The Story Behind David Crosby’s Salute to Music, Co-Written With Neil Young and Graham Nash

After the release of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s chart-topping Déjà Vu in 1970, each member released prominent solo albums. Stephen Stills followed it up with his self-titled debut that year, while Graham Nash released his debut Songs for Beginners a year later.

In 1971, David Crosby‘s debut solo album If I Could Only Remember My Name featured guests Joni Mitchell and Jerry Garcia, along with Nash and Neil Young, and went to No. 12 on the Billboard 200. On the album. Nash also plays guitar and sings backing vocals on tracks “Music Is Love,” “What Are Their Names,” “Traction in the Rain,” “Song with No Words,” “Tamalpais High,” and “Laughing.”

‘Everybody’s Saying That Music is Love’ 

If I Could Only Remember My Name opened with a simple ode to the universal force of music, “Music is Love,” which Crosby co-wrote with Nash and Neil Young, and released as the lead single.

Everybody’s saying music is love
Everybody’s saying it’s you know it is, mmm
Everyone yes everyone
Everyone’s saying music is love
Everybody’s saying that music is love (music is love)
Everybody’s saying it’s love (everybody’s saying it’s, yeah)
Everybody’s saying that music is love 

Put on your colors and run come see
Everybody says that music’s for free
Take off your clothes and lie in the sun
Everybody says that music’s for fun

[RELATED: Top 10 Songs Written by David Crosby]

Crosby’s Love for Music

Growing up, Crosby’s parents played classical and folk, expanded his scope of music into the Beatles, the Everly Brothers, Chet Baker, and more. “I probably heard the Brandenburg concertos 289 times by the time I was 6,” recalled Crosby in a 2013 interview. “But the very first 10-inch 33 LPs—we had several of those and they were the Weavers, Josh White, and a South African couple called Marais & Miranda. And soon thereafter, Pete Seeger was on his own. And soon thereafter, Odetta. They were folk music. That’s what my mom bought. So that’s what I was raised on.”

Crosby’s brother then turned him on to 1950s jazz. “I never went through the Elvis period,” said Crosby. “My brother turned me on to Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, that kind of thing. There was one radio act that punched through, which was the Everly Brothers.” He added, “Everly Brothers were a huge influence—huge—they just rang my bell. I loved their stuff. It was just too goddamn good. I loved harmony, right from the get-go.”

The Everly Brothers helped Crosby segue into folk. “I loved it, and that affected how I heard folk music when I started hearing folk music and groups, even ones as corny as the Limeliters,” said Crosby. “I liked the harmonies that they would do. And Peter, Paul & Mary were good: they weren’t corny, they were good. And then you start hearing the words that people were delivering.”

Photo: David Crosby performs during rehearsals on the premiere episode of the television show Music Scene on September 22, 1969 in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)