Judee Sill led a life that was difficult, to say the least. Her music was largely overlooked in her time, and there were only two albums’ worth of it for people to hear. Yet what she did offer was extremely powerful and influential.
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“Jesus Was A Cross Maker” is her most well-known song, which arose from a breakup with another prominent singer-songwriter. It displayed her ability to make connections that other lyricists wouldn’t even attempt.
A Novel Approach
Judee Sill had already been in and out of reform school and jail by the time she came to record her first album in 1971. A rough childhood and drug addiction account for much of this duress. But Sill managed to develop as a songwriter of rare ability despite all the chaos within her personal life.
It made sense that she was one of the first targets of music impresario David Geffen when he started Asylum Records, which would be a haven for excellent songwriting talent. To show just how highly Sill was regarded on the West Coast scene, Graham Nash produced her self-titled 1971 debut, and David Crosby pitched in on guitar.
Sill chose “Jesus Was A Cross Maker” as her first single, as she recognized upon writing it that it was a special song. It originated with a breakup from JD Souther, who was also on his way to an impressive music career.
While dealing with the heartbreak of losing Souther, Sill read the book The Last Temptation Of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis. The book mentions that Jesus served as a carpenter who built crosses for the Romans to conduct their crucifixions. And it gave Sill a new context in which to view her failed romance.
Examining the Lyrics of “Jesus Was A Cross Maker”
When viewing her relationship through the lens of the book that he’d just read, Sill had a change of heart. Instead of hating Souther, she decided to forgive him. The example of Jesus convinced her that there was good in everyone, even those who once faltered in their lives.
“Jesus Was A Crossmaker” begins, appropriately, with a prayer: “Sweet silver angels over the sea,” Sill sings. “Please come down fly in low for me.” In the first verse, Sill retells the story of her breakup, complete with a reference to Souther’s “sweet song.” “But when I turned, he was gone,” she sings of the suddenness of his departure.
In the second verse, the narrator paints her ex as someone torn between benign and damaging impulses. On the one hand, he battles the devil, “A pistol at his side.” But he can’t quite banish the bad guy: “Fighting him, he lights a lamp, inviting him.”
The final verse describes the darkness enveloping the narrator in harrowing terms. “And either road’s looking grim,” she says of her options. But when the refrain comes around, the music takes an uplifting gospel turn. Sill sees her former lover’s struggles with new eyes. “He’s a bandit and a heartbreaker,” she sings. “Oh, but Jesus was a cross maker.”
Many Southern California contemporaries, including Cass Elliott, Linda Ronstadt, and Warren Zevon, covered this song over the years. It speaks to the influence that Judee Sill’s music has. Her life was brief and tinged with darkness. But songs like “Jesus Was A Cross Maker” find the light in the most unexpected places.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
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