spanish (and with all the “doo-doo-doos”) is Stills on lead with the others singing harmony.

The album Crosby, Stills & Nash put the newly formed group firmly on the map. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and generated two hits in “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” and “Marrakesh Express,” along with the album-track classic “Wooden Ships.” It was the album that kicked off the decades-long success for David Crosby (formerly of the Byrds), Graham Nash (formerly of the Hollies), and Stephen Stills (formerly of Buffalo Springfield), frequently augmented by Neil Young (also from Buffalo Springfield). The group went on to have six top ten albums and an equal number of top twenty singles. They made their mark.