Born in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix began playing guitar at the age of 15. In 1961, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division; he was granted an honorable discharge the following year. Soon afterward, he moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, and began playing gigs on the Chitlin' Circuit, earning a place in the Isley Brothers' backing band and later with Little Richard, with whom he continued to work through mid-1965. He then played with Curtis Knight and the Squires before moving to England in late 1966 after being discovered by Linda Keith, who in turn interested bassist Chas Chandler of the Animals in becoming his first manager. Within months, Hendrix had earned three UK top ten hits with the Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", and "The Wind Cries Mary". He achieved fame in the U.S. after his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and in 1968 his third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, reached number one in the U.S.; it was Hendrix's most commercially successful release and his first and only number one album. The world's highest-paid performer, he headlined the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, before his accidental death from barbiturate-related asphyxia on September 18, 1970, at the age of 27.
Hendrix was inspired musically by American rock and roll and electric blues. He favored overdriven amplifiers with high volume and gain, and was instrumental in utilizing the previously undesirable sounds caused by guitar amplifier feedback. He helped to popularize the use of a wah-wah pedal in mainstream rock, and was the first artist to use stereophonic phasing effects in music recordings. Holly George-Warren of Rolling Stone commented: "Hendrix pioneered the use of the instrument as an electronic sound source. Players before him had experimented with feedback and distortion, but Hendrix turned those effects and others into a controlled, fluid vocabulary every bit as personal as the blues with which he began."
Hendrix was the recipient of several music awards during his lifetime and posthumously. In 1967, readers of Melody Maker voted him the Pop Musician of the Year, and in 1968, Rolling Stone declared him the Performer of the Year. Disc and Music Echo honored him with the World Top Musician of 1969 and in 1970, Guitar Player named him the Rock Guitarist of the Year. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Rolling Stone ranked the band's three studio albums, Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland, among the 100 greatest albums of all time, and they ranked Hendrix as the greatest guitarist and the sixth greatest artist of all time.
Beginnings If 6 Was 9
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If the sun refuse to shine
I don't mind, I don't mind
If the mountains fell in the sea
let it be, it ain't me
Alright, 'cos I got my own world to look through
And I ain't gonna copy you
Now if 6 turned out to be 9
I don't mind, I don't mind
Alright, if all the hippies cut off all their hair
I don't care, I don't care
Dig, 'cos I got my own world to live through
And I ain't gonna copy you
White collared conservative flashing down the street
Pointing their plastic finger at me
They're hoping soon my kind will drop and die
But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, high
Wave on, wave on
Fall mountains, just don't fall on me
Go ahead on Mr. Business man, you can't dress like me
Sing on Brother, play on drummer
The song If 6 Was 9 is a reflection of Jimi Hendrix's independent and rebellious spirit. The opening lines of the song "If the sun refuse to shine, I don't mind" portray his indifference towards the norms of the society. He asserts that he does not care for the external circumstances around him, implying that he has his own world to look through. The lines "If 6 turned out to be 9, I don't mind" reflect his willingness to embrace change and that he is open to exploring new ideas that are not bound by rigidity. He also defies societal expectations of conformity by saying "if all the hippies cut off all their hair, I don't care".
The lyrics then transition to reflections on society, as Jimi sings about the "white collared conservative flashing down the street pointing their plastic finger at me". It reflects on the discordant relationships between Hendrix and the establishment, highlighting the societal differences and prejudices that existed at the time. He expresses his determination to stand up for his identity, with the lines "But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, high. Wave on, wave on". This lyric has become a rallying cry for those willing to reject societal norms in favor of living authentically.
Line by Line Meaning
If the sun refuse to shine
If the world is not going my way
I don't mind, I don't mind
It does not affect me emotionally
If the mountains fell in the sea
If the impossible happens
let it be, it ain't me
It's not my problem
Alright, 'cos I got my own world to look through
I have my own perspective on life
And I ain't gonna copy you
I won't conform to society's expectations
Now if 6 turned out to be 9
If what is considered right becomes wrong
I don't mind, I don't mind
I can handle it
Alright, if all the hippies cut off all their hair
If the counterculture gives in
I don't care, I don't care
It won't affect me
Dig, 'cos I got my own world to live through
I have my own path to follow
And I ain't gonna copy you
I won't conform to society's expectations
White collared conservative flashing down the street
People who conform to mainstream society
Pointing their plastic finger at me
Judging and accusing me of not fitting in
They're hoping soon my kind will drop and die
They want the counterculture movement to disappear
But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, high
I will continue to be myself unapologetically
Wave on, wave on
Continue to be yourself
Fall mountains, just don't fall on me
Obstacles may come, but I will overcome
Go ahead on Mr. Business man, you can't dress like me
I won't conform to societal norms even for success
Sing on Brother, play on drummer
The counterculture community will continue to thrive
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
deacon theseer
I love the way Jimi holds s note until he is satisfied he's gotten all he can out of it.
mrbobawesome
I'm 43. I couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 when my Dad's best friend turned me on to Hendrix. In all these years, there's been something captivating about his playing that's stuck with me. I've never been able to quite articulate it. Your words are precisely how I've felt all these years. 3 cheers for great music!
ariimoana cotter
I love the way Jimi
Sam Sveistrup
the frequencies are waves so they're actually changing or you want the top of the wave not the bottom
John van floyd ♥️
well spotted
jachba
The instrumental take on If 6 Was 9 is well worth hearing. It would have been phenomenal to have heard a live version (with vocals) at Woodstock.
Joseph Powell
Very Interesting! Just listening to 'Beginnings ' is awesome. It's a shame that Jimi didn't have a musician in his management team at this time to guide him in his new musical journey. Chas Chandler left in 68 and Michael Jeffrey was only interested in the trio line-up. It's also too bad Jimi and this band weren't given ample time to develop their musical sound. A month or two of just rehearsing might of done it. I wish they had did this medley live at Woodstock. You can listen to 'Beginnings' and hear what was being done in the jazz rock/fusion in the coming years. Miles would have his guitarists stretch out in his 70's fusion recordings. This medley shows what Jimi was exploring and growing by 1969.
Edward Borne
They did do this melody at Woodstock! Titled Jam back at the house on LP Woodstock 2. In the film Jimi is seen smoking while playing
Maxsno
@Edward Borneindeed it was so , Jimi with Jon Mac is around , so so quality, that's a what if ever.. Dave Holland solid
Rickey A Scott
still the best guitarist ever