Electricity
Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band Lyrics
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Thunderbolts caught easily
Shouts the truth peacefully
Electricity
High voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need to hide their shadow deed
Go into bright find the light and know that friends don't mind just how you grow
To free selectricity (repeat) (Repeat both lines)
Lighthouse beacon straight ahead straight ahead across black seas to bring
Seeking electricity
High voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need to hide their shadow-deed hide their shadow-deed (repeat)
Seek electricity
Electricity
The lyrics to Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band's song Electricity are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The song appears to celebrate the power of music to unite and inspire people. The opening lines, "Singin through you to me / Thunderbolts caught easily / Shouts the truth peacefully / Electricity," suggest a powerful, electrifying force that is channeled through the music and has the ability to unite people in awe and wonder. The next lines, "High voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need to hide their shadow deed / Go into bright find the light and know that friends don't mind just how you grow," appear to be a call to action for listeners to embrace their true selves, no matter how flawed or imperfect they may feel. The image of the "high voltage man" kissing the night suggests a celebration of the transformative power of music to transform darkness into light.
The second verse appears to delve more deeply into the theme of transformation, with the striking image of a "midnight cowboy stained in black" reading "dark roads without a map" in order to "free selectricity." The repetition of the phrase "seeking electricity" suggests that the character in question is searching for some kind of mystical, transformative force that can only be found through music. The final lines, "Lighthouse beacon straight ahead straight ahead across black seas to bring / Seeking electricity," reinforces this idea, suggesting that the search for truth and transformation through music is a never-ending journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Singin through you to me
The power of music is being used to connect us on a deeper level.
Thunderbolts caught easily
The energy and excitement of music can quickly captivate us.
Shouts the truth peacefully
Music has the ability to deliver important messages in a calm, yet powerful way.
Electricity
The power and energy of music is being compared to electricity, which can both literally light up a room and figuratively inspire and energize us.
High voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need to hide their shadow deed
An empowered individual is using their strength and charisma to help those who may be struggling in the darkness of their own actions and mistakes.
Go into bright find the light and know that friends don't mind just how you grow
Finding the light within ourselves is important for personal growth and self-awareness, and true friends will always support and accept us in this process.
Midnight cowboy stained in black reads dark roads without a map
Someone who is lost and uncertain is bravely forging ahead, even in the face of adversity and uncertainty.
To free selectricity (repeat) (Repeat both lines)
Finding a sense of personal power and energy is vital for emotional and mental freedom.
Lighthouse beacon straight ahead straight ahead across black seas to bring
The beacon of hope and guidance represented by a lighthouse can illuminate even the darkest of times and circumstances.
Seeking electricity
The search for personal energy and empowerment continues.
Lyrics © Alfred
Written by: JONI MITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Thrall
I love every single thing about this. Every note, every blurred image, every nuance of the Captain's voice. One of my all-time favourite bands - gets right into your bones.
diddywahdaddy
So true.
DrPsychedelic
Groovy
SMALL HELL
this is my favorite beefheart song. i love all of his experimental stuff, but this song is just like his mission statement.
STABtheCLAM
Obeah Man or Tupelo live are superb as well!
Sheriff Lophophora
Small Hell Records this song is extremely experimental as well.
Hellbilly1Hellraiser
Had this on 8 - track as a teen along with Mothers of Invention Absolutely Free and Live at the Filmore East. My parents hated it and I kept driving them crazy with it til they finally ran away from home!
Upstreamprovider
I'm not surprised, lol!! Should have played them Tarotplane...
Kristal Klass
Literally feels like you've been plugged into the mains. Spine tingling stuff x
Shankar Rain
This is on the beach at Cannes, early Beefheart, pre-Trout Mask. The Captain was so far ahead of his time nobody will ever catch up. Huntsman likes him? Cool. Better than if he hated him. Some people get the Captain, most don't. Never the twain shall meet. Nobody's neutral about him. He's so avant garde he has to go back in time just to stay here, now.