“Southern Cross” Lyrics & Meaning (Crosby, Stills & Nash)

Southern Cross is a beautiful song by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

However, Crosby had virtually nothing to do with it.

For various reasons which we will get into below, he had become mostly useless at the time.

The result is that he contributed little to the song (and the entire album) apart from his name.

Rick and Michael Curtis brought the music, and Stephen Stills was responsible for the lyrics.

They are deeply personal and describe the healing process he went through to get past a difficult time in his life.

Keep reading to learn exactly what the lyrics to Southern Cross mean, along with some other interesting facts about the song and the album on which it is included.

 

Southern Cross Lyrics And Meaning

Southern Cross was written by Stephen Stills, Rick Curtis, and Michael Curtis. It was released in 1982 on the album titled Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills & Nash. It reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1982 and stayed there for three weeks.

Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) is a supergroup that was formed by members of The Byrds (Crosby), Buffalo Springfield (Stills), and The Hollies (Nash). They were often joined by Neil Young.

Each of them had been successful within their previous bands and decided to join after discovering that their united voices had a very special quality that led to the wonderful harmonies they gave us on their recordings. In the case of Southern Cross, they were also joined by Art Garfunkel and Timothy B. Schmit.

CSN are famous for a lot of infighting and disagreements among the members. At the time they were recording Daylight Again, Crosby’s behavior had deteriorated to the point that Stills and Nash were initially going to record this new album alone.

Even in their most recent joint works, Crosby’s compositional level had dropped alarmingly. In fact, in several songs, other vocalists participate in the choirs. One notable participant was Art Garfunkel, who at that time would soon hold his legendary reunion (and farewell) concert with Paul Simon in New York’s Central Park.

In the end, Stills and Nash still called their partner and got him involved, so that the album could carry the legendary name of the trio. After all, that was what the record company preferred. In any case, Crosby’s contribution is small and hardly affects the final result.

The irresistible vocal melodies of Southern Cross, both in the verses and in the chorus, also bring back memorable moments of the trio, such as some verse endings where the voices come together to convey an enthusiasm that seemed to have been forgotten over the years.

When they bring the sharp guitar back to the fore as in Too Much Love To Hide, that’s when they don’t fail. Of course, the vocal section must also be up to the task.

And this aspect, they do not disappoint either. The song also shows us the serious, precise, and deeply emotional style that Stephen achieved in his most inspired moments of the seventies.

 

Southern Cross Lyrics

Verse 1

Got out of town on a boat, going to Southern islands
Sailing a reach before a following sea
She was making 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 the 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

Pre-Chorus

(I think about)
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices calling
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten (I’ve been around the world)

Chorus

I have been around the world (Looking)
Looking for that woman-girl
(And I know she knows)
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will

Verse 2

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
‘Cause the truth you might be running 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-dying
And my love is an anchor tied to you
Tied with a silver chain
I have my ship
And all her flags are a-flying
She is all that I have left
And music is her name

Pre-Chorus

(I think about)
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices calling
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten (I’ve been around the world)

Chorus

I have been around the world (Looking)
Looking for that woman-girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
And you know it will
(Yes)

Verse 3

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
In the Southern Cross

 

Southern Cross Meaning

Going on a trip is a good way to reset your life, especially when you do it after a traumatic experience. Southern Cross tells us the story of precisely such a journey, undertaken by Stephen Stills after his divorce.

He embarked on a sailboat and as he sails, he mentions the places he visits, such as Papeete, Avalon, and the Marquesas. He also mentions the journey within himself, in which he opens his heart and shares the feelings that he harbors after the separation.

It is both a frank description of what his heart holds towards his former partner and what he hopes for in his own life. Although he has suffered a sad heartbreak, hope blooms again.

He continues to look towards the horizon, where he knows he will find that woman who will make him happy again.

His destination, if it can be called that, is the Southern Cross. It is a constellation, actually called Crux, that gives its name to the song.

The story of the song tell us that Stills tried to call his love after their failed marriage, but she did not answer. This was a trigger for him to embark on a boat and sail away.

The winds carried the boat to he South Pacific, where Stills remembered why his lover left him. He wonders if love can endure. He comes to the conclusion that love will happen again:

I have been around the world (Looking)
Looking for that woman-girl
(And I know she knows)
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will

While on the boat, he often looked at the Southern Cross, a constellation of stars that sailors often use to navigate. The constellation is so huge that it makes problems seem so small.

In that vastness, a new story is about to happen for sure. He is leaving all the love and pain anchored to his woman, thus sailing away into new beginnings:

So I’m sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a-dying
And my love is an anchor tied to you
Tied with a silver chain
I have my ship
And all her flags are a-flying
She is all that I have left
And music is her name

The final verse is an epiphany in which Stills comes to terms with the whole situation. They were both unfaithful and cruel. They just were not meant to be. She will find someone else. He will also. He will find the one who can help him forget about his lost love.

What makes Southern Cross so memorable are the vocal harmonies that generate a sweet and melancholic feeling. They reflect the pain and hope of its author and the union of both feelings is a fundamental part of the piece. It is one of the best songs about sailing you will ever hear.

And the theme of a journey as a vehicle for healing is universal. There are many other examples, like the the introspective and sincere Ghost Rider, by the recently deceased Neil Peart, Rush’s drummer.

 

Southern Cross Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Crosby, Stills and Nash rarely got together in the early 80s, but when they did, it always demonstrated the synergy between them. They complemented each other and achieved a higher level by working together than they did separately.

In Crosby’s case, it was more than obvious that the man wasn’t there to do much but lend his name to the recording. In fact, a few years later he would end up in jail for drugs, guns, outrage, and who knows what else.

But Stills and Nash do deserve praise for providing us with a well-cared-for and thoughtful album that continued to uphold the artistic prestige of the trio of friends.

One only has to think that the following year Nash would momentarily return with the Hollies to record a painful reunion album, without a single original composition.

Plus, it was the eighties. It’s certainly good news for us that they did not succumb to the musical fashions of the moment, and instead continued to bet on their own style.

If you like this song, the lyrics to Landslide have a similar meaning. Stevie Nicks was also grappling with relationship issues when writing them and was facing large decisions about her future.

For another tune about a trip, a far, far longer one, check out our article analyzing the Rocket Man lyrics meaning.

Another song dealing with a huge change tackles nothing less than the changing of the world. This article discussing the lyrics and meaning of American Pie by Don McLean has more.