Stephen Stills - It Doesn't Matter Lyrics






Fallin' and spinnin'
Losin' and winnin'
Keepin' my head

Watchin' for signals
Wearisome vigil
Was I misled
I remember you said that you
Don't want to forget me
It doesn't matter
Which of our fantasies fled

Every tomorrow
Lookin' to borrow
A piece of today

Run a bit faster
Here comes the catcher
Makin' his play
You had better not stay
You will soon be surrounded
It doesn't matter
Which of our fantasies fled

Lonely and winsome
Calling for someone
Living right now

Something is shallow
Ugly and hollow
Doesn't even allow
You to want to know how you might
Live for the living and
Give for the giving. Living
Moment by moment
One day at a time
It doesn't matter
It's nothin' but dreamin' any how





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Stephen Stills It Doesn't Matter Comments
  1. s.... ....

    Stills genius lyrics are on full display here. They are at once deeply personal and totally universal. One of the great wordsmiths of our time.

  2. G.... S....

    I was fortunate to see Manassas in concert about this time in Portland Oregon. They kicked ass ... definitely one of the best concerts I saw during that time

  3. -.... X....

    Manassas is its own music genre

  4. c.... z....

    Joe LaLa, "the bongo-boy of Boulder." RIP.

  5. c.... m....

    One of the greatest albums of the 70's and the last 50 years.

  6. B.... ....

    The best band Stephen was ever in imho.

  7. M.... G....

    Absolutely love this song. Stephen Stills is a musical genius and what a talented band around him.

  8. K.... Q....

    Stephen Stills AND Chris Hillman, top that

  9. M.... S....

    Stills, Stills, Stills.

  10. B.... B....

    always loved Stephen stills from buffalo springfield on to manassas and CSNY,wonderful song writer .

  11. M.... C....

    Manassas was incredible

  12. j.... l....

    So many excellent musicans in this band. Great album!

  13. m.... r....

    MASTER SONG WRITER&GUITARIST🎸🎸👍

  14. n.... ....

    The greatest song about impulsive romance ever written?

  15. R.... K....

    Underrated band

  16. D.... G....

    STEVEN STILLS was a musical genius,,the structure of his songs are greatness,,very underrated band

  17. W.... H....

    One of the greatest double Albums of all time! MONASSAS is Epic!

    W.... H....

    William H. Baird monassas

  18. s.... ....

    Spectacular

  19. D.... G....

    MANASSAS was a very underrated band,Stills in my mind was the most diverse musicians of all time

    D.... G....

    I totally agree with you. And playing with Hendrix and Clapton too? And no one could or can play Acoustic guitar like him

  20. D.... S....

    RIP, Dallas Taylor and Joe Lala. Two fine renaissance men, accomplished in music and more.

  21. G.... Y....

    Pure genius! Best band of the 70s.

  22. P.... R....

    RIP Joe Lala

  23. J.... R....

    Somebody (TV channel or TV Network) should bring back this concept of current talent that is out there instead of some of these crappy "Reality" shows! Of course Top 40 radio was the driving force for a lot of these top bands. Who still listens to the over-the-air radio anymore? In my digital collection most albums are 30-40 years old so I rarely hear what is truly out there and is worth investing in. I am old too (62). Set in my ways. I also happen to be an amateur musician so I am biased to musicians who play guitar and appreciate a good rhythm section too.

  24. h.... r....

    good observation robert

  25. J.... ....

    Collins, the inspiration of the best works of Stills; Suite Judy Blue Eyes, Helplessly Hoping.

  26. F.... P....

    Saw them in concert in. Germany while I was active army

  27. R.... T....

    Best band Stills was in, just my opinion.

  28. R.... B....

    Love ❤️ the sound of the 2 Gretch Guitars. It’s makes the long. Firefall doesn’t use them that why this is Stills typical great sound. Please take note to this fact.

  29. T.... ....

    More cowbell!!!

  30. T.... ....

    Stephen Stills: lead vocals, guitar (CSNY, ex-Buffalo Springfield)
    Chris Hillman: vocals, guitar (ex-Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers)
    Al Perkins: steel pedal guitar, backing vocals (ex-Gram Parsons and Flying Burrito Brothers)
    Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels: bass, backing vocals (ex-CSNY and John Sebastian, America)
    Paul Harris: keyboards (performed sessions and toured with John Sebastian during 1968-71, and sessions for B.B. King during 1969-70)
    Dallas Taylor: drums (ex-Clear Light, CSNY and John Sebastian)
    Joe Lala: percussion, backing vocals (ex-Blues Image and Pacific Gas & Electric)

    T.... ....

    I haven't found out yet but I thought Joe Lala worked with Joe Walsh some I just went interweb looking and I think Joe Walsh's first album after he left James Gang was "Brainstorm" Guess who was giving session credit? Paul Harris and Al Perkins! There are all sorts of connecting lines of 1960's and 1970's musicians that worked together once they became more well known. Maybe not to us( we are a fickle group in the first place) but people who made good music. IE record producers and music engineers. I think living close to the same geographical area Colorado_California may have contributed to the use of the same people too!

    T.... ....

    You are sooo right! In the late '60s & '70s, there was a lot of "musical cross-pollination" going on in in the biz, in SoCal in particular, & throughout the entire West Coast as a whole: You had the same groups of sessions musicians, you had lots of guest appearances on each other's albums, & many groups created from the ashes of other bands.

  31. m.... s....

    What a fantastic band

  32. G.... T....

    A Borrowed Time favorite...

  33. G.... H....

    I have that whole concert somewhere one of my favorites.

  34. M.... H....

    His guitar and his voice along with his writing ability. Underestimated!

  35. T.... C....

    Great song. I'd take Manassas over CSN any day.

  36. G.... T....

    wow, time warp. miss those days.

  37. P.... J....

    one of my favorite albums ever, Stills at his best! every song on this double album is great!

  38. F.... F....

    Jo Lala never can make the Roots; he'd be snuffed.

  39. S.... K....

    This song is too short..... it needs to go on for at least 20 more minutes *smile*

  40. M.... ....

    Chriss HIllman, along with Rick Roberts co-wrote this hit. It looks like Chris playing in this video.

    M.... ....

    + MyFutbol14  - yes that is Chris -- in front!  After years of quiet hiding with the Byrds.  And smiling, too :).. nice change

  41. Q.... C....

    <3 :) QC

  42. r.... e....

    Dan Fogelbergs version is better

    r.... e....

    i luv dan even more than stephen, but no, this is way better.

  43. M.... ....

    Great Music !

  44. M.... A....

    always loved

  45. K.... P....

    boy takes you back

    K.... P....

    does it ever !.. 45+ years... god how old ARE we haha

  46. K.... Q....

    I wore out the record playing this song so much! A blast from the past

    K.... Q....

    So did I..... I had a cassette and the tape finally broke

    K.... Q....

    They weren't together long, the one album, but I did see them in person, Stanford University gym

  47. D.... B....

    Fantastic piece of music , I take it to heart

  48. I.... A....

    Classic Rock

  49. M.... J....

    Who wrote the song? Bassist Chris Hillman gives the answer in his book 'Hot Burritos'' (2008): ''Rick Roberts name should have been on the Manassas credits but was accidentilly left off. Rick Roberts and I wrote the original version in the Flying Burrito Brothers. Stephen (Stills) heard it and thought the words needed a little more depth so he and I wrote a new version with all new lyrics other than the ''It Doesnt Matter'' line at the end of each chorus. Rick was always a part of that song and a one-third partner in its creation''

    M.... J....

    Thanks for this background :)

    M.... J....

    I was listening to the Greatest Hits of Firefall this morning. Microsoft Media Player shows who the composer was for each song. I was surprised to see Rick Roberts, Chris Hillman and Stephen Stills as credited as a composer for the song.
    I knew that Hillman and Roberts where in the Flying Burrito Brothers but I could not understand the Stills connection. I then thought about Manassas because Stills and Hillman were in that group together. So after hearing the Firefall version of this song I came to Youtube to her Manassas version. It may just be me but I think Firefall version is better. When you are use to a particular group singing(recorded) a song it is hard not to compare it to a different arrangement. It reminds me of Anne Murray's cover of a Beatle song. I think her arrangement was better than the original.

  50. B.... H....

    ... great song - uses similar chords from Buffalo Springfield and Stills' Rock and Roll Woman. Never realized how much timbale/percussionist Joe Lala looks like Greg Brady from Brady Bunch. Fantastic band.

    B.... H....

    You are right brother he does look like Greg Brady lol

    B.... H....

    Slight similarity to Rock and Roll Woman, but just not as much as a punch in the heart ....

    B.... H....

    Good eye, Bill. Joe Lala rockin' that "Brady Bunch" perm!

  51. f.... ....

    I love the way they look outlined too...So 1970s!!

  52. T.... T....

    Classic song with lyrics that are timeless !  When you know that you are right with life, all the B.S. doesn't matter in HOW YOU MUST CONTINUE with life day to day.

  53. A.... B....

    AMAZING

  54. F.... N....

    Love this song, still!

  55. R.... W....

    many outstanding musicians here, not just stills and hillman

    R.... W....

    Manassas was an extraordinary band.  Just watching them here -- so much passion and delight, all of them.  Samuels, Lala, Hillman, Perkins, amazing sparkle and intensity.  Stephen Stills is one of the best guitarists of all time.  Phenomenal.  Sad that they only lasted a short time.

    R.... W....

    Right on ! The most amazing might be Paul Harris - Keyboards . He arranged the strings on BB Kings Thrill is gone , John Sebastian"s first solo album , Strings and horns on the Doors Soft Parade album , played piano and organ on Bob Segar"s against the wind , Nick Drake, Dan Fogelberg , simply Red , Souther Hillman Furay band !

    R.... W....

    thanks for the information. I am always looking for insight of other band members contributions to music in general. In reality youtube is a massive database in its own right. Knowledgeable people giving insight. I think that this little tidbits are missing in today's digital world. The old albums usually had listings of all the musicians who contributed to the album or a single piece of music. Now (if this type of information tickles your musical funny-bone) you have to search multiple places to find out the information.

    R.... W....

    you can see the steal guitar guy being eyed ,,,,take it easy .. i see it

    R.... W....

    wow what

  56. S.... L....

    "RICK ROBERTS" , also a CO-WRITER of
    this Song,"IT DOESN'T MATTER", Recorded This Song with "HIS ORIGINAL LYRICS" and did a much Better Version with His Band "FIREFALL" in the 70s. Rick has a Unique Writing Style & Lyricism Gift that Nobody can Copy ♡

    S.... L....

    +Sherri Lynn Gaffney Rick Roberts is great, but he's no Stephen Stills.

    S.... L....

    It is always a matter of Opinion. I take each artist in his own right and environment. Stephen Stills has been more front and center and has been in good bands THAT were more accepted by the listening public. Rick Roberts songs IMHO are just as good as Stephen Stills. But his music may not be as well known or maybe as well received. Interesting tidbit . Firefall along with Manassas and Poco were inducted in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame the same year 2015. Evidently their original home base areas appreciate all of these fine musicians contributions!

  57. S.... P....

    Excellent "live" version! Great song!

  58. m.... ....

    Nothing like a Brown face Fender.

    m.... ....

    marg0507 ,or a Fender Bassman piggyback with two 15s in a baffled cabinet. Marshalls are like an Italian sports car ,they're very sensitive actually.

  59. C.... T....

    RIP Dallas!

    C.... T....

    And RIP Joe Lala, on tambales. The best percussionist ever.

  60. S.... P....

    RIP to the late, great Dallas Taylor! 
    May divine winds guide you on your journey. <3

    S.... P....

    And Joe Lala died in late 2014. RIP 

  61. N.... C....

    This is fantastic.

  62. M.... ....

    Love this band.  Why can't we have new music along these lines?

  63. R.... ....

    McGuinn Clark and Hillman did a great version of this on tour in 1978.  There's a great radio broadcast from Sydney 1978 that features this "Byrds" version.

  64. D.... H....

    Awesome

  65. P.... O....

    Talented bunch

  66. l.... ....

    Love those White Falcons!

  67. F.... ....

    what a awesome group of musicians

  68. D.... R....

    Joe Lala on timbales.

    D.... R....

    RIP Joe

    D.... R....

    Joe Lala was a Tampa, Florida boy, like Stephen Stills was, for a while as boy. Lala was prolific studio musician. He played here in Tampa with a band called Blues Image with Mike Pinera, another Tampa native. Their song 'Ride, Captain, Ride' got a lot of radio play.

  69. L.... ....

    The bassist is Calvin 'Fuzzy' Samuels. 

    L.... ....

    I knew Fuzzy back in the 70s down in Coconut Grove Florida. Nice guy.

    L.... ....

    @dale hill
    That's really cool.  He's Jamaican, isn't he?  I wonder what he's been doing all these years.

  70. b.... ....

    I've done numerous gigs and a few sessions with Paul Harris, who's playing keyboards on this

    b.... ....

    bobgaffneymusic there’s some percussive Hammond work on this album that’s amazing.. if you see him tell him...it’s awesome

  71. b.... ....

    I love Stephen Stills and Chris Hillman......but lyrically Rick Roberts version is superior from a songwriting perspective.....Rick told me the story on how this actually went down with Stills

    b.... ....

    Nice Buddhist awareness regardless of who wrote the lyrics. 

    b.... ....

    Notice the 2 Gretch’s that the sound that distinguishes it.

  72. G.... K....

    Fallin' and spinnin'
    Losin' and winnin'
    Keepin' my head
    Watchin' for signals
    Wearisome vigil, was I misled?
    I remember you said that you
    Don't want to forget me
    It doesn't matter
    Which of our fantasies fled
    Every tomorrow
    Lookin' to borrow
    A piece of today
    Run a bit faster
    Here comes the catcher, makin' his play
    You had better not stay
    You will soon be surrounded
    It doesn't matter
    Which of our fantasies stay
    Lonely and winsome
    Calling for someone
    Livin' right now
    Somethin' is shallow
    Ugly and hollow
    Doesn't even allow
    You to want to know how you might
    Live for the livin'
    And give for the givin', moment by moment
    One day at a time
    It doesn't matter
    It's nothin' but dreamin' any how
     

    Songwriters
    ROBERTS/STILLS/HILLMAN

  73. j.... ....

    I believe Steven grew up partly in Venezuela. His dad was a Diplomat and hence the interest in Latin rhythms.

    j.... ....

    +josebcruz Very close. He spent time in Panama and Costa Rica, the latter of which he actually recorded and released his first song as a professional musician in.

    j.... ....

    Steven Stills also grew up in Tampa, Florida. A strong Latin influenced city in the old days. (Cigar manufacturing in Ybor City.) Stills father was in the Army.

  74. D.... D....

    Dear Mr.Stargeeks:
    About your question regarding the song “It Doesn’t Matter”, this is what I found:
    "'It Doesn't Matter' apparently matters quite a bit to those around its writing. Two versions of the song were recorded in the 1970s. Of course, this version by Stephen Stills & Manassas, which Stills co-authored with Chris Hillman. Hillman had most recently departed from the Flying Burrito Brothers, and was an outstanding addition to Manassas. He could play multiple instruments as well as be a veteran talent that didn’t require the spotlight. Hillman recorded his own rendition on one of his recent albums, 2005’s “The Other Side”. 

    But, back in the 1970s, after the demise of the Burritos, one of its latter day members, Rick Roberts, toured with Stills & Manassas. Stills was inspired by Roberts’ song “Colorado”
    from the last Burrito studio album and wrote a song of the same name (but totally different) for the first Manassas album. Roberts wrote the lyrics to a version of “It Doesn’t Matter” that appeared on the debut album of his new group, Firefall, in 1976. It was a much sweeter, sentimental version, better suited to Roberts’ voice and style." 

    See this link:
    http://www.last.fm/music/Manassas/_/It+Doesn%27t+Matter

    Now you know.

    As much as I love Firefall and Rick Roberts' wonderful vocals, I still prefer Manassas' rendition of the song. I also find the lyrics of this later version more haunting.

    Cheers, Dave

    D.... D....

    I think Firefall's lyrics are much more romantic than the Manassas lyrics. Firefall''s lead guitar break in the song is absolutely incredible. I saw Firefall open for Heart in 1976, to a very small crowd in St Pete, Florida. They were note perfect, promoting their first album. I had come for Firefall, and I was a little embarrassed staying for Heart because they were such a pop band. Firefall was well worth the price of admission.

  75. v.... ....

    what a great band....thanks

  76. M.... S....

    A rare classic! Stephen Stills is a un sung hero in Rock music.

    M.... S....

    Mark Sassak Jr Not back then. Stills was at the top in the early 70's.

  77. M.... A....

    Search for "Stills, 1975" and you'll find it at Amazon. His live album that same year and also on Columbia Records is an essential element as well.

  78. M.... E....

    agreed! I put him in the category of Paul McCartney and the Boss and Eric Clapton.

  79. M.... ....

    Does anyone know why the Firefall version has totally different lyrics?

  80. i.... ....

    Beautiful, beautiful song.

  81. J.... M....

    Is that Dallas Taylor on Bass

    J.... M....

    No Dallas Taylor on drums

  82. H.... B....

    Neil Young gets glory because he deserves it, their both awesome but shouldn't be a downer on the light of Young.

  83. a.... s....

    Cuban bluegrass baby !!!!!!!

  84. H.... ....

    He put the "S" in CSN&Y.....It DOES matter. One of my all time favorites!!

  85. V.... ....

    BRILLIANT SONG.

  86. E.... D....

    The best songwriter in the world - Stephen Stills!

  87. m.... l....

    truly mr stills at his best. next song johnny's garden.

  88. m.... l....

    bleeding throat. mid season break. here comes the catcher. song about baseballl?? olympia detroit july 71.

  89. J.... G....

    Absoloutely fan gig I saw them at wembley and have the double album amd i rememner the white guiitar and Piano

  90. D.... C....

    Amazing high quality for this video. Great work! Wonderful music.

  91. y.... f....

    sounds nice!

  92. J.... C....

    Love this album!!

  93. T.... ....

    Glad it wasn't- love every song on that sprawling masterpiece..Wouldn't be the same:)

  94. R.... M....

    Stephen Stills is the king of music

  95. P.... F....

    Oh to be 17 again

  96. S.... C....

    Two Gretsch Falcons on one stage ! Where was this recorded?

  97. G.... c....

    My first ever concert at San Diego S.Arena way back in'72

  98. F.... M....

    love Stephen since from way back when

  99. h.... ....

    Excellent! Thank you for posting.