Jefferson Airplane, a rock band based in San Francisco, California, was one… Read Full Bio ↴Jefferson Airplane, a rock band based in San Francisco, California, was one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. They were headliners at the three most famous American rock festivals of the 1960s—Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Altamont (1969)—and the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968) in England. Their 1967 break-out album Surrealistic Pillow ranks on the short list of the most significant recordings of the "Summer of Love". Two songs from that album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are among Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

The "classic" lineup of Jefferson Airplane, from October 1966 to February 1970, was Marty Balin (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Grace Slick (vocals), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass), and Spencer Dryden (drums). Marty Balin left the band in 1971. After 1972, Jefferson Airplane effectively split into two groups. Kaukonen and Casady moved on full time to their own band, Hot Tuna. Slick, Kantner, and the remaining members of Jefferson Airplane recruited new members and regrouped as Jefferson Starship in 1974, with Marty Balin eventually joining them. Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and was presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Spencer Dryden died on January 11, 2005.

Both Signe Anderson and Paul Kantner died on January 28, 2016.

Marty Balin died on September 27, 2018

Blues From an Airplane
Jefferson Airplane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And I got no words left to say

Hey hey hey hey hey
Come, make me happy like I've never known before
Say say say say say
Have you ever known no heart who need anymore?
Oh you
What's that sound around my heart I feel
Something new
I'm sure your love you've given must be real
I know now

And I'm sure of how I can be the man I feel
I can be the man I feel

Overall Meaning

In "Blues From An Airplane," Jefferson Airplane sings about the loneliness and isolation one can feel when they are without their loved one. The first stanza outlines these feelings of desperation, as the singer yearns for the company of their partner. They are unsure of what to do without them and are left feeling empty.

In the second stanza, the singer acknowledges their fate to fall apart as a simple man who has lost their way. They express how having no partner means having no world or words to say. However, the chorus offers a glimmer of hope. The sing-along melody and repeated phrases like "hey hey hey" and "say say say" give the song a more upbeat and optimistic feel. The singer is begging their loved one to come back and make them happy like they've never known before. They recognize that this person has given them real love, and it has had a profound impact on them. They finally feel like they can be the man they've always wanted to be.

Overall, "Blues From An Airplane" captures the feeling of love and loss that many people experience. It reflects on the power of love to transform us and help us become better versions of ourselves, even in times of sadness and isolation.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you know how sad it is to be a man alone
I feel so solitary being in my home without you

I don't know what to do
Got no girl so I got no world And I got no words left to say

And I don't know where you are
Just to be a simple man who sadly lost his way

I can see my life is meant to fall apart some day
Hey hey hey hey hey Come, make me happy like I've never known before

Just to be a simple man who sadly lost his way
Say say say say say Have you ever known no heart who need anymore?

Got no girl so I got no world
Oh you What's that sound around my heart I feel

And I got no words left to say
Something new I'm sure your love you've given must be real

Hey hey hey hey hey
I know now And I'm sure of how I can be the man I feel

Come, make me happy like I've never known before

Say say say say say

Have you ever known no heart who need anymore?

Oh you

What's that sound around my heart I feel

Something new

I'm sure your love you've given must be real

I know now

And I'm sure of how I can be the man I feel

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARTY BALIN, ALEX SPENCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

porcelain

6y↑7

Do you know how sad it is to be a man alone
I feel so solitary being in my home without you
I don't know what to do
And I don't know where you are
I can see my life is meant to fall apart some day
Just to be a simple man who sadly lost his way
Got no girl so I got no world
And I got no words left to say
Hey hey hey hey hey
Come, make me happy like I've never known before
Say say say say say
Have you ever known no heart who need anymore?
Oh you
What's that sound around my heart I feel
Something new
I'm sure your love you've given must be real
I know now
And I'm sure of how I can be the man I feel
I can be the man I feel

All comments from YouTube:

TheGoddessDiana

5y↑22

I bought this lp back in 1966, and I still have it. Memories of happier, more innocent (?) times.

Rich915

3y↑2

Still have the LP too. Also, saw them perform it at USF w/ Signe...my 1st concert.

Donald Mattia

6y↑18

I love their first album so much!

Kevin Littlefield

3y↑1

Amen!

Carmen G Ogeidnas

1y↑3

I'll never forget listening to this on vinyl for the first time. It popped into my head today for some reason.

VolksdeutscheSS

2y↑5

We are so lucky to have had these people. Great band.

columnshift

6y↑9

RIP Marty Balin. Love this track.

Jett Rink

4y↑8

My mind was spinning from the vast raid of rock/pop music in 1967... it took me eight years to catch up and appreciate this forever masterpiece.

fubar50cat

13y↑18

I still have my original copy of this on vinyl and really treasure it, so glad others have picked up on this great music

kroakie4

They are underrated compared to many of their contemporaries. But a treasure, indeed.

Kevin Littlefield

3y↑5

Great song kicking off a terrific album. If any LP deserves the overused description "overrated," this is it. This album is loaded! I am so lucky to have come across it in a used record bin in Santa Cruz in 1975.

navyblue82

7y↑3

This is one of my favorite songs from JA. My favorite bits are when Signe Toly Anderson is dissonant on the end note of "Hey, hey, hey" then, "Say, say, say", then again on the very last word "feel". It's an incredibly sophisticated vocal interpretation. It always reminds me of authentic renderings of the non-harmonic relations in Renaissance songs like Coventry Carol.

silverchessdragon

9y↑44

The purity of this song is blinding. The voice/melody/guitar blend from about 1:00 to 1:35 makes it to the musicians' Shangri-La.

정승재

4y↑1

AMAZING

sunkentree

4y↑2

Jack Casady on bass

Manny Groeben

6y↑7

RIP Marty your voice was one of the golden ages

Sky

2y↑3

Signe Toly Anderson and Marty Balin amazing vocals

mokelumnekid

16y↑3

This is a great song. Did Skip write it? Sounds like one of his. Great bass lines.

Movie Man

2y↑1

Yeah he did

Donna Frost

6y↑1

RIP Marty Balin. Thank you for your music

tomblah

11y↑8

Such a simple yet intricate song

Rebel Railroad Productions

7y↑3

One of the best bands of the Vietnam War era.

sciencerules

8y↑28

good grief, listen to the tone of Jack's bass.....just incredible.......

Ron Sullivan

@Helen Lasky I read the 'biography' she had ghost-written for herself, 'Somebody to Love?', and I recall the phrase she chose was 'hung like a horse' in describing his generous endowment - You know the band assigned Jack the task of approaching her to ask her to leave her band, and come fly the Airplane, she also says she had never seen anyone play bass like him, which also played into her decision to join the band...

Helen Lasky

@Ron Sullivan Grace also had the hots for him. Apparently, there were rumors floating around that Jack had the groove with his own personal instrument. In her biography she confirmed they had a sexual relationship and that Jack was extremely well endowed .

Ron Sullivan

6y↑2

Jack's bass playing was what brought in Grace! Plus he asked her in!

Brigham Gardner

perfect....

SharonAnne N

+fusion2000
*
Wait till later ...
*

David Windsheimer

4y↑3

I seem to recall reading the the classic lineup played this gem at only one show at the Matrix in '68. That's actually a great overall performance by the band and well-worth seeking out.

just sayin

2y↑1

It's no secret,
When you got me jumpin' up and down!
That's one of the best hooks ever!
🎶🎶☮️🎵🎵🎤🎤🎸🎸🤗☮️❤️❤️

SuperZedstar

10y↑6

Great song!Bought it in 1969 when I was 16.

zacharycat

8y↑36

First song i ever heard by the band. bought the record at the drugstore with money from my paper route - summer of 1967.

VolksdeutscheSS

Thanks for sharing your memories. Great stuff.

정승재

Amazing

Emma Nation

zacharycat: that makes you a badass

MrDrewlips

And what happened after that?

Dennis Devine

5y↑1

I probably worked at that drug store & sold you that album. Back in the day.

1 More Replies...

Rachel woods

4y↑1

The summer of love, before the world expanded and became so large but yet so small. Always appreciate the slower times and the interstellar art that derived from it.

VolksdeutscheSS

3y↑1

God, Rachel, love your comment and others on this thread. I experienced the "SIxties" as a tail-end, going into the Seventies . . . but the Sixites, wow!--would like to go back again.

ELSD45801

6y↑13

You'll be missed, Marty (January 30, 1942 – September 27, 2018)

tapeduk

14y↑1

One of JA's greatest creations

HAMMERHEAD

4y↑7

This song is about me :)

P.s. Greetings from Moldova. Here live people who love Jefferson Airplane

thizzincarlton

12y

i love that twangy wiggly high sounding guitar. i think it's achieved by playing country blues pedal steel type bends with the whammy bar on an electric guitar (though i cant really replicate it). very prevalent in jefferson airplane, country joe and the fish, the dead sometimes, and perhaps most noticeably the quicksilver messenger service. 60s music has the best lead guitar and the best jazz influenced drums. i love this shit

Damper Goldenrod

4y↑5

1:13 to 1:20. Best part of song. Marty said this was based on Bulgarian folk music.

devilive14

14y↑1

I'm never alone even when I have the worst day of my life ,coz jefferson helps me through, maybe I'm sounding stupid .. but thats exactly how I feel..

John Anderson

Simply the best Airplane album of all.

John Anderson

3y↑1

@Michael Kucinski Baxter's has its moments but it is uneven and a bit self-indulgent. It was, supposedly, an attempt to produce an "LSD trip sound." Takes Off best shows off the folk roots of the original airplane.

Michael Kucinski

It's good. But, the Jefferson Airplane's best album is After Bathing at Baxter's!!!

Mike Omo

What a way to start an album and a career

bianchikat

4y↑2

this song was in my dream last night and I lay in bed racking my brain trying to identify it..then before dawn a name came into my head.. Marty Balin..then JA takes Off and a great song..

Jasper T

9y↑8

nice opening of an excellent album!

porcelain

6y↑7

JeffersonAirplanex

15y↑1

Best JA song ever. Along with "Comin' Back To Me" and "Today".

Håkan Vestling

8y↑17

RIP Paul Kantner

Martsapso21

Marty, Paul and Signe must be starting a new band right now. Hopefully it'll be a long time until the rest of the guys can join...

kingsuji

15y↑4

This is THE AIRPLANE, Marty singing, deep bass from Jack, Jorma adding 12 string, that later morphed into drug related phych/pop. Give me "Takes Off", ""Pillow" and "Crown" and I'm happy. King Suji

jeper1969

11y↑4

This song kicks!

MrCrispian

11y↑1

this is the classic lineup

just sayin

2y↑1

This morning I read Paul Kantner and Signe Toly Anderson passed
within the same week.
What a loss.💞

MrSnappy67

The same day.

NoRosesForMe

12y

thumbs up if you think Jefferson Jukebox is the best or one of THE best channels on YT. ♥

Ed Tracey

15y

Darby was her brother-in-law (and the composer of "Somebody to Love" - Jerry Slick was Grace's first husband. Dang, the Great Society may not have been the most talented (or disciplined) but they certainly had a sound.

imthedorf1964

8y↑28

RIP Signe Anderson

Jim Conaty

never mind

Jim Conaty

never mind

enorbet2

8y↑1

+imthedorf1964 -Wow... for sure seminal singer RIP lady

32cant

11y↑4

The words are so real.

hiei huy

8y↑5

50 years, awesome

chinze bo

8y↑7

I was lucky to be in SF Music scene in THOSE wonderful daze~

christian bressette

12y

this is the best airplane song

Jakub J

7y↑141

Sister Mary scores!

Crooner1901

5y↑4

The Young Pope brought me here too lol.

Stxrluke

7y↑4

God damn it! sister mary scores!

Yevgen Vengrin

RIP Marty Balin

Emlyn Williams

Some of the pop tracks used on this great series did lower the tone a bit, but not this one.

George Jempty

5y↑1

Remarkably similar to The We Five's "You Let a Love Burn Out" released the same year 1966

kroakie4

2y↑2

Love that tambourine.

oreokookie

14y↑1

I prefer this to later stuff(starship) much more expirimental and creative, blending harmonies...well, that was the '60's for ya

christian bressette

12y

greatest airplane song

pistolwaver

15y

If you're referring to where she is on this particular album, the answer is simple... She wasn't a member of the band yet. Slick replaced Signe Anderson on their second album "Surrealistic Pillow" due to Anderson getting pregnant.

Jerry Lehti

low fi and echoey vocals , what a sound !

mrbag60

16y↑1

Oh so good!

mark tyner

Its all Airplane.. I love it.

MichaelHansenFUN

12y

i havent heard a bad jefferson airplane album yet

Juan Ferro

11y

Ohhhhh!!!!!! Great \,,/

32cant

11y↑1

To quote Donovan, "Ah, but you might as well try and catch the wind." (From this to Justin Bieber in 40 short years.)

Maha Al_husein

Everytime I hear this song I think about Dean winchester I don't know why

Neil Kushner

5y↑1

trippy sf music which is awesome

32cant

11y↑2

I couldn't agree more!

MeloLand

10y↑11

Marty Balin so underreted like songrwiter.

Coyote Ailstock

And singer

Inglewolf

Absolutely, too bad by 'After Bathing at Baxter's' his songwriting wasn't appreciated. A big reason I think that double-LP double sucks!
Fortunately they brought his songwriting back in for Crown of Creation. But the others still made him look the lame one, often on some songs giving him nothing to do but play with a tambourine.

routeoz02

6y↑2

Not now. RIP, Marty!!

MikeBarnesKumite

11y

Cracking opener!

alex fernando Huenten

Idole

thehoosierfortheUK

7y↑8

I was going to say that The Young Pope and Sister Mary brought me here, but apparently, I've been already beat to it!

Alberto Fregoso

Original instrumental track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3Mir4RxJ0

Robert Wright

8y↑5

co-writer, drummer skip spence was with ja for one year before forming moby grape

alan spagnolia

Can still see the actual record spinning on the turntable..... thick, white RCA VICTOR with dog and red phonograph logo. Ours was a STEREO DYNAGROOVE !!

Marshall Silva

5y↑2

Amazingly powerful for the time when released in 1966 n there was nothing really like this sound on the planet. Nor later when White Rabbit was released on Surrealistic Pillow a year later but this first release was seminal. When u hear Jack Casady's bass think of the distant rumbling of war beginning on full scale, the distant drumming n flash of napalm over Vietnam. It was still relatively quiet in 1966 n we could sing of love n be carefree but very soon after, America was to lose its innocence, though America was never innocent. Just two years later, Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated, the DEA was created by Richard Nixon who in 1968 forced the beleaguered United Nations to ratify POT as a Class1 narcotic beside heroin, opium n cocaine. This one sitting president's hatred of the radical left n 'hippies' began a decades long persecution with drug busts with accompanying long sentences that ended with the incarceration of millions n lives disrupted by such reactionary, right wing conservatives n their fear mongering 'law n order' political platforms. Today the war on drugs is still prevalent, the Fed laws still haven't changed n such paranoid prohibition only resulted in making the Cartels billions. Even though LSD, Psilocybin , Peyote, Pot, Mescaline all have known therapeutic value medically...they even have found make us smarter n helped produce/inspire music like this!

MsHeartsOnFire61

15y

yea those two songs really own

vergegenwaertitung

14y

@LovePeaceNFreedom sounds like it. but ive seen some pics of the band from this period and paul doesnt have his 12 string ric

NoRosesForMe

12y

@hesteaeble how is this shitty quality?! You obviously havent heard the actual record. (vinyl) This is great quality. Sounds great. I grew up with the real deal and personally I prefer the real sound. This sounds as close to it as you can get. You obviously dont know much about albums or real music and you obviously dunno what the hell youre talkin about. Great sounds Jukebox. I always come back to these vids to hear these great songs. Thank you! Peace ♥

felix hayman

8y↑1

I know some may have not noticed but this is from After Bathing at Baxters nit "Takes Off"

Brett Nesin

Correction: I bought it in 1967, a year after it came out.

Brett Nesin

SOOOO Wrong! I have this on CD. I gave the original vinyl LP, which I purchased in 1966, to my son who appreciates such things. It's Track !.

konradv7

Wrong!

32cant

11y↑1

very real.

jackhillty

16y↑4

early skip spence music

christian bressette

12y↑1

I have this record

glitchesandglitter

15y

or flying in a starship... :)

José Neto

Sweet sister mary...

Tayanç Demirtürk

is this song first attempt to carrier for jefferson airplane ?

bluesfromanairplane

12y↑1

ugh this was supose to be my username but i forgot the "s" in blues :(

Michał Chorchos

mistakes can be corrected :)

KaptSonic22

There's a Forever Stamp

zonilo1

13y

@oceanbound222 This was before Grace Slick entered the band.

Eli Mefford

10y↑6

This sounds a lot like the Byrds.

Synapse

+Eli Mefford Makes sense.

Mike DeFLeopard

4y↑1

Skip!

Orian Dorais

Well, Jeferson Airplane without Grace Slick, count me not too interested.

Michael Peck

11y

Did she say "pea coat review"?

Manutallu

7y↑23

I'm sister Mary mic drops

تعالى أقولك - Ta3ala A2olak

Sister Mary plays Basket ball

ZIGGY

12y

Hey hey hey, YoYo...u will soon see Jerry and Pigpen!!!

Marco van Bergen

The Young Pope anyone?

MyGenericYTC

Shep Dawgs first video
Tanner Cribbs part

increasedosage

I KNOW NOW

ioriorioriorio

13y

@TumbrelJockey but who cares?.... not the strawbs, but , yes,,, fairport.........it was in the aire then

W kilku słowach

I'm sister Mary.

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