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
Star Track
Jefferson Airplane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Paul Kantner)
If your head spins round try to see the ground if you can
My busy eyes missed her path through the air as she ran
My sensory mind is too old to cry
Not ready to live and too strange to die
So stop your doubt push the world on by
It takes time to love and open minds to love
And who's got time on their hands
Well life can be hard when you're holes in a card
In some electronic hand
You'll wander around from place to place
Disappear without a trace
And someone else will take your place
In line
You can fool your friends about the way it ends
But you can't fool yourself
Take your head in hand and make your own demands
Or you'll crystallize on the shelf
The freeway's concrete way won't show
You where to run or how to go
And running fast you'll go down slow in the end
Running fast you'll go down slow in the end
The lyrics of Jefferson Airplane's "Star Track" touch upon themes of love, aging, mortality, and finding one's purpose in life. The song begins with a plea to ground oneself in reality, to be present in the moment and not get lost in one's thoughts or distractions. The singer laments their own inability to process emotions like sadness, feeling neither ready to live nor ready to die. Despite this inner turmoil, the song urges the listener to push forward in life, to not let doubts and fears hold one back.
The next verse takes a more dystopian turn, warning of a future where people are reduced to mere data points in an electronic system, their lives controlled by unseen forces. In the face of this bleak outlook, the song urges the listener to be resilient, to keep moving from place to place and never let oneself be trapped or forgotten. The final verse is a stark reminder of mortality, of how the transient nature of life means that we must make our own demands and live our lives to the fullest, lest we end up unfulfilled and forgotten.
Overall, "Star Track" is a psychedelic exploration of identity, freedom, and the human condition, delivered with the distinctive vocals and electric guitar work of Jefferson Airplane.
Line by Line Meaning
If your head spins round try to see the ground if you can
If you're feeling disoriented, try to ground yourself by focusing on what's beneath you.
My busy eyes missed her path through the air as she ran
I was too distracted to see where she was going.
My sensory mind is too old to cry
I've experienced too much to feel emotional pain.
Not ready to live and too strange to die
I feel like I don't quite fit in, but I'm not ready to give up on life.
So stop your doubt push the world on by with your hand
Don't let doubt hold you back from making a difference.
It takes time to love and open minds to love
Loving someone takes time and an open mind.
And who's got time on their hands
Most people are too busy to truly invest in love.
Well life can be hard when you're holes in a card in some electronic hand
Life can feel meaningless and robotic when you're just a number in someone else's system.
You'll wander around from place to place disappear without a trace
Sometimes it feels like we're just aimlessly trying to find our place in the world.
And someone else will take your place in line
Eventually, someone else will take our place and our legacy.
You can fool your friends about the way it ends
We may be able to deceive others about our fate, but not ourselves.
But you can't fool yourself
We know deep down what's really going on.
Take your head in hand and make your own demands
We have to take control of our lives and make our own demands.
Or you'll crystallize on the shelf
Otherwise, we'll just stagnate and waste away.
The freeway's concrete way won't show you where to run or how to go
Society's systems won't provide us with all the answers.
And running fast you'll go down slow in the end
Trying to outrun our problems will only make them catch up with us eventually.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JORMA KAUKONEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephencoomer5692
If your head spins round try to see the ground if you can
My busy eyes missed her path through the air as she ran
My sensory mind is too old to cry
Not ready to live and too strange to die
So stop your doubt push the world on by
With your hand
It takes time to love and open minds to love
And who's got time on their hands
Well life can be hard when you're holes in a card
In some electronic hand
You'll wander around from place to place
Disappear without a trace
And someone else will take your place
In line
You can fool your friends about the way it ends
But you can't fool yourself
Take your head in hand and make your own demands
Or you'll crystallize on the shelf
The freeway's concrete way won't show
You where to run or how to go
And running fast you'll go down slow in the end
Running fast you'll go down slow in the end
@silverchessdragon
'You can fool your friends about the way it ends but you can't fool yourself' was probably my introduction to deeper thinking/philosophy as a teenager. That lyric alone is enough to stamp this as JA distinct from the Rev G.D. This is another miniature work of art which our culture is currently unfortunately insufficiently aware to recognise.
I miss PK and MB terribly. Their music lives on
@stephencoomer5692
If your head spins round try to see the ground if you can
My busy eyes missed her path through the air as she ran
My sensory mind is too old to cry
Not ready to live and too strange to die
So stop your doubt push the world on by
With your hand
It takes time to love and open minds to love
And who's got time on their hands
Well life can be hard when you're holes in a card
In some electronic hand
You'll wander around from place to place
Disappear without a trace
And someone else will take your place
In line
You can fool your friends about the way it ends
But you can't fool yourself
Take your head in hand and make your own demands
Or you'll crystallize on the shelf
The freeway's concrete way won't show
You where to run or how to go
And running fast you'll go down slow in the end
Running fast you'll go down slow in the end
@MaxPaws
A Jorma tune. His vocals are unmistakable and are just as important to the Airplane "vocal sound" as Grace's. These were awesome days for the music.
@Thundergod-
I also really dig Hot Tuna....
@fermincorrea2849
I was 14 years old when this album released I played it all the time.
@tinicum54
same
@dominiquemonrozeau8392
me too
@MatthewHillMusician
Another great song by Jefferson Airplane! ❤️
@diegosktskate
Escuto e vou escutar o resto da minha vida
@glenaduarte7207
Apesar de todo o fascínio que sinto pela Grace Slick, essa é minha música preferida do jefferson airplane...
Foda, mágica!! Esta música esteve comigo em um dos momentos mais importantes da minha vida...e sempre estará.
Salve Paul Kantner!