All along The Watchtower
Jimi Hendrix(지미 헨드릭스) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

There must be some kind of way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief

Business men, they drink my wine
Plowman dig my earth
None were level on the mind
Nobody up at his word
Hey, hey

No reason to get excited
The thief he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But, uh, but you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us stop talkin' falsely now
The hour's getting late, hey

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl




Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix Experience's song, "All Along The Watchtower," are full of layers and meanings. The opening line, "There must be some kind of way outta here" sets the tone for a song that is about feeling trapped and unable to escape. The joker and the thief represent different parts of the same person – one who is foolish and the other who is deceptive, but both wanting a way out of confusing situations. The next line, "There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief" emphasizes that feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to find peace.


The following stanza is a commentary on social classes and how they interact with each other. The business men drink the joker's wine, and the plowman works the thief's land. Both classes are not level in their minds, but nobody is upholding their word. This emphasizes a sense of dishonesty and a lack of trust between different classes of people.


The third stanza emphasizes that many people see life as a joke, but the joker and the thief realize that their fate is not something to be taken lightly. They've been through difficult situations before, and they know that now is not the time for false words. The hour is getting late, and it's time to be serious.


The final stanza is the most enigmatic of all. It speaks of princes keeping the view from a watchtower while women come and go, and barefoot servants work in the background. In the distance, a wildcat growls, and two riders approach while the wind howls. This stanza is a metaphor for the unpredictability of life and the imminent approach of danger. The watchtower represents a position of power where one can observe everything that's happening around them, but it also symbolizes the inability to act.


Overall, "All Along The Watchtower" is a song that speaks to the human condition – the feeling of being trapped and overwhelmed, the impossibility of trust between different classes of people, and the unpredictability of life.




Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions