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Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
This week’s theme is “North/South/East/West.”
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Seven League Boots was a song written by Rick and Michael Curtis and suggested to Crosby, Stills & Nash. Stephen Stills explained, “The Curtis Brothers brought a wonderful song called Seven League Boots, but it drifted around too much. I rewrote a new set of words and added a different chorus, a story about a long boat trip I took after my divorce. It’s about using the power of the universe to heal your wounds. Once again, I was given somebody’s gem and cut and polished it.”
Southern Cross was the result of Stills’ re-write. The song title and lyrics reference the Crux constellation, known as the Southern Cross.
FUN FACTS
- The single was a success on the charts, reaching #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in late November and early December 1982.
- The song mentions a number of locations that one may visit on a sailing voyage from Southern California to the South Pacific, following the “Coconut Milk Run.”
- Southern Cross was featured on the band’s Daylight Again album and was released as a single in September 1982.
- Stephen Stills sings lead vocals throughout Southern Cross, with Graham Nash joining the second verse. Because David Crosby did not reunite with Stills and Nash until the album was well underway, his vocals are not featured on the album version of the song, although he did appear in the video and subsequently sang the song with the group in live performances.
The video for the song, which got heavy play during the early years of the MTV and VH1 cable networks, featured Stephen Stills sailing a large boat (called Southern Cross), intercut with images of the band singing
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for FeliciaDenise.com.
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
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Southern Cross
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Sailing to reach before a following sea
She was makin’ for the Trades on the outside
And the downhill run to Papeete
Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas
We got eighty feet of waterline, nicely making way
In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you
But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices callin’
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten
I have been around the world looking for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
And you know it will
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
‘Cause the truth you might be runnin’ from is so small
But it’s as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day
So I’m sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dyin’
And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain
I have my ship and all her flags are a flyin’
She is all I have left and music is her name
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices callin’
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten
I have been around the world lookin’ for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
And you know it will
So we cheated and we lied and we tested
And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do
You will survive being bested, somebody fine will come along
Make me forget about loving you and the Southern Cross
Nesie's Place 
Such a great song. I think my dad likes Crosby, Stills, & Nash (I have to ask him but he did have vinyls for them in his collection),. But, I knew of the band but I never really followed them. I like “Southern Cross” because it is mellow.
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Interesting origin story for the song. Stills has a great lead vocal and Nash is a superb singer as well. His harmony on this song is perfect. Wonderful choice, Nesie!
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Thank ya’, ma’am! 🙂
The harmony in this song makes the song! Just love it!
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Classic! Love this song. Takes me back to my childhood. We’d sing along loudly and a little off key but so much fun.
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Same here! LOL!
I love the songs the artists seem to really enjoy singing instead of just performing.
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Very pretty. Nicely done.
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Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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This was another song I didn’t know anything about, yet recognized it as soon as the music started playing. Great pick, I liked learning the backstory to this! 🙂
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I get one or two like that every week too! Don’t recognize the name, lyrics or group…then the music starts and I’m like, “Ohhhhh, that song!” 😄😄 Glad you enjoyed it, AC!
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I love this line, “She is all I have left and music is her name”, as it is all you need when you are sailing. Thanks for explaining this song Felicia, as I will appreciate it even more when I listen to it now.
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Only die-hard music fans pick up on that or can relate to it, Jim. It’s one of the lines that pulled me in decades ago. Glad you enjoyed it. 😊
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This is such a special song for me. Than you for sharing it today 🥰
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Glad you enjoyed it, Christine! 😊
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Excellent song choice today!
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Thanks, Lisa! 😊
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Classic CS&N. Great choice.
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Thanks!
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