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.
Splash 1
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
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I've known you all my life.
And though it's new,
your image cuts me like a knife.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home, to stay.
The neon from your eyes is splashing into mine.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home, to stay.
And though this is awful speedy,
We needn't bother sleeping,
All we might say is understood.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home, to stay.
The fierceness of my feelings,
Rocks me like a war.
It's good to know we won't be strangers anymore.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home, to stay.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home.
And now I'm home, to stay.
The 13th Floor Elevators were known for their psychedelic rock music, and "Splash 1" is one of their most famous songs. The opening lines of the song, "I've seen your face before, I've known you all my life", suggest a sense of familiarity and recognition between the two individuals mentioned in the song. The singer states that even though the image of the person he is talking to is new, it cuts him like a knife. This lyrical imagery suggests that something about this person's presence is very powerful and emotional for the singer. The neon from the person's eyes that is splashing into his own is also described as familiar, but the singer cannot define why.
The repetition of the phrase "And now I'm home, to stay" suggests that the relationship between the singer and the person he is addressing in the song is significant and perhaps transformative for him. Despite the speediness of their interaction, the singer suggests that they don't need to bother sleeping and that everything they say is understood. The fierceness of the singer's feelings is also described as rocking him like a war, which suggests that this connection is intense and possibly overwhelming for him. However, he concludes the song by stating that he is now home and that he won't be a stranger to this person anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen your face before,
I am familiar with you, we have met before
I've known you all my life.
I have a strong connection to you, as if we have known each other forever
And though it's new,
Despite this connection, this experience with you is something new
your image cuts me like a knife.
Your presence impacts me deeply, and in a very emotional way
And now I'm home.
Being with you feels like being at home
And now I'm home.
Reiterating the feeling of being at home with this person
And now I'm home, to stay.
Expressing the desire to be with this person permanently
The neon from your eyes is splashing into mine.
Eye contact with this person is intense and leaves a strong impression
It's so familiar in a way I can't define.
The familiarity with this person is hard to pin down or explain
And though this is awful speedy,
Although things are moving quickly between us
We needn't bother sleeping,
We don't need to waste any time, we are comfortable and content with each other
All we might say is understood.
We communicate well, we understand each other without needing words
The fierceness of my feelings,
My emotions for you are incredibly strong and passionate
Rocks me like a war.
These intense feelings feel like a battle or conflict within myself
It's good to know we won't be strangers anymore.
It is comforting to know that we will not be unfamiliar with each other any longer
And now I'm home.
Feeling at home with this person
And now I'm home.
Again expressing the feeling of being at home with this person
And now I'm home, to stay.
Desiring to stay with this person for the long term
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CLEMENTINE HALL, ROGER KYN ERIKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind