Buffalo Springfield Week: Rock & Roll Woman

We have two more songs in Buffalo Springfield Week, which will finish up nicely tomorrow. This song, clearly by Stephen Stills, appeared on the “Buffalo Springfield Again” album in 1967.

Back then Stills had a great, gravelly blues voice, as you can see on this cut. The guitar work is superb, and the change of pace and styles clearly presages Stills’ later work with Crosby, Stills, & Nash—especially “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” one of the great rock songs of our time.

There’s a woman that you ought to know,
And she’s coming, singing soft and low,
Singing rock and roll, she’s a joy to know.

‘Neath the shadow of a soothing hand
I am free there, just to make my plans,
Dream of far away lands, anything close at hand.

And she will follow me wide, do you know,
Familiar places she’s been by, that I know,
Could it be, she don’t have to try.

And tomorrow, she’s a friend of mine
And the sorrow, I see her face is lined
She’s no longer blind, she’s just hard to find.

Here’s a live version—clearly lip-synched, but it’s nice to see the group when they were all very Young, bedecked in psychedelic clothes and beads.