Stephen Stills: "Love the One You're With" Great lyrics or So-so lyrics?

[lueders]

Sorry, Vanessa & fans of L.T.O.Y.W...I couldn't let it go. doh! (I wish I got it...I sincerely do! LOL!) And please
forgive me... I know the lyrics are no dumber than "Blister in the Sun"...LOL! Or, Alanis Morrisette's song "Ironic"
...which should really be called "An unfortunate set of occasionally circumstantial coincidences that aren't at all
ironic" ...but that doesn't have the same ring to it I guess....

I have heard it explained that Stills is saying: we're not seeing something right in front of us. Okay? I can dig that concept...But what about that significant other ("your baby" as Stills puts it) so many miles away...that we are just gonna forget about & her feelings because we're having an impulsive hedonistic moment? That's not very nice, now is it? (Guess he didn't think responsibility was groovy!) And even if you SUDDENLY realize you love the one right in front of you and.. not the one miles away...you're handling the situation in a piss- poor fashion, Stevie! lol!

The other argument I have heard in defense of these lyrics is that: we should be thankful for what we have. In other words, "learn to love the one you're with at that moment"...But that doesn't even make sense. Because the one you're truly "with" isn't right in front of you. She's the one miles away. I have to conclude that these lyrics are
bogus. (Sounds like upper bourgeois decadence to me...which is what the whole movement was supposedly against in the first place.) I have never understood these & other contradictions in the hippie ethos...

The remaining verses of this song do nothing but reiterate this vapid concept
Furthermore, for the chorus he simply repeats " love one you're with" over and over and over...
And the "Doo doo doo"...I wonder how long that took him to come up with that?
(Maybe Sebastian or Crosby chimed in...lol! No, probably not... they both wrote better lyrics than this. INMHO.)

ANYWAYS, WHAT DO YOU THINK? AM I WRONG? GREAT LYRICS? OR SO-SO LYRICS?

If you're down and confused
and you don't remember who your talking to
your concentration slips away
because your baby, is so far away

Well there's a rose in a fisted glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you cant be with the one you love, honey
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with

Don't be angry
don't be sad
Don't sit cryin' over good times you had
There's a girl right next to you
and she's waiting for something to do

And there's a rose in a fisted glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you cant be with the one you love, honey
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do, do do do
(instrumental break) love the one your with
love the one your with
love the one your with

Turn your heartache right into joy
She's a girl and your a boy
get it together, make it tonight,
you ain't gonna need any more advice

And there's a rose in a fisted glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you cant be with the one you love, honey
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do, do do do

[dsmarion]

Cori,

Me thinks you may be way over-analyzing it. You have to remember this was written during the era of "free love", "flower power", "make love, not war" and woodstock - the "hippy" generation. That's really all there is to it I think.

Scott

[lueders]

dsmarion wrote:

Cori,

Me thinks you may be way over-analyzing it. You have to remember this was written during the era of "free love", "flower power", "make love, not war" and woodstock - the "hippy" generation. That's really all there is to it I think.

Scott

Hi Scott, yeah I am sure I am definitely over-analyzing it. I was just curious what others thought about this song's lyrics. (Wondered if my way of reading it was totally nutzo?) I have an obsession with lyrics. It is sort of a sickness. Lol! Thanks, Scott.

[dsmarion]

Well, we will see what others have to say about it. But I know if you look around the annuls of rock you will find all kinds of songs that have, oh, let's say less than "literary masterpiece" lyrics. The reason these types of silly songs became hits was not because of the lyrics but rather the music and harmonies - especially the harmonies. The "do do do..." parts of this song don't translate well to paper as genioius in writing but the musical presentation and harmonies of these are stellar. And that is why many songs with silly lyrics are great songs because it is the music that made them hits (imho).

Scott

[dekotaj]

Cori, you you you.....traitor! Using my upload for this thread???!!! Óuch, stepped on my heart! :laugh:

Buttuh....have to agree with Scott here.

And, Stephen's got a point, if you can't be with the one you love, then enjoy someone else instead, someone who ís there. People aren't made for just óne person, there are more people in the whole wide world with whom you can be happy, so if you can't be with the one you love at that moment, try to be happy with the one who ís there.

Oh gosh, I'm rambling as well.... :blink: :S

Alright, next time I'll upload a video, I will sincerely check out the words first! :laugh: :laugh: (btw, I've corrected the first line! )

Ness

Edit: I forgot to answer your question :S , I think that the song has 'so-so' lyrics, however the title is pretty catchy and does make you wonder, at least at the age of 14/15 I was pretty fascinated by it and I still find it a great line! And come on Cori, the doo doo doo doo doo is great! :woohoo:

lueders wrote:

If you're down and confused
and you don't remember who your talking to
your concentration slips away
because your baby, is so far away

Well there's a rose in a fisted glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you cant be with the one you love, honey
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with

Don't be angry
don't be sad
Don't sit cryin' over good times you had
There's a girl right next to you
and she's waiting for something to do

And there's a rose in a fisted glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you cant be with the one you love, honey
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do, do do do
(instrumental break) love the one your with
love the one your with
love the one your with

Turn your heartache right into joy
She's a girl and your a boy
get it together, make it tonight,
you ain't gonna need any more advice

And there's a rose in a fisted glove
and the eagle flies with the dove
and if you cant be with the one you love, honey
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
love the one you're with
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do do do do do do
Do do do, do do do

[lueders]

Sorry, Vanessa. Common, you know I love ya. Traitor? Stepping on your heart? Gosh, ouch back! I feel bad now

I like the guitar accompaniment & the melody of this tune. And,I would love YOUR performances period. I would like
'em if you sang & played nothing but, underwater Bulgarian nursery rhymes in Eb ...HONEST! Swear to God!

I just HONESTLY never understood what he was trying to say/get across with those lyrics. The way you put it makes sense to me. Heck, I even agree with that advice! That is all VERY true. However, he never clues us in/ alludes to the fact that other relationship is flawed/uncommunicative/emotionally absent. So we're almost left to still think he is just another chauvinistic woman-izer that didn't give the other relationship a fair shake.

"if you can't be with the one you love, then enjoy someone else instead, someone who ís there. People aren't made for just óne person, there are more people in the whole wide world with whom you can be happy, so if you can't be with the one you love at that moment, try to be happy with the one who ís there."

* I'm sorry for being a LYRICAL Nazi on this song...and a pain in the butt.
(For some reason I have always had strong opinions on the lyrics to this one. Not sure why?)
I thought your performance was brilliant as usual. What you choose to play is certainly none of my business.
No matter how much I try to make it my business (i.e. Tracy Chapman) Lol!
I'm truly sorry if my high-falootin lyrical critique of the song upset you at all...

[tgjameela]

Oooooh Cori, come on, you should know I'm jóking!!!! :cheer:

If I'd feel like that in any way, I wouldn't write it down here as well, no worries at áll my friend!

But it ís amusing how you get into this! :laugh:

Ness

[lueders]

nesh16041972 wrote:

Oooooh Cori, come on, you should know I'm jóking!!!! :cheer:

If I'd feel like that in any way, I wouldn't write it down here as well, no worries at áll my friend!

But it ís amusing how you get into this! :laugh:

Ness

Phew!! Alright good! Your the last person I wanted to upset!

See, I told you I was a little slow on the uptake!

[willem]

For me you can do anything with lyrics,,you can make up your own translation on what they mean and even change that when it occurs anywhere else,,

[MarkM]

Cori,

Hmmmmmmmm. We'll personally I love the lyrics. Masterpiece? No. Sending a good message to the kids? No. For me, I'm not thinking about the morality issues of this song. As Scott said earlier, It was the 60's man. Well the song came out in the 70's but you get the point. If you look at the entire CNSY catalog they have enough thought provoking songs. I've always liked this one because it was just a fun and simple song that had a nice catch phrase to it. Nothing wrong with that. Hey the Beatles did Helter Skelter and Why Don't We Do It in the Road. I wouldn't put those up there with the great Lennon/McCartney works of art either but they were pretty cool songs nonetheless. Just my .02 worth.



Mark