Maritime Metaphors: Southern Cross sung by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Today we begin a new series, Maritime Metaphors, in which we seek to explore maritime metaphors encountered every day in music, poetry, language--in the aspects of our everyday lives.  In our work with SF Maritime NHP's Collections, we bring these metaphors with us, and through this series we seek to explain, explore, and share the connections we find in the artifacts of yesterday with metaphors, similes, and images of our culture today.  --Ed.

Southern Cross sung by Crosby, Stills & Nash

(by Lisbit Bailey, Archivist and Pop Music Aficionado)

This song uses the Southern Cross as a metaphor for finding, navigating and losing love in the stars. The constellation of the Southern Cross has practical use as the key to navigation in the Southern Hemisphere.  The collections at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park contain artifacts and archival materials that reveal more about maritime navigation including SAFR 9333 Sextant, SAFR 18838 Orrery, SAFR 18849 Navigational Chart, SAFR 18940 Compass, SAFR 20696 Star Finder and SAFR 23806 (HDC 1649) Mary Janislawski papers. Enjoy!

Star Finder (SAFR 20696)

"Southern Cross"
sung by Crosby, Stills & Nash

[Introduction (Acoustic Guitars)]
Oooh ...

Got out of town on a boat goin' to Southern islands
Sailing a reach before a followin' sea
She was makin' 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

Think about
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me larger voices callin'
What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten

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

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small
But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin' day

So I'm sailing for tomorrow my dreams are a dyin'
And my love is an anchor tied to you tied with a silver chain
I have my ship and all her flags are a' flyin'
She is all that I have left and music is her name

Think about
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me larger voices callin'
What Heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten

(I've been around the world) I have been around the world
(Lookin') Lookin' for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will, and you know it will yes

[Instrumental (Electric Guitars)]
Oooh ...

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
At the southern cross

[Ending (Acoustic Guitars)]