By 1973, after the breakup of Jefferson Airplane, with Kaukonen and Casady now devoting their full attention to Hot Tuna, several of the musicians who worked on Kantner, Slick, and Freiberg's album "Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun" formed the core of a new lineup that was formally reborn as "Jefferson Starship" in 1974. Kantner, Slick, and Freiberg were charter members. The line-up also included late-Airplane holdovers drummer John Barbata, Marty Balin,and fiddler Papa John Creach (who also played with Hot Tuna), along with Pete Sears (who, like Freiberg, played bass and keyboards) and twenty-year-old guitarist Craig Chaquico.
Eventually, Slick's alcoholism became a problem, which led to two nights of disastrous concerts in Germany in 1978. The first night, fans ransacked the stage when Slick failed to appear. The following night, Slick, in a drunken stupor, shocked the audience by using profanity and sexual references throughout most of her songs. She also reminded the audience that their country had lost during World War II , repeatedly asking "Who won the war?", and implied that all residents of Germany were responsible for the wartime atrocities. After the debacle, she left the band.
The band soon cribbed vocalist Mickey Thomas from the popular Elvin Bishop Group. After the 1979 release of 'Freedom at Point Zero' (which spawned the hit single "Jane"), Slick returned to the band. She joined in time to contribute one song, "Stranger", on the group's next album, Modern Times (1981). Modern Times also included the notorious "Stairway to Cleveland," in which the band defended the numerous changes it had undergone in its musical style, personnel, and even name. One noted personnel change in the group was when Dunbar left and was replaced by Donny Baldwin (also of the Elvin Bishop Group). Slick remained in the band for Jefferson Starship's final two albums, Winds Of Change (1982) and Nuclear Furniture (1984).
Around this time, the band began enthusiastically embracing rock's video age. Grace Slick would appear frequently on MTV and such music-oriented television shows as Solid Gold, giving the band a high visibility in the MTV era. However, the Jefferson Starship albums of this era were only modestly successful, yet the band remained a gold-selling (and thus commercially credible) act, and a popular concert draw.
In 1984, Kantner (the last remaining founding member of Jefferson Airplane) left the group, but not before taking legal action over the Jefferson name against his former bandmates, who wanted to continue as Jefferson Starship. Kantner settled out of court and signed an agreement that neither party would use the names "Jefferson" or "Airplane" unless all members of Jefferson Airplane, Inc. (Bill Thompson, Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady) agreed. The band used the titles "Starship Jefferson" and "Jefferson Starship" during the proceedings, but ultimately settled on the shortening 'Starship'.
In 1992, Kantner restarted Jefferson Starship as Jefferson Starship - The Next Generation before returning simply to Jefferson Starship after a couple of years. This incarnation of the band continues to perform and record to this day.
AWAKENING
Jefferson Starship Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silver the lightning that shattered the lock on my door
Feel like I've lived my life long
Just waiting for this day to dawn
Racing through time toward the light
We just do what we must
We're more than just ashes our spirits are more than just dust
Older when time first began
Now by the light shining through from within
We'll find our way back to the stars once again
The lyrics to "Awakening" by Jefferson Starship are about an individual who has been awakened by a thunderous sound and lightning that shattered the lock on their door. They feel as if they have been waiting for this moment their entire lives, and they are racing towards the light. The individual believes that they are more than just ashes or dust, and that their spirit stands the test of time. They acknowledge that they have been around since the beginning of time and that they will eventually find their way back to the stars.
The thunderous sound that awoke the individual can be interpreted as a life-altering event that has caused them to re-evaluate their existence. The shattered lock on their door can be seen as a metaphor for the barriers that were previously holding them back. The individual no longer feels confined and is now racing towards the light or a brighter future. The belief that they are more than just ashes or dust displays a belief in the afterlife and that the spirit lives on even after death. Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of rebirth and a newfound sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Thunder awoke me I sat up my feet on the floor
The sound of thunder has caused me to wake up and sit up straight, putting my feet on the floor.
Silver the lightning that shattered the lock on my door
The lightning was so bright and powerful that it was capable of shattering the lock on my door made of silver.
Feel like I've lived my life long
I feel like I have lived a long life already.
Just waiting for this day to dawn
I have patiently awaited this day to begin.
Racing through time toward the light
I am moving quickly through time towards some sort of light.
We just do what we must
We are simply doing what is necessary.
We're more than just ashes our spirits are more than just dust
We are not just physical beings, our spirits are much more valuable than simply being dust or ashes.
Ancient we stood in the sun
In the past, we stood in the sun which made us seem old or wise.
Older when time first began
We originated before time itself which makes us older than time itself.
Now by the light shining through from within
Currently, we are guided by some internal light.
We'll find our way back to the stars once again
Eventually, we will return to the stars just as we once did before.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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