Jackson Browne's 1972 Breakthrough Hit Features 2 Rock Legends Hidden In Plain Sight

In the mid-'60s, when Jackson Browne was just 16, he wrote a nearly perfect song that '70s artists jumped to cover, so it should come as no surprise that by 1971, when he was working on his debut album, two seasoned rock legends were happy to help sing back-up vocals for the self-titled LP's debut single, "Doctor My Eyes." Those guys were none other than David Crosby and Graham Nash, who by then were known for their work together as part of Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young), and before that, for being members of the bands the Byrds and the Hollies, respectively. 

Prior to embarking on his own album, Browne was an established songwriter who even co-wrote the Eagles song "Take It Easy" before he was ever famous. He was also part of the Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter set in California in the early '70s, so he tapped his buddy, Crosby, to contribute backing harmonies to his upcoming album. Nash heard some of the recordings of "Doctor My Eyes" and wanted to sing on it too. Browne told The Wall Street Journal, "That was the album's great break — having Crosby and Nash singing with me at a time when I was a totally unknown songwriter. It was quite a calling card at radio stations."

Jackson Browne released his debut album in 1972, with "Doctor My Eyes" as the first single. It climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard chart in May of that year, the first of many Hot 100 hits to come. The track was originally written on his grandfather's old piano, but during the writing process, Browne got an eye infection and had to go to the doctor, hence the song name. However, he told the WSJ that as he composed the lyrics, "The eye issue became a metaphor for lost innocence and for having seen too much." He wrote: "Doctor, my eyes have seen the years / And the slow parade of fears, without crying / Now I want to understand / I have done all that I could / To see the evil and the good without hiding / You must help me if you can."

It was that kind of creative vision that likely made the late David Crosby a fan. In 1970, Crosby sang Browne's praises, telling Rolling Stone, "I think Jackson Browne is one of the probably 10 best songwriters around, maybe ... The cat just sings rings around most people, and he's got songs that'll make your hair stand on end. He's incredible." As for Nash's part, as Browne told it to the WSJ, it was Nash's idea to contribute his vocals to "Doctor My Eyes" when they were deciding if it would be a good song to release as a single. "Graham said it might be — if he added a high harmony vocal," Browne recalled. The rest of the song came together with the help of various musicians that Browne knew, but with the name recognition of Crosby and Nash, Browne said, "that pretty much put me on the map," per Route Magazine.