The group's sound was hard to categorize, but was definitely blues-based, psychedelic, and very loud. The band has been subsequently acclaimed as an influence on garage rock, punk rock, heavy metal, and grunge. Julian Cope has written, "In 1968, nothing but nothing in America and Britain sounded as brutal as Blue Cheer except for The Velvet Underground."
The group underwent several personnel changes after the 1968 release of Outsideinside, and then through yet more changes during and after 1969's New! Improved! Blue Cheer (different guitarists on side 1 and 2). After Leigh Stephens was replaced by Randy Holden, formerly of Los Angeles garage rock band The Other Half, in 1968, Blue Cheer's style changed to a more commercial hard rock sound à la Steppenwolf or Iron Butterfly. For the fourth album Blue Cheer, Holden, who had left during the third album, was subsequently replaced by Bruce Stephens. Stephens later quit and was replaced by Gary Lee Yoder, who helped complete the album.
The new line up of Peterson, Ralph Burns Kellogg, Norman Mayell, and Yoder in 1970 saw the release of The Original Human Being and then 1971's Oh! Pleasant Hope. When Oh! Pleasant Hope failed to dent the sales charts, Blue Cheer temporarily split up.
From 1988 to 1993, Blue Cheer toured mainly in Europe. During this time, they played with classic rock acts as well as then-up-and-coming bands: Mountain, Outlaws, Thunder, Groundhogs, Ten Years After, Yardbirds, Danzig, Mucky Pup, Biohazard and others.
On the Nibelung Records label they released several albums. 1989 saw the release of Blue Cheer's first official live album, Blitzkrieg over Nüremberg. This album was recorded on Blue Cheer's first European tour in decades. The drum chair was then taken by Dave Salce; bass by Dickie Peterson; guitar by Duck McDonald.
1990 saw the release of Highlights & Lowlives studio album, comprised of blues-based hard rock, sometimes reminiscent of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones, and several ballads. The album was produced by notable grunge producer Jack Endino. The line-up was Peterson on bass and vocals, Paul Whaley on drums, and Duck McDonald on guitars.
Blue Cheer followed up "Highlights" with the much heavier Dining with the Sharks. McDonald was replaced by German ex-Monsters guitar player Dieter Saller. Peterson was on bass and vocals again, and Paul Whaley was again on drums. Also featured is a special guest appearance by Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee. The album was produced by Roland Hofmann.
In the early 1990s, Peterson and Whaley re-located to Germany. Whaley still lives there. Guitar work has been handled by Duck MacDonald since that time. Blue Cheer are still active as of 2009. Peterson reunited with Leigh Stephens and performed with drummer Prairie Prince at the Chet Helms Memorial Tribal Stomp in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in Fall of 2005, and their lively performance drew old rockers like Paul Kantner and others from backstage to observe. They did some recordings in Virginia in Winter 2005 with Joe Hasselvander of Raven and Pentagram on drums. Paul Whaley has since returned to the band as drummer. The group's 2007 CD, "What Doesn't Kill You...", features contributions from both Whaley and Hasselvander. In 2009, Peterson died in Germany, leading to the cessation of Blue Cheer.
Blue Cheer's video for Summertime Blues made an appearance in 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, where Geddy Lee of Rush referred to the group as one of the first heavy metal bands.
The band have also been regarded as the godfathers of stoner rock bands like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Nebula and Monster Magnet have cited their "heavy-fuzz rock" as a massive influence on them.
Hiway Man
Blue Cheer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes I am the Hiway Man
I played my hand and I won
Rode on down from Richmond
Join the other side
War was raging out 1865
Riding, cloak is flying
Slapping in he breeze.
Money, give me all you have
Maybe I'll take your life
Cause the Hiway Man cuts quickly
Through the night.
(Hate myself, choose the road
Won't you fall this way
Captain Walter understands
Wash your feet and pray.)
Money, give me all you have
Cause the Hiway Man cuts quickly through the night.
Riding down a country road
I race the silver moon
Chasin' shadows 'cross the field
Dogs coming soon
Kick my horse and wail out loud
The fog was rolling by
The dust did blow, the gold was mined
The lady, heard her cry.
Money, give me all you have
Maybe I'll save your life
Cause the Hiway Man's not sure how long to last.
Sing easy towards the sun
You know we'll find our way
(Gotta find my way)(HA HA)
I got to hide away (HA HA)
(Got to hide away)
When the lightning strikes
You know we'll find our way
(Got to find my way)
Ooooo!
Money, give me all you have
Cause the Hiway Man comes soon
Cause the Hiway Man cuts quickly
Through the night.
Whooo, yeeeeeaaahh, ow, bye-bye, whoo, see you later, ooohhh,
Woooo, woooo-woooo, wooo-wooo.
The Blue Cheer song "Hiway Man" is told from the perspective of a notorious outlaw, who identifies himself as "the Hiway Man." He claims to have won at his chosen profession of highway robbery and has joined the side opposite Richmond. The song is set during the American Civil War, specifically in 1865, and the Hiway Man is portrayed as a ruthless thief. His cloak is flying behind him as he rides through the countryside on his horse, and he's portrayed as a symbol of death, demanding all money or possibly taking a life. However, he is unsure of how long his life will last.
The song mixes several elements of rock, blues, and country music. The guitar riff is prominent, and the synthesizer adds a layer of additional drama. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the outlaw's life, riding his horse in the night, with his cloak flapping behind him while he cuts through the fog. The Hiway Man's actions have consequences, though. The song references the lady crying out that is likely a victim of his ambitions.
One of the most remarkable features of the song is its storytelling ability. It is said that the song's musical structure is quite similar to the famous Jimi Hendrix song "Hey Joe." Many experts and fans believe that "Hiway Man" is an interpretation of Hempill's "The Legend of Black Jack," another famous outlaw who lived during the Civil War. However, the title of the song is spelled "Hiway" as opposed to "Highway," which may have been done intentionally to make the song more distinctive. The song is considered to be one of the most influential tracks in American rock music history.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I am the Hiway Man
The singer claims the identity of the Hiway Man
I played my hand and I won
The Hiway Man has won in some past situation
Rode on down from Richmond
The Hiway Man traveled from Richmond
Join the other side
The Hiway Man has changed allegiance
War was raging out 1865
The setting is the time when the Civil War was ending
Riding, cloak is flying
The Hiway Man is on horseback and his cloak is blowing in the wind
Slapping in he breeze.
The Hiway Man's cloak is flapping in the wind
Money, give me all you have
The Hiway Man demands all the money the other person has
Maybe I'll take your life
The Hiway Man threatens to kill the other person
Cause the Hiway Man cuts quicklyThrough the night.
The Hiway Man can escape quickly
Hate myself, choose the roadWon't you fall this wayCaptain Walter understandsWash your feet and pray.
This passage is unclear and its meaning is not clear.
Cause the Hiway Man cuts quickly through the night.
The Hiway Man is again mentioned to be able to quickly escape
Riding down a country roadI race the silver moonChasin' shadows 'cross the fieldDogs coming soonKick my horse and wail out loudThe fog was rolling byThe dust did blow, the gold was minedThe lady, heard her cry.
The Hiway Man is riding down a country road, on the way he sees a silver moon and chases shadows. Dogs are coming soon but he kicks his horse and rides on. He sees fog and dust while hearing a woman cry.
Maybe I'll save your life
The Hiway Man tells the other person he may spare them
Cause the Hiway Man's not sure how long to last.
The Hiway Man is unsure if he will survive much longer
Sing easy towards the sunYou know we'll find our way(Gotta find my way)(HA HA)I got to hide away (HA HA)(Got to hide away)When the lightning strikesYou know we'll find our way(Got to find my way)Ooooo!
This passage is unclear and its meaning is not clear
Cause the Hiway Man comes soon
The Hiway Man will return soon
Whooo, yeeeeeaaahh, ow, bye-bye, whoo, see you later, ooohhh,Woooo, woooo-woooo, wooo-wooo.
This passage contains non-lyrical sounds
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind