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.
See The Light
Jefferson Starship Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to go to the stars
I want to go for the morning star
She woke from a start from a dream of stars
Let's talk about metaphysics she sighed in her bvd's
She didn't need comfort just some verbal intercourse
A dance around the intelligence tree
Where was the light before it came here?
Who held the power to begin the spin?
What is in store? what am I here for?
Is it love? is it war? is there more?
There she stands at my mind again
The age of poetry had begun
Wasn't that a time for love?
Wasn't that a time for imagination?
Wasn't that a time for the light?
Go out and stuff the universe into your eyes
Out together on the streets
At the barricades or in the sheets
What a scintillating bitch with her eyes on the light
"Let's go to hell together" in her eyes
Why do we remember the past and not the future?
What's inside a black hole? What is the nature of the universe?
How does it work? Which way is west in space?
Is there sex in heaven? Is it the best?
Connect me with my intellect, she lied
You can't hide the sexual drive
Friction makes sparks, sparks make fire
Fire makes heat and the heat will endure 'til the
Animal comes with a ferocity not unlike
You and me in the throes of poetry
A lover's eye can stare an eagle blind
A lover's ear can hear the lowest sound
A lover's lip taste like the dream
I know you like it on top don't stop
Wasn't that a time for the light?
Wasn't that a time for bright ideas?
Wasn't that a time for love and danger?
Go out and stuff the universe into your eyes
The only answer that I have found
Above the sky or below the ground
Is that there are no answers
There never were any answers
There will never be any answers
And as Gertrude stein said, "that's the answer"
I'm not afraid of the future
I'm not afraid of ideas
I'm not afraid to shake the foundation
Of the wonder years
These are visions of tomorrow
These are visions of the strength of ideas
Like matter and energy, ideas shape the sky
Of the future years
In my world, there are no hungry children
In my world, love is true
In my world, teachers get paid more than baseball players
In my world, there is you, but
In the real world, people get hungry
In the real world, people need love
In the real world, people need food and light and ideas
And hope and love and a soothing human touch
Just like they're
Standing in the presence of god
Standing in the halls of imagination
Every boy a lion, every girl a tiger
It just takes a moment to step through the fire
Adventure beckons from above
The age of poetry begins again with love
Isn't this a time for the light?
Isn't this a time for imagination?
Isn't this a time for great new ideas?
Go out and stuff the universe into your eyes
Isn't this a time for love?
Isn't this a time to shake the foundations?
I know you like it on top, don't stop
Isn't this a time for the light
I am not afraid of the future
"See The Light" by Jefferson Starship is a poetic and introspective song that explores deep philosophical and metaphysical questions about the universe, humanity, love, and the unknown. The song is a contemplative journey of the minds of the two protagonists who are keen to explore the mysteries of the cosmos and the potential of the human intellect.
The song opens with the singer's desire to reach the stars and encounter the light that illuminates the universe. The narrative then switches to a conversation between two lovers who engage in deep intellectual discussions about the nature of life, the universe, and the unknown. The woman in the dialogue is very curious about metaphysics and seeks to uncover the secrets of the cosmos through her intellectual searches.
The song progresses to explore some of the most profound questions about the universe, such as the origins of light and the nature of existence. The singer raises questions about sex in heaven, the direction of West in space, the nature of black holes, and the purpose of human existence. The song concludes with the singer acknowledging the vastness of the universe, and the fact that no definitive answers exist to the mysteries of life and existence. Overall, the song urges the listener to embrace their curiosities, explore the unknown, and challenge the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to go to the stars
The desire to explore the unknown and transcend physical limitations
She woke from a start from a dream of stars
The fascination and allure of outer space
Where was the light before it came here?
Contemplation about the origin and nature of light
There she stands at my mind again
The presence of creativity and inspiration
Wasn't that a time for love?
Nostalgia for a time of romantic and imaginative spirit
Out together on the streets
The unity of a community striving for a common cause
What a scintillating bitch with her eyes on the light
The allure and power of those who seek knowledge and truth
Why do we remember the past and not the future?
Pondering the nature of time and memory
Connect me with my intellect, she lied
The desire for a deeper understanding of oneself
Fire makes heat and the heat will endure 'til the
The potential of intense passion and energy
Wasn't that a time for the light?
Yearning for a time of enlightenment and positive change
The only answer that I have found
The futility of seeking absolute answers and certainty
These are visions of tomorrow
The power of imagination and the potential for progress
In my world, there are no hungry children
The pursuit of a utopian society free of suffering and inequality
Just like they're standing in the presence of god
The transcendental nature of great ideas and experiences
Adventure beckons from above
The excitement and anticipation of exploring the unknown
Isn't this a time for the light?
A call for a renewed focus on enlightenment and progress
I am not afraid of the future
The confidence to face the unknown and embrace change
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Talleyrandful
Great song with beautiful memories for me :-)
trfesok
Originally recorded by Marty Balin for his solo album "Better Generation" in 1991. This one is much better performed and produced. Both are in my Balin playlist. Thanks for the upload!
RichardBaker1000
Goodbye Paul. Goodbye Marty. Thanks for the music and inspiration.
kevin joseph
writer --jesse barrish