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.
Rose And Thorn
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It won't change, it won't change.
You're here to stay until your last living breath is complete.
It' won't change, it won't change.
Here she comes, my love,
With the earth beneath her feet,
My love she comes.
She cares.
She cares.
And this is not untold,
Within her eyes,
Spoken by her soul.
The dawn of truth will rise!
Liberty will find us,
Grown cold, and make him stoned.
The canon stops it's firing,
The unknown soldier will come home.
Faith cannot remain,
Wicked words have been confirmed false.
A single drop of the rain,
The rose and and thorn
The rise and the fall!
"Rose and Thorn" is a song by 13th Floor Elevators that seems to be about redemption and the power of love. The opening stanza honoring a "brand new angel" seems to suggest the possibility of a fresh start, perhaps after a period of darkness or struggle. The repeated phrase "It won't change, it won't change" could be a nod to the inevitability of suffering in life, but also to the constancy of love and hope.
The second stanza shifts to what seems to be a description of the singer's beloved, who approaches with the "earth beneath her feet." This phrasing could indicate a connection to nature or to a groundedness that the singer admires. He notes that he doesn't ask why she cares, seeming to suggest that he simply appreciates her presence and support. The lines "This is not untold / Within her eyes / Spoken by her soul" could convey a sense of unspoken understanding or a shared depth of feeling.
The final stanzas of the song move toward a more universal message. The line "Liberty will find us / Grown cold, and make him stoned" could refer to the idea that freedom or self-realization can break through even the most rigid or oppressive forces. The following lines suggest an end to war or conflict, with the "unknown soldier" finally coming home. The concluding lines about faith, wicked words, and the rose and thorn seem to evoke the idea of duality or cycles of life and death.
Line by Line Meaning
A brand new smile on a brand new angel's face.
A pristine, gleaming smile on a heavenly being without any blemish.
It won't change, it won't change.
The smile will endure and not waver or transform.
You're here to stay until your last living breath is complete.
Your presence will persist until your final breath of life has been taken.
It' won't change, it won't change.
This state of being immovable will not deviate or alter.
Here she comes, my love,
My lover is arriving.
With the earth beneath her feet,
Walking upon the ground below her.
My love she comes.
My lover is approaching.
She cares.
She has genuine concern for me.
I do not ask her why she cares,
I refrain from inquiring about the reason behind her concern.
She cares.
Her compassion persists.
And this is not untold,
This is not a secret or unheard of.
Within her eyes,
In the depth of her gaze.
Spoken by her soul.
Communicated through the essence of her being.
The dawn of truth will rise!
The emergence of honesty and sincerity is forthcoming!
Liberty will find us,
Freedom will locate us.
Grown cold, and make him stoned.
Becoming numb and apathetic, rendering them immobile and unable to comprehend.
The canon stops it's firing,
The artillery ceases its attacks.
The unknown soldier will come home.
The unidentified participant in war will return to their place of origin.
Faith cannot remain,
Belief and trust cannot persist.
Wicked words have been confirmed false.
Deceitful statements have been validated as untrue.
A single drop of the rain,
The precipitation of one solitary droplet.
The rose and and thorn
Both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.
The rise and the fall!
The ascent and decline of emotions and situations.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JAMES SIEBERT
One of the greatest bands🎉. HBO you have excelled once again
Warp75
No doubt & yes
Thomas SMITH
@Warp75
Certainly and most certainly.
One of many great 13th Floor Elevators videos from HBO
G
A great tune by the late Stacy Sutherland. I'm seriously loving these music videos, please do more Elevators and possibly some West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band 🗣
Achille Brunet
Can't get enough of this band! It's a perpetual rediscovery!
Mr RockNRoll
Another favourite track from Elevators Bull of The Woods. Keep their legacy alive
shaolin slumz
no words to describe the 13th Floor Elevators 🔥🔥✌
Strawberry Windowpane
Thanks for the psychedelic upload, love this song!
Thomas SMITH
Every 🌹 has its thorn. Great deep cut.
Sunny Disposish
Rest in peace Mr. S - the genius of the group