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.
Burning Desire
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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Burning desire sets my soul on fire
I feel my body drowning in your sea of love
But in the meantime there's nothing to dream
Between Hell and Heaven you just may see me chase my heart everywhere
Burning desire hotter than an electric chair
Bridge:
Last night sure was sweet
it sure was good this time around
you really sent me around and around, round and round
You came on down hard on me baby
you showed me just how love could be
i wish i could stay baby
but im just a nightbird flying over the sea
and im trying not to drown
Burning desire hotter than an electric chair
The lyrics of Jimi Hendrix's song "Burning Desire" are full of passion and intensity. The opening lines, "Burning desire sets my soul on fire," set the tone for the rest of the song. The desire referred to in the song may be physical, emotional, or even spiritual. It is described as being so strong that it feels like the body is drowning in a sea of love. The imagery of drowning is significant because it suggests being overwhelmed by emotion.
The following lines, "But in the meantime there's nothing to dream," are a reminder that sometimes, despite wanting something so badly, it may not be possible to have it. The lyrics suggest that the singer is caught between heaven and hell in their pursuit of love. They acknowledge that chasing their heart may lead them down a difficult path, but the burning desire is too strong to ignore. The repeated line, "Burning desire hotter than an electric chair," reinforces the idea of the intensity of the desire.
The bridge of the song brings a sense of calm after the storm. The singer describes a sweet and good experience with love, but acknowledges that they cannot stay. The lyrics "im just a nightbird flying over the sea / and im trying not to drown" bring the imagery of water and drowning back into the song, and suggest that the singer is still struggling to find their place in the world of love.
Overall, the lyrics of "Burning Desire" convey a sense of longing and passion for love, but also a recognition that it can be a difficult and overwhelming experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Burning desire sets my soul on fire
The intense passion I feel inside is so strong it's like my soul is engulfed in flames
I feel my body drowning in your sea of love
Your love is so overwhelming that I feel like I'm being submerged in an ocean of emotion
But in the meantime there's nothing to dream
Despite my burning desire for you, there is no future possibility with you for me to dream about
Between Hell and Heaven you just may see me chase my heart everywhere
I'm caught between two opposites, but no matter the path I choose, I'm constantly chasing after my own heart
Burning desire hotter than an electric chair
My passion for you is so intense that it's like being subjected to the searing heat of an electric chair
Last night sure was sweet
The experience with you last night was truly enjoyable
it sure was good this time around
This recent experience with you was particularly positive compared to past encounters
you really sent me around and around, round and round
You had a strong effect on me, causing me to become dizzy and disoriented with pleasure
You came on down hard on me baby
Your approach was aggressive and passionate, leaving a lasting impression on me
you showed me just how love could be
Through your actions, you demonstrated to me the true potential and power of love
i wish i could stay baby
I would like to prolong this experience and stay with you
but im just a nightbird flying over the sea
I'm wandering and searching for something, like a nocturnal bird over a vast expanse of water
and im trying not to drown
Although I'm immersed in emotion, I'm trying to keep my head above water and not let myself succumb fully to it
Contributed by Jordan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Devin Kennedy
on Spanish Castle Magic (alternate take)
Is this really the alternete take