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
No Way Out
Jefferson Airplane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whatsoever
I was gone for a night
Nothing's forever
The cruel daylight
Brought me back to my senses
Got caught in here
Under false pretenses
No way out
None whatsoever
I made up a story
Thought it was clever
She didn't ask
And I got no reply
But later that night
I heard her cry
No way out she doesn't buy my story
No way out she doesn't buy my story
No accusations
Whatsoever
But can she forget?
Nothing's forever
Since yesterday
She's a little bit colder
It won't happen again
What could I've told her?
No way out she doesn't buy my story
No way out she doesn't buy my story
How can she tell the truth from the lies
How does she know when to close her eyes
She doesn't want to lose me
So she only sees what she wants to see
The song "No Way Out" by Jefferson Starship describes a situation where the singer is caught in a web of lies and is unable to find a way out. The opening lines indicate that the singer had no intention of doing anything wrong but ended up getting caught in a compromising situation. The line "got caught in here under false pretenses" indicates that the singer was not entirely truthful about their intentions, which led to the current predicament.
The chorus "No way out" indicates that the singer feels trapped and helpless in the situation. Despite trying to come up with a story to justify their actions, the singer realizes that it was not clever enough, and the other person does not buy their story. The line "she didn't ask and I got no reply, but later that night I heard her cry" shows that the other person is hurt but is not confrontational about it. The second verse indicates that the other person is colder after the incident and does not fully trust the singer's words.
The third verse acknowledges the difficulty in distinguishing between truth and lies in relationships. The line "she doesn't want to lose me, so she only sees what she wants to see" shows that the other person is willing to overlook the singer's mistakes to keep the relationship intact, even if it means not confronting the truth. Overall, the song highlights the challenges of being honest in a relationship and the consequences that come with dishonesty.
Line by Line Meaning
No intentions
I didn't plan to do anything wrong
Whatsoever
Absolutely no intentions
I was gone for a night
I was away from her for a single night
Nothing's forever
Things don't last forever
The cruel daylight
The harsh reality of daylight
Brought me back to my senses
It made me think clearly and reminded me of my actions
Got caught in here
I was trapped in a difficult situation
Under false pretenses
I was pretending to be something I wasn't
No way out
I'm stuck in this situation
None whatsoever
There's no escape
I made up a story
I lied to her
Thought it was clever
I believed my lie was smart
She didn't ask
She didn't question my story
And I got no reply
She didn't respond to my lie
But later that night
Later on
I heard her cry
I listened to her weep
No way out she doesn't buy my story
I have no way out because she can see through my lie
No accusations
She didn't blame me
Whatsoever
Absolutely no accusations
But can she forget?
Can she forgive me and move on?
Since yesterday
Since the day before
She's a little bit colder
She's distant and not as loving
It won't happen again
I promise not to repeat my mistake
What could I've told her?
What could I have said to her?
How can she tell the truth from the lies
How can she differentiate between what's true and what's a lie?
How does she know when to close her eyes
How does she know when to trust me?
She doesn't want to lose me
She doesn't want to break up with me
So she only sees what she wants to see
She chooses to overlook the truth
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ina Wolf, Peter F Wolf
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@abelincoln8667
I graduated 1984, when I left the high school parking lot for the last time this was playing on the radio.
@mimilini1
Abe Lincoln I graduated in 1984 too and our art teacher used to play jefferson Starship. I love this song!
@jakeclark66
Me too !!!
@brettthebassist
Me 3
@rawn4203
I graduated in 1987 but this song reminds me so much of the end of my freshman year.
@michaeldymott5214
Flashbulb memory is what you experienced.. My Psychology class taught me.
@dbj314
I miss these days so much when we were young you could watch Mtv all day in the summertime and there was always a good video playin. I miss bands like Starship what a voice
@davidwright4495
I feel the same way. I was 15 in 1980 before MTV aired in 81. I really miss the music and the Saturday night concerts they had.
@lincolnparc8897
Well said, I liked back to school in the fall talking bonding with friends over the music and videos we watched all summer
@lisatrosclair7824
Ohhh yesss those were the good ol days I was 14 always watched MTV I'm definitely MTV head