Red House
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
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There's a red house over yonder,
That's where my baby stays
Lord, there's a red house over yonder
Lord, that's where my baby stays
I ain't been home to see my baby
In ninety nine and one half days
Wait a minute, something's wrong here
The key won't unlock this door
Wait a minute, something's wrong, lord, have mercy
This key won't unlock this door,
Something's goin' on here
I have a bad bad feeling
That my baby don't live her no more
Well, I might as well go back over yonder,
Way back up on the hill
That's something to do
Lord, I might as well go back over yonder,
Way back yonder cross the hill
'Cause if my baby don't love me no more
I know her sister will
Yeah
The Jimi Hendrix Experience's song "Red House" tells the story of a man who has been away from his girlfriend or wife for 99 and a half days. He is excited to go see her at her red house over yonder, but when he arrives, he finds that the key won't unlock the door. Something doesn't feel right, and he suspects that his baby no longer lives there. He decides to leave and head back up the hill, resigning himself to the fact that if his baby doesn't love him anymore, he knows her sister will.
The song is widely interpreted to be about lost love and betrayal. The red house represents the love that the man once had, and it is significant that the key no longer works. In the first verse, we learn that the man hasn't seen his baby in 99 and a half days, which is a nod to the blues tradition of counting the days one has been away from a lover. The second verse adds to the sense of foreboding with the repeated phrase "something's wrong here," leading up to the suggestion that the man's baby may have left him for her sister.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah yeah!
An exclamation of excitement and enthusiasm
There's a red house over yonder,
Referring to a physical location where the singer's significant other resides
That's where my baby stays
Emphasizing that the singer's significant other is staying in that specific location
Lord, there's a red house over yonder
Using 'Lord' as an expression of frustration or surprise when repeating the previous line
Lord, that's where my baby stays
Reinforcing that the red house is where the artist's significant other is living
I ain't been home to see my baby
Admitting that the singer has not visited their significant other recently
In ninety nine and one half days
Providing a specific amount of time that the singer has not seen their significant other
Wait a minute, something's wrong here
Sensing that things are not as they should be
The key won't unlock this door
Unable to gain access to the location where the artist's significant other resides
Wait a minute, something's wrong, lord, have mercy
Using 'lord' and 'have mercy' to express deep concern
This key won't unlock this door,
Repeating the problem with the key and door
Something's goin' on here
Feeling that there is something happening that the artist is not aware of
I have a bad bad feeling
Expressions of heightened anxiety and unease
That my baby don't live her no more
Afraid that the singer's significant other is no longer at the red house
Well, I might as well go back over yonder,
Deciding to go back to the red house
Way back up on the hill
Providing a specific location for where the artist is going
That's something to do
Deciding to visit the red house because there is nothing else to do
Lord, I might as well go back over yonder,
Using 'Lord' to express frustration and disappointment
Way back yonder cross the hill
Repeating the specific location for emphasis
'Cause if my baby don't love me no more
Suggesting that the artist's significant other may not have feelings for them anymore
I know her sister will
Assuming that the significant other's sister will offer comfort or affection
Yeah
An exclamation of emphasis and approval
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
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