Suite: Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills & Nash

“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” live performance at Woodstock

When I was in elementary school and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” would come on the radio I eager anticipate the “doodoodoodoo DOOT! Doot doot doo Doodoodoo” at the end. I could always recognize this song because of the incredible harmonies, beautiful melodies and poetic lyrics, but I just wanted to get to the end section. Part of what I annoyed me back then was that I couldn’t really predict when that section was going to come. I’d expect it after a certain phrase, but I would be mistaken. After being mistaken a couple times, I woudl become more impatient with the song. When the ending finally came, I felt like I had been through an ordeal like the way Peter from “Family Guy” felt after watching the extended version of the “Maude” theme song.

Actually, this's EXACTLY how I felt.

What I didn’t appreciate back then is also one of the most amazing things about Crosby, Stills & Nash’s most famous song. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” takes the classical form of the suite into popular music creating a set of four related songs to create a singular music experience.

“Form” in music is a used to describe how the different sections in a piece of music and how the composer arranges these sections. Form is a musical device like melody, harmony and lyrics, which add to the overall expression of a song. The way a composer arranges different sections and the overall length of a song have a significant effect on the way that we understand music.

Crosby Stills and & Nash is one most and enduring supergroup in Rock. The collaboration of these three musicians has been so successful that many know them more for their work as a supergroup than their previous work that made them famous.

David Crosby as a founding member of the Byrds helped create the sound of the 1960s, contributing his songwriting skills and adding vocal harmony to songs like, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Stephen Stills along with Neil Young formed Buffalo Springfield, a band responsible for one of the most important protest song "For What It's Worth."

Graham Nash as a member of The Hollies was part of the “British Invasion,” a movement of British band onto the American popular music scene started by the Beatles. Nash, contributed to many of The Hollies hits helping create their unique vocal harmony heard in their hits like “Bus Stop.”

The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Hollies may not seem like a big deal to us now, but they were important bands of the 1960s and it truly was a momentous thing to for the strongest creative forces of these three bands to come together.

In classical music, a suite is a piece of music that consists of several shorter pieces. During the baroque era, suite usually contained dance music. As classical music developed, the suite form expanded to included different kinds of music.

Crosby, Stills & Nash stick to this classical definition of suite including four shorter pieces that all have a dance feel to them. Each of these sections contrast but also work together to create a unique musical journey.

The first section feels like a standard 1960s mid-tempo rock song. It has some folk flavor to it and predictably follows a verse-chorus song form. This up-beat song contemplates the difficulties in the relationship but is also reaffirming in the challenges. This section is like the beginning of a movie setting up the status-quo with hints of the journey to come.

The second section starts with “Friday evening, Sunday in the afternoon, what have you got to lose?” This section is slower and more contemplative reflecting on suffering and despair in the lyrics. He thinks about leaving concluding “what have I got to lose?” while still wondering if she will come see him after he ahs left.

After the second section slows down the song, the energy in the song seems to dissipate like train coming to rest. However, right when song feels like it’s about to end the song starts up with a Indian influenced raga-like section. The rising voices look outwards in contrast to the second section pondering the beauty in nature. The rising melodies conclude with one of the most beautiful uses of alliteration in popular music “lacy, lilting, leery, losing love, lamenting, change my life, make it right, be my baby.” This conclusion leads directly into the last section a pure expression of joy.

The ending of this song used to feel like a pay-off to me because it finally came, but now that I’m older I enjoy the journey leading up more. Sometimes it takes more effort to focus on the journey and not rush ahead to the ending. There are times when I read a book quickly just to get to the ending, but I’m always left feeling a little hollow. The journey is what makes the ending more meaningful.

It’s not the fact that Peter finally hears “and then there’s Maude” that makes the joke so funny, it’s the fact that we see his smile slowly fade as the song continues to string him along transforming his anticipation into rage.