The track was released as the first single from Jimi Hendrix's posthumous album, People, Hell & Angels. The record contains 12 previously unreleased tracks showcasing, the guitar legend's experimental work outside the then current Jimi Hendrix Experience.
This is not the first time the song has appeared on disk. A different version was previously included on the 4-disc box set titled The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which was released in 2000.
Co-producer John McDermott commented to Digital Spy that he was surprised this wasn't considered for Electric Ladyland. He added: "I don't know whether that was because Jimi recorded it without Chas Chandler being there to supervise it - that could have been an issue. Like 'My Friend,' it's a really interesting look at Jimi when he was just starting to step outside the original three-man band."
Stephen Stills was good friends with both Jimi and Buddy Miles. McDermott told Digital Spy: "I think this track was really about Jimi taking advantage of the skills his friends had and tapping into that. Today, it's nothing to invite your friends to the studio and have them play on a track - people do it all the time, guest starring on cuts and all that. Back then, it didn't happen so much. The Beatles, The Stones - with rare exceptions, they always kept the core."
This was one of seven tracks from People, Hell, & Angels, which featured on the episode of the CBS cop drama Hawaii Five-0 that aired on January 20, 2013.
People, Hell and Angels debuted at # 2 on the Billboard 200, marking Hendrix' highest-charting album since Electric Ladyland spent two weeks at #1 in 1968.
Somewhere
Hendrix Jimi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see fingers, hands and shades of faces
Reachin' up and not quite touchin' the promised land
I hear pleas and prayers and a desperate whisper sayin'
Oh, Lord, please give us a helpin' hand
Yeah yeah
Way down in the background
And all across the water, baby
I see weapons barkin' out the sting of death
And up in the clouds I can imagine UFOs jumpin' themselves
Laughin' they sayin'
Those people so uptight, they sure know how to make a mess
Back in the saloon my tears mix and mildew with my drink
I can't really tell my feet from the sawdust on the floor
But as far as I know, they may even try
To wrap me up in cellophane and try and sell me
Brother sell me, and don't worry about lookin' at the score
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Jimi Hendrix's "Somewhere" was written in 1967 and released in 1975, five years after Hendrix's death. The song is a reflective and politically charged piece that incorporates various themes and ideas, including the desire for peace, the state of society, and the yearning for a better future. In the opening lines of the song, Hendrix sings, "I see fingers, hands and shades of faces / Reachin' up and not quite touchin' the promised land." This line is a reference to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech, in which he speaks of a "promised land" – a place where all Americans can enjoy freedom and equality. Hendrix's use of this metaphor highlights the struggle for civil rights and equality that was taking place at the time.
The chorus of the song also speaks to the frustration that many people were feeling during this time, as they watched cities burn and wars rage across the world. Hendrix sings, "Oh, Lord, please give us a helpin' hand / Way down in the background I can see frustrated souls of cities burnin'." This line captures the despair and hopelessness that many were feeling at the time, as they watched the world around them seemingly fall apart. The song is a powerful commentary on the state of society during the 1960s and reflects Hendrix's personal experiences as a Black man living in America.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh uh
The artist begins to describe the imagery and emotions that he experiences.
I see fingers, hands and shades of faces
The artist sees various faces reaching out, seeking something out of their grasp.
Reachin' up and not quite touchin' the promised land
Despite their reaching, the people cannot seem to grasp what it is they are looking for.
I hear pleas and prayers and a desperate whisper sayin'
The artist hears the desperation of those around him, begging for help.
Oh, Lord, please give us a helpin' hand
The pleas are directed towards a higher power, begging for aid.
Way down in the background
The artist shifts focus to something happening in the background.
I can see frustrated souls of cities burnin'
The artist can see the turmoil and destruction of urban areas.
And all across the water, baby
The artist sees something happening across a body of water.
I see weapons barkin' out the sting of death
The artist sees the lethal force of weapons in action.
And up in the clouds I can imagine UFOs jumpin' themselves
The artist envisions UFOs, perhaps indicating hope for intervention from alien life.
Laughin' they sayin'
The artist imagines the UFOs mocking the chaos and destruction of humanity.
Those people so uptight, they sure know how to make a mess
The UFOs find humor in the chaos humanity creates.
Back in the saloon my tears mix and mildew with my drink
The artist describes his own emotional turmoil as he observes the world around him.
I can't really tell my feet from the sawdust on the floor
The artist feels lost and uncertain.
But as far as I know, they may even try
The artist imagines the potential for others to try to control and manipulate him.
To wrap me up in cellophane and try and sell me
The artist envisions being commodified and sold off.
Brother sell me, and don't worry about lookin' at the score
The artist recognizes the potential for others to use him for their own gain, without regard for his own well-being.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
The artist repeats a phrase, perhaps indicating uncertainty or resignation in the face of what he sees.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tuzito31895
"If Jimi Hendrix isn't your favorite guitar player, he is your favorite guitar player's favorite guitar player"
@petecanthropus9947
Not if your favorite guitar player is Marty Friedman
@rashthelife2221
Zakk wylde is my favourite. And zakk's favourite guitarist is Jimi Hendrix ✌️🎶🤙🧡
@kevinsmith9395
Truth
@sunnyray7819
Satch's favorite...
@jamie9726
Easily true. People dont know how good they are. Such is the curse of life 😉
@johnbillson3767
when i first heard of hendrix as a kid i thought "man this guy cant play half as fast or good as the metal bands i listen to" then as i got older i realized the true beauty and skill of his music, the way he can play a seemingly completely different song each time he goes on stage, this man simply mastered that instrument and the fact that he sings while playing....im shitting myself
@YONKERS0814
I dare to claim that not a single metal guitarist ever touches the the level of skill and understanding of jimis work. only for the reason that they started playing later than him
@RutherfordBcrazy
There was poop EVERYWHERE. No survivors
@efrax.gravityblaster.666
@@YONKERS0814 Music is not a competition.