It's been a long time that this song was written. One of my favorites of CSN. The song was written by David Crosby, recorded on the 1st Crosby, Stills, and Nash album, that was released in 1969 on the Atlantic Records label. It spawned two Top 40 hit singles, \"Marrakesh Express\" and \"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,\" which peaked respectively at #28 the week of August 23, 1969, and at #21 the week of December 6, 1969, on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The album itself peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.
The album was a very strong debut for the band, instantly lifting them to stardom. Along with the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and The Band's Music from Big Pink of the previous year, it helped initiate a sea change in popular music away from the ruling late-1960s aesthetic of bands playing blues-based rock music on loud guitars. Crosby, Stills & Nash presented a new wrinkle in building upon rock's roots, utilizing folk, blues, and even jazz without specifically sounding like mere duplication. Not only blending voices, the three meshed their differing strengths, David Crosby for social commentary and atmospheric mood pieces, Stephen Stills for his diverse musical skills and for folding folk and country elements subtly into complex rock structures, and Graham Nash for his radio-friendly pop melodies, to create an amalgam of broad appeal. The album features some of their best known songs: \"Helplessly Hoping\", \"Long Time Gone\" (a response to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy), \"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes\" (composed for Judy Collins) and \"Wooden Ships\".
The group performed songs from the album at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969
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Long Time Gone Am (5.fret) D (7.fret)
It's been a long time comin'
It's gonna be a long time gone
And it a[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [D]long time
Yes, a long, long, long, long time before the dawn
Turn, turn any corner
And hear, What your friends and your neighbor
might have to say
Something, something, something's goin' on around here
Surely, surely, sur_ely we can't stand the light of the day
And it a[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long (yes it does)
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long (mm)
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [D]long time
Such a long, long,long, long time before the dawn
Speak out [BREAK], you got to speak out against the madness
You got to speak your mind, if you still dare
But don't, don't, don't, don't try to get yourself elected, no
And_if_you !do !for !play this time,
you had better cut your hair
And it a[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [D]long time
Yes, a long, long, long, long time before the dawn
[SOLO]
It's been a lo--ng ti--me com--in'
It's going to be a lo--ng ti--me go--ne (Long time gone)
But you know your darkest hour now
Is always, always before your dawn
And it a[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]long
A[Am]ppears to [G]be a [D]long time gone
Now it's time, now it's time! [BREAK]
And it a[Am]ppears to [G]be a [Fmaj7]lo---ng
[rrrring] - Am!
