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.
Roller Coaster
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His eyes were clear to see,
He put his thoughts into my mind,
And gave my self to be
He stopped me from living so unsane,
I could be just what I want to be
And things appear as they really are,
I can see just what I want to see
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Come on yeah!
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
So real it takes your breath away
It slides you through your point of view,
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
Your ride changes outside view,
While it glides you like a neon ray,
And you find you don't have to search for words,
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
Well come on, you gotta let it happen to you,
Come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
After your trip life opens up,
You start doing what you want to do
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
Gets what it has from you
No one can ever hurt you
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
And you're looking at the world
From brand new eyes,
And no one can ever spoil the view
Come on, and let it happen to you,
Hey, hey, hey come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Open up your mind,
And let everything come through
The song Roller Coaster by 13th Floor Elevators is a psychedelic rock anthem that encourages the listener to open their mind and let everything come through. The lyrics refer to a time when the singer met someone who had opened their mind and helped them stop living unsane. The person imparted their newfound knowledge and allowed the singer to see the world in a new light. The experience is likened to a roller coaster ride, where reality becomes distorted and the world becomes a neon ray. The ride changes the outside view but also changes the singer's internal worldview.
The song is a powerful anthem for the counterculture movement of the 1960s, which sought to expand consciousness and reject traditional societal norms. The roller coaster ride represents the journey of self-discovery and the breaking free from societal constraints. The lyrics encourage the listener to let go of their fears and embrace the unknown, which will open up new perspectives and opportunities. The overall message is that once you have gone on this journey, you can never go back to the way things were before.
Line by Line Meaning
Well once , somewhere, sometime ago
The story starts in the past with an indefinite time and place.
His eyes were clear to see,
The singer had an understanding and open-minded mentality
He put his thoughts into my mind,
The character influence or shared his way of thinking with the singer.
And gave my self to be
The character gave the artist a new way of being
He stopped me from living so unsane,
The character helped the artist to abandon a sense of madness and self-destructive behavior.
I could be just what I want to be
Through the character's guidance and intervention, the singer was enabled to be who they wanted to be.
And things appear as they really are,
The character's influence made the singer realize what's real and truthful.
I can see just what I want to see
Because of the character's lessons, the artist saw the positive in life and no longer dwelled on the negative.
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
The artist encourages people to open themselves up to change.
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
The artist continues to encourage people to embrace change and take up new opportunities.
You gotta open up your mind
The singer motivates listeners to be accepting of new ways of thinking.
And let everything come through
It is important to be open-minded to new experiences.
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
The character describes the transformative journey as a thrilling roller coaster ride.
So real it takes your breath away
The changes are so powerful and real that they leave a mark on the person.
It slides you through your point of view,
The new perspective reshapes the way that the character had previously viewed the world.
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
The character looks back on their old thinking and is surprised how different they are now.
Your ride changes outside view,
The character's worldview expands, affecting how they approach their experiences.
While it glides you like a neon ray,
The journey is like a vivid light moving with the character.
And you find you don't have to search for words,
The journey is indescribable because words can't fully capture what's experienced.
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
The character realizes that the journey is self-explanatory.
After your trip life opens up,
After the journey, the character has a new appreciation for life with endless possibilities.
You start doing what you want to do
The character has newfound freedom to act on their desires.
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
The singer no longer feels anxious about the future as they have more confidence in their abilities.
Gets what it has from you
The artist has learned to give rather than fear and hold back.
No one can ever hurt you
The singer is no longer scared of others' opinions or criticisms.
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
The journey has given the character more knowledge than they ever believed possible.
And you're looking at the world
The character now views the world differently
From brand new eyes,
The character now has a refreshing new perspective
And no one can ever spoil the view
The new outlook is rock solid and unaffected by any naysayers.
Open up your mind,
The singer advises the audience to continue opening themselves up to new experiences.
And let everything come through
Life has endless possibilities when one embraces them with an open mind.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roger Kyn Erikson, James Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind