Born in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. In 1961, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division; he was granted an honorable discharge the following year. Soon afterward, he moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, and began playing gigs on the Chitlin' Circuit, earning a place in the Isley Brothers' backing band and later with Little Richard, with whom he continued to work through mid-1965. He then played with Curtis Knight and the Squires before moving to England in late 1966 after being discovered by Linda Keith, who in turn interested bassist Chas Chandler of the Animals in becoming his first manager. Within months, Hendrix had earned three UK top ten hits with the Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", and "The Wind Cries Mary". He achieved fame in the U.S. after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and in 1968 his third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, reached number one in the U.S.; it was Hendrix's most commercially successful release and his first and only number one album. The world's highest-paid performer, he headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, before his accidental death from barbiturate-related asphyxia on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27.
Hendrix was inspired musically by American rock and roll and electric blues. He favored overdriven amplifiers with high volume and gain, and was instrumental in utilizing the previously undesirable sounds caused by guitar amplifier feedback. He helped to popularize the use of a wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock, and was the first artist to use stereophonic phasing effects in music recordings. Holly George-Warren of Rolling Stone commented: "Hendrix pioneered the use of the instrument as an electronic sound source. Players before him had experimented with feedback and distortion, but Hendrix turned those effects and others into a controlled, fluid vocabulary every bit as personal as the blues with which he began."
Hendrix was the recipient of several music awards during his lifetime and posthumously. In 1967, readers of Melody Maker voted him the Pop Musician of the Year, and in 1968, Rolling Stone declared him the Performer of the Year. Disc and Music Echo honored him with the World Top Musician of 1969 and in 1970, Guitar Player named him the Rock Guitarist of the Year. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Rolling Stone ranked the band's three studio albums, Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland, among the 100 greatest albums of all time, and they ranked Hendrix as the greatest guitarist and the sixth greatest artist of all time.
All Along the Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief
Business men, they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody offered his word
Hey, hey
No reason to get excited
The thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But, uh, but you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us stop talkin' falsely now
The hour's getting late, hey
Hey
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Well, uh, outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl, hey
All along the watchtower
All along the watchtower
Jimi Hendrix's song All Along the Watchtower is a song that is typically interpreted as confronting the social and political dilemmas of the society during the 1960s. The lyrics, "There must be some kind of way outta here, said the joker to the thief" suggests that the singer is questioning the realities of life, and how to overcome them. The joker represents confusion and the thief represents deceitfulness, and they both want to find a way out of the confusion they are experiencing. The singer continues to explain that "business men drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth", which indicates the social classes and how they were not equal, and the rich controlled the poor.
The second verse continues with the theme of social injustice, and the confusion surrounding the purpose of life. The thief speaks again, stating "there are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke". However, despite the confusion and the belief that life is a joke, the singer explains that they have been through this before and that it is not their fate to continue living in confusion. They urge everyone to stop talking falsely, because time is running out.
In the third verse, Hendrix describes the scene at the watchtower, where princes keep watch while barefoot servants come and go. The wildcat's growl in the distance is an ominous sign, and as two riders approach, the wind begins to howl. The watchtower could symbolize a place of power, where those in charge keep an eye on everything that is going on, yet they are seemingly ignorant to the social injustices happening around them.
Overall, All Along the Watchtower is a commentary on the social and political atmosphere of the 1960s, with a focus on the confusion and injustices that people faced. The lyrics suggest that there is a need for change and for people to stop talking falsely while time is running out.
Line by Line Meaning
There must be some kind of way outta here
The singer is desperately looking for a way to escape from their current situation.
Said the joker to the thief
The singer is addressing someone who is not trustworthy or reliable.
There's too much confusion
The situation is unclear and difficult to understand.
I can't get no relief
The artist is unable to find any comfort or peace in their current circumstances.
Business men, they drink my wine
The artist is being taken advantage of by people in power.
Plowmen dig my earth
The singer's work is being taken for granted by others who benefit from it.
None will level on the line
No one wants to work together to solve the problem.
Nobody offered his word
No one is making a promise or commitment to help.
No reason to get excited
The artist is trying to remain calm and level-headed in the midst of chaos.
The thief, he kindly spoke
Even someone who is not trustworthy can be compassionate and understanding.
There are many here among us
Others are in the same difficult situation as the singer.
Who feel that life is but a joke
Some people may see life as meaningless or not worth taking seriously.
But, uh, but you and I, we've been through that
The singer and the person they are addressing have experienced similar struggles in the past.
And this is not our fate
The singer is hopeful that their situation will not be permanent.
So let us stop talkin' falsely now
It's important to be honest and direct in order to solve the problem.
The hour's getting late, hey
Time is running out to find a solution.
Princes kept the view
People in positions of power are watching over the situation, but not necessarily taking action to help.
While all the women came and went
People who are more vulnerable or marginalized are being overlooked or ignored.
Barefoot servants, too
Even those who are doing the most menial and difficult work are being disregarded and mistreated.
Well, uh, outside in the cold distance
Something is happening far away from where the artist is currently situated.
A wildcat did growl
Something dangerous or unpredictable is happening.
Two riders were approaching
Two unknown individuals are coming closer.
And the wind began to howl, hey
The situation is becoming more intense and emotionally charged.
All along the watchtower
The artist is observing the situation from a position of relative safety, but is still unable to take action to change it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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