Crosby & Nash - Urge For Going Lyrics






When I awoke today and found the frost had perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky and gobbled summer down
And when the wind turns traitor cold
And shivering trees are standing naked in a row
I get the urge for going but I never seem to go

And I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And the summertime is falling down
And winter's closing in

I had a girl in summertime with summer colored skin
And not another man in town my darling's heart could win
But when the leaves fell tremblin' down
Bully winds did rub their faces in the snow
She got the urge for goin', and I had to let her go...

And I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And the summertime is falling down
And winter's closing in

Now the warriors of winter give a cold triumphant shout
All that stays is dying, all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight
Flapping and a-racing off before the snow
They got the urge for going and they've got the wings to go...

And I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And the summertime is falling down
And winter's closing in





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

Crosby & Nash Urge For Going Comments
  1. R.... S....

    This version sucks! Listen to the Joni original. Its like an angel from heaven singing....

  2. E.... ....

    Need to come see you, Graham! Concert schedule! Love this version!

  3. G.... A....

    Joni meets Eight Miles High

  4. D.... K....

    It is hard to find a better song than this - each verse is unique in its poetry. Joni Mitchell's voice makes each word's note and intonation unique... and conveys an emotional meaning. She was lucky to have friends, colleagues and lovers like Graham Nash and David Crosby. Looking back... I think she inspired the poetry of much of their work. Joni gives Graham credit for encouraging her to sick so many of the high notes we love in her voice - but, like Jacob Collier is doing now in England, Joni had such a full range of voice qualities that her intonation was like multiple instruments. In her interview she describes playing the angles of the resonance chambers of her cheekbone and forehead sinuses ... before she got ill. You can imagine Crosby and Nash didn't release this version of the song - when you compare it to the original. It would have been something if Joni sang it with them - - - and if we had footage of them talking and working it out.

  5. t.... ....

    It's not a contest people.

  6. W.... N....

    The rock n roll choirboys. Tom Rush's version is the best male version though.

  7. t.... t....

    My heart melts every time I hear this.

  8. P.... J....

    Play all the awesome versions with dreams I'll never see & can't find my way home in between....

  9. C.... W....

    Summer colored skin. Gr8 lyric.Neil was right; no one can touch her lyricwise.

  10. p.... d....

    Nice interpretation

  11. b.... ....

    Yes, a little bouncy. It's a nice version. Sounds like the Hollies. Chimey guitars. Graham being Holliesque.

    b.... ....

    Not sure what is meant by bouncy? If you hear Joni’s early versions of this tune the tempo is quite similar
    But yes, to me this is quintessential C&N

  12. R.... H....

    gives me da fall to winter mix feel √ good thots to contemplate, no matter who expresses it.............peace with all......

  13. t.... j....

    hey Gram and David stop fighting and being cold to each other you are friends and brothers dont let let the finality of death be the well spring of regret for your friction. Tyr to overcome whatever is driving you apart

  14. t.... j....

    what a beautiful cover of this song i wish the classic rock stations would pull stuff like this out and show people great stuff that they might not know or remember any more

  15. D.... G....

    Please advise- that is one drummer, a real timekeeper with nice touches - a pleasure- anyone know? no?

  16. R.... D....

    Courage of Lassie's version is way better, and Tom Rush's too.

  17. M.... K....

    I love Joni Mitchell's version. Love most everything by Crosby Nash Crosby Stills Nash Crosby Stills Nash and Young, but not this...they miss the yearning ache of what the song is all about. And I find Tom Rush's version just boring.

    M.... K....

    Tony Rice version is THE BEST version out there....trust me. He knows how to rework a tune like none other...with acoustic and piano...maybe bass...either way its dynamic and full of yearning ...

  18. t.... ....

    C&N had a fight in the middle of recording this, so this was never finished enough for release. On the CSN 1991 Boxed Set. In my Joni playlist with her studio version, a live version she did on CBC TV a year before she recorded it and four more cover versions. Thanks for the upload!

  19. C.... M....

    Anything by Crosby Stills and Nash cannot be bad. And Joni's composition is brilliant. But as others have said, Tom Rush's version still stands as far away the best .... so poignant, beautiful. This is too bouncy an arrangement.

    C.... M....

    Tony Rice has the best version . I'm serious. he reworked the Tom Rush version....its amazing...the piano player on it nails the mood....

    C.... M....

    Check out Courage of Lassie's version, as good as Tom's, really.

    C.... M....

    I like bouncy. This is perfect amount of bouncy and harmony. Prefer the Joni version over Tom Rush also.

    C.... M....

    very fine took

    C.... M....

    @Andrew Halliday Music Sorry the Rush version is of its time. Joni's is timeless

  20. i.... ....

    Awesome cover! No bland rehash, these guys make the song their own. So cool.

    i.... ....

    They covered this song like a boss. They owned it.

  21. D.... S....

    do not like.  joni's is worlds better.

    D.... S....

    +D Savage well they made up for it in spades with Joan's Woodstock.

  22. h.... ....

    Flomax: I have found the song for your next commercial...

    h.... ....

    @handsomerube Hilarious! I thought of that to!

    h.... ....

    +handsomerube ahhh....right to the toilet humor. My brother would be proud. Me being a lover of the folk sound and my brother being a lover of the fart sound.

  23. T.... F....

    Love that top harmony of Nash's!

  24. A.... W....

    Joni's version is the best of all. This sounds like the early 70s Byrds.

  25. w.... ....

    Awesome cover of a classic song. Prefer Tom Rush.

  26. d.... ....

    Agreed! Thanks for the tip on on Van Ronk's cover! And someone referred to a Tony Rice cover? Any others people want to mention?

  27. J.... S....

    It's such a great song that every version is good. My favorite is Dave Van Ronk's, although hard to find. He changes a few words e.g. "See the geese in chevron flight, straining & complaining on before the snow". Just beautiful.

    J.... S....

    I know you posted 6 years ago, but if you're still around, there are two renditions now under the "Dave von Ronk - Topic". I listened to both. Eh. I like DVR, but not really crazy about either of his versions of this. But then, I didn't really enjoy the C&N version here, either. Tom Rush is alright. But nothing beats Joni's pure simplicity, imo.

  28. F.... G....

    If the the Fleet Foxes could write something like this, this good, they'll be super famous and rich.

  29. T.... ....

    This is the definitive version of this song.

  30. a.... ....

    I first heard and fell in love with the version by Tom Rush. After that even Joni's original pales by comparison.

  31. b.... h....

    great song, great cover, thanks for posting this ,

  32. m.... ....

    Well, we got "Our House" out of it, so.....I'll give her a pass for hooking up with him. She did a lot of hooking up with various singer/songwriters back then.

  33. g.... b....

    @professormacdeezy shit dude, this is wrong for them. maybe if it was done by 1 of them it would be better.

    i love CSN! not a good song for them to cover, vocally at least.

  34. p.... ....

    @54taqiyya You suck

  35. j.... p....

    What a fantastic version!

  36. t.... ....

    this is great

  37. g.... b....

    this sucks

  38. M.... H....

    Aaah, the CSN (Ok, CN) harmonies, bliss. Never heard this version. You can't top Joni but this is great.

  39. B.... D....

    @5000loto Went to see Arlo in 1968 at a gymnasium at Xavier U ..Santana opened.. You're right ...those were the days

  40. J.... M....

    I saw Joni perform this at the Newport Folk Festival in”67? maybe 68, if I could remember exactly it would prove I wasn’t there - Arlo Guthrie also debuted “Alice’s Resturant” at the same event. Those were the days.

  41. M.... N....

    Joni is such an amazing song writer!! Sounds great in this version too :D

  42. d.... ....

    I agree that Joni's is probably the best, and I like Tom Rush's version (which was a minor radio hit I guess, back in '68), but I love this, too. Nice that we can have such different versions--it opens up different aspects of the song. What other versions are out there to be discovered?

  43. J.... E....

    Saw them at the Roundhouse when I was a nipper maybe age 2,3 or 4 performing as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Wish I could remember the darn gig! My Mum took me, she had a friend who would get us all in. Also saw Van Morrison and Pink Floyd. Also can't remember any of those gigs.

  44. A.... F....

    Love this tune! Use to have it in the CSN Box. "Bully winds would rub thier faces in the snow". They just don't writ'em like that anymore. Thanks Joni!

  45. 2.... ....

    One of Joni's best (and she has so many!) Not crazy about the bouyant, pop treatment here. Seems like Tom Rush, Tony Rice and of course Joni herself all understood this one better than David and Graham.

  46. R.... ....

    I had a girl in summertime....

  47. S.... R....

    @cpartilecoco
    yes... you're right... heaven is the right word.... its simply wounderfoul...

  48. Y.... D....

    crosby's verse ... his voice is heaven

  49. B.... B....

    It's great to discover buried treasure every now and then like this or Richard Thompson's version of 'Woodstock'

  50. T.... B....

    This song makes me wanna get high and I've never been high before.

  51. T.... B....

    Where was Stills :)

  52. B.... L....

    I never knew this existed! I've always thought these guys were the best interpreters of Mitchell songs. This is beautiful.

  53. S.... T....

    Best sleeper song by Crosby Nash most folks have never heard it judging by the low number of views. Our little secret!

  54. A.... F....

    I used to have the box, but it vanished like so many other things. I love this song! I have been trying to find it for months. Thanks for the post. Joni Mitchell, what a poet, Crosby and Nash, what artists.

  55. b.... ....

    @NewHopeNashFan

    Although this version of Joni Mitchell's great song (which was recorded back in "71 by David Crosby and Graham Nash) was never released, it later showed up on the CSN box set which which came out in '96. I like this version a lot - Crosby and Nash did a good job. Thanks for posting it