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.
GOLD
Jefferson Starship Lyrics
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Why are you hustling and bustling your heart
And why are you hurting with seat on your brow
Why to you persist to resist peace right now
Everything you touch will turn to gold
And every path you take is paved with gold
All the rivers wide will flow like gold
There's nothing like cheating, defeating yourself
Concealing your thoughts like a book on a shelf
Just wanting for someone to come and take you down
To open you up so you know that you've been found
Everything you touch will turn to gold
And every path you take is paved with gold
All the rivers wide will flow like gold
Everything you touch will turn to gold
There's nothing like losing your way from the road
Bone tired and weary in the dreary fog and cold
And just as a phantom seems to frighten you to death
When white wings surround you as you take your last breath
Everything you touch will turn to gold
And every path you take is paved with gold
All the rivers wide will flow like gold
Everything you touch will turn to gold
The song "Gold" by Jefferson Starship explores the theme of self-doubt and the struggle to find inner peace. The lyrics portray a sense of restlessness and anxiety, asking why the singer is constantly shaking and hustling, and why they persist in resisting peace. The chorus reinforces the idea that everything they touch will turn to gold and every path they take is paved with gold, suggesting that they have the ability to succeed and find happiness if they can overcome their self-doubt.
The second verse further explores the idea of self-defeating behavior, with the singer concealing their thoughts and waiting for someone to come and "take them down," indicating a fear of vulnerability and the potential for failure. The final verse presents a dark image of someone lost and weary, facing their own mortality as a phantom seems to frighten them to death. However, the lyrics suggest that in the end, they will be surrounded by "white wings" and everything they touch will turn to gold.
Overall, "Gold" is a powerful meditation on the human struggle to find peace and happiness within oneself. It reminds us that we have the power to turn our lives to gold if we can overcome our doubts and fears.
Line by Line Meaning
Why are you shaking and breaking apart
Why are you feeling so unstable and unable to hold yourself together?
Why are you hustling and bustling your heart
Why are you working so hard and putting so much pressure on your heart?
And why are you hurting with seat on your brow
Why are you experiencing pain and discomfort with sweat on your forehead?
Why to you persist to resist peace right now
Why are you determined to reject peace at this moment?
Everything you touch will turn to gold
Your influence will cause success and prosperity in all that you do.
And every path you take is paved with gold
Every opportunity you pursue will lead to wealth and fortune.
All the rivers wide will flow like gold
Even the obstacles and challenges you face will eventually lead to abundance.
There's nothing like cheating, defeating yourself
There is no greater pain than sabotaging your own potential and success.
Concealing your thoughts like a book on a shelf
Hiding your true emotions and intentions is like keeping a book out of reach and inaccessible.
Just wanting for someone to come and take you down
Longing for someone to bring you low, so that you can face your true self and flaws.
To open you up so you know that you've been found
To reveal your authentic self and show you that you have been discovered.
There's nothing like losing your way from the road
There is no greater feeling of being lost and unsure of one's path.
Bone tired and weary in the dreary fog and cold
Exhausted and worn out, struggling to navigate through a dark and unforgiving world.
And just as a phantom seems to frighten you to death
Just as a ghostly presence appears to terrify and overwhelm you.
When white wings surround you as you take your last breath
Angelic forces embrace you as you approach the end of your life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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