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.
Tried to Hide
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You think you have when you're only claiming
When I got near
All I saw was fear
And I know that you tried to hide
And you cried 'cause you lied about it
You thought that you were and you tried to sell it
And when I got near
All I saw was fear
And I know that you tried to hide
And you cried 'cause you lied about it
Woah yeah
You used the words but you're only guessing
And you know I saw it was your window dressing
Well, you know the song
But you live it all wrong
And I know that you tried to hide
And you cried 'cause you lied about it
I know you tried to hide
I know you tried to hide
Tried to hide
Tried to hide
Tried to hide
In the lyrics to "Tried to Hide," 13th Floor Elevators singer Roky Erickson takes aim at someone he sees as a pretender. The lyrics build a portrait of someone who thinks they're strong and confident, but is actually filled with fear and insecurity. The first verse sets up the contrast: "You think you're strong when you're only straining/You think you have when you're only claiming." Erickson sees through this facade and recognizes the fear beneath it: "When I got near/All I saw was fear."
The second verse continues to explore the theme of pretense, with the lines "You knew what you had when you tried to tell it/You thought that you were and you tried to sell it." Here, the focus is on someone who believes they have something special to offer, but is unable to back up their claims. Again, the chorus emphasizes the point that this person has tried to hide their true self: "And you cried 'cause you lied about it".
The final verse takes a more direct approach, with Erickson accusing the subject of using words they don't understand: "You used the words but you're only guessing/And you know I saw it was your window dressing." The final lines bring home the contrast between the person's outward persona and their inner reality: "Well, you know the song/But you live it all wrong."
Overall, "Tried to Hide" is a biting critique of someone who Erickson sees as a phony. The lyrics make clear that the singer values authenticity above all else, and sees through any attempts to hide or pretend.
Line by Line Meaning
You think you're strong when you're only straining
You believe that you're resilient when you're just forcing your way through.
You think you have when you're only claiming
You assert that you possess something, but you're just making excuses for not having it.
When I got near
All I saw was fear
Upon approach, all I could detect was trepidation on your part.
And I know that you tried to hide
And you cried 'cause you lied about it
You made an attempt to conceal the truth and own up to your dishonesty by crying.
You knew what you had when you tried to tell it
You thought that you were and you tried to sell it
And when I got near
All I saw was fear
You were well aware of what was in your possession and endeavored to convince me of it, but as I drew closer, all I could perceive was apprehension.
You used the words but you're only guessing
And you know I saw it was your window dressing
Well, you know the song
But you live it all wrong
Although you employ the correct vocabulary, it's evident that you're only making assumptions, and I understand that you're putting on a show instead of genuinely living up to your words.
I know you tried to hide
I know you tried to hide
Tried to hide
Tried to hide
Tried to hide
I am fully aware that you attempted to conceal the truth from me multiple times.
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.