The band rattled to the middle of the Hot 100 in 1966 with You're Gonna Miss Me, anchored by Roky Erickson's unforgettable yelping vocals, Stacy Sutherland's guitar, and Tommy Hall's electric jug runs. According to myth, Tommy's jug was tuned by the amount of marijuana stored in it.
The group pioneered some of the first garage psychedelia on its albums The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators 1966, and the followup Easter Everywhere 1967.
However, Texas at that time was an extremely conservative area that still hadn't come to terms with 50's rock 'n' roll. The authorities and the police set out to bust the entire band for pot (and—not surprisingly—succeeded).
Stacy Sutherland was jailed. To avoid a prison term, Roky pleaded insanity—a misguided ploy that landed him in Rusk State Hospital for the criminally insane for 3 years. That turn of events spelled the end of the band, although there was a posthumous 1968 LP, Bull of the Woods.
Roky Erickson was released from hospital in 1973 and embarked upon a successful solo career that resulted in a CBS album produced by Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival. During the 1980s he struggled with mental illness and withdrew from public life for many years. However, in the 2000s he has re-emerged with one of his late 70s/early 80s backing bands, The Explosives, playing regular gigs including the Austin City Limits festival in September 2005, as well as Coachella in California, the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden and Montreal World Film festival in Canada.
On May 31, 2019, Roky Erickson passed away.
Reverberation
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is trapped inside your skin.
You want to leave,
But you believe you won't get back again.
You only know ,
You have to go but still you can't get out.
You try and try,
You're stopped by your own doubt.
Reverberation,
Reverberation.
You find no peace,
It doesn't cease,
It's deadly irritation.
It keeps you blind,
It's there behind,
Your every hesitation.
It holds your thought,
Your mind is caught,
Your fixed with fascination.
You think you'll die,
It's just a lie,
It's backward elevation!
Reverberation,
Reverberation.
You see reverberation,
In your latest incarnation,
You think it's a sensation,
But it's just reverberation.
You start to serve,
The downward curve,
That catches up your fears.
Each thing you do,
Comes home to you,
And pounds inside your ears.
Your start to fight against the night,
That screams inside your mind.
When something black it answers back,
And grabs you from behind!
Reverberation,
Echoing through your brain.
Reverberation,
Driving your mind insane.
Reverberation,
Causing your blood to drain,
Leaving just charred remains.
The song "Reverberation" by 13th Floor Elevators is a psychedelic rock masterpiece about the traps of the mind. The opening lines of the song are powerful, as they depict the feeling of being trapped inside one's mind and body. It is a song about the struggle to leave, but not being able to do so because of the fears and doubt that hold a person back. The song repeats the word "Reverberation" throughout the lyrics, which emphasizes the idea of being trapped or caught in a cycle.
The lyrics also talk about the deadly irritation that can come from feeling trapped in one's own thoughts. The idea of being blinded by the endless cycle of thoughts and hesitant actions is depicted as something that holds a person captive. The lyrics also talk about death and how it is merely a lie, something that is not real but can seem so when the mind is trapped in cycles of negative thoughts. The song ends with an image of a person being consumed by their thoughts until there is nothing left but charred remains.
The song's message is one that is still relevant today in a world where people are consumed by their thoughts and fears. The powerful imagery of being trapped in one's own mind, unable to escape the cycle of negative thoughts and doubts, is relatable to many. The song has become a classic in the world of psychedelic rock and is a must-listen for anyone interested in exploring the depths of the human mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you finally find your helpless mind,
You come to the realization that your mind is trapped and you cannot free yourself.
Is trapped inside your skin.
Your mind is confined within your own body.
You want to leave,
You desire to escape.
But you believe you won't get back again.
You fear that once you leave, you will never be able to return.
You only know ,
You understand that leaving is necessary.
You have to go but still you can't get out.
Despite your desire to leave, you cannot free yourself.
You try and try,
You attempt to escape.
You die and die.
Your failed attempts cause you great distress.
You're stopped by your own doubt.
Your hesitation and uncertainty prevent you from escaping.
Reverberation,
The persistent echo of your thoughts.
You find no peace,
You cannot find calm or tranquility.
It doesn't cease,
The echo of your thoughts continues without end.
It's deadly irritation.
The constant echo is a source of harm and discomfort.
It keeps you blind,
The echo prevents you from seeing clearly.
It's there behind,
The echo is always present but often unnoticed.
Your every hesitation.
The echo is tied to every moment of indecision.
It holds your thought,
The echo grips and controls your thoughts.
Your mind is caught,
Your thoughts are trapped and unable to escape.
Your fixed with fascination.
Despite the harm it causes, you remain transfixed with the echo.
You think you'll die,
You feel that the echo may kill you.
It's just a lie,
The idea that the echo will cause your death is a false belief.
It's backward elevation!
The echo is a form of regression and moving backwards.
You see reverberation,
The echo is ever-present and unavoidable.
In your latest incarnation,
You are experiencing the latest version of this echo.
You think it's a sensation,
You mistake the echo for a feeling or experience.
But it's just reverberation.
The echo is not a true sensation, but rather a persistent thought.
You start to serve,
The echo begins to control you.
The downward curve,
You begin to spiral downwards into despair.
That catches up your fears.
Your worst fears begin to catch up with you.
Each thing you do,
All of your actions.
Comes home to you,
All of your actions have consequences, and the echo reminds you of this fact.
And pounds inside your ears.
The echo is so persistent and overwhelming that it feels like it is physically pounding inside your head.
You start to fight against the night,
You begin to resist the echo and try to overcome it.
That screams inside your mind.
The echo is like a constant scream in your mind.
When something black it answers back,
When you try to resist the echo, you are met with darkness and negativity.
And grabs you from behind!
Your attempts to resist the echo are ultimately futile, and it continues to control you.
Echoing through your brain.
The echo is like an endless echo inside your mind.
Driving your mind insane.
The constant echo is slowly driving you mad.
Causing your blood to drain,
The echo is draining you of life and vitality.
Leaving just charred remains.
The echo leaves nothing but emptiness and destruction in its wake.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roger Erickson, Stacy Sutherland, Tommy Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind