The original April 1969 recording can be heard on the 2013 album People, Hell & Angels. Jimi is joined on that version by bassist Billy Cox and drummer Rocky Isaac of the Cherry People.
Crash Landing
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don’t love me , you just want me
So let’s make it baby, so I can leave
You don’t need me
You just want to bleed me
So take out your dagger, and cut me free, cut me free
Cut me free
Hey!
You don’t love me, you just want to suffocate me
So hand me your blankets and take your dirty sheets
Dirty sheets, yeah
Take your dirty sheets
Well I must admit that you can be a pretty good artist
But I’ve never seen that smile painted all across your face
Baby, baby on your
Baby on your face
Baby on your face
Oh I do declare you should be a rocket
You get me spaced out, laid out, look at the sun fade out
And you almost made me leave my faith outside
Hey, look at ya, all lovey-dovey when you mess around with that needle
Well I
I wonder how would your loving be other-wise
I wonder just how would your loving be, other-wise
Well dig this brother
I’m gonna spank your hands and I’m gonna throw away your stupid needle
I’m gonna try to make love straight, for the very first and last time
Slow it down sugar, unless you in a hurry to die
You don’t love me girl, you just want to hurt me
So let’s hurry and get this scene over so can marry up with that old sweet
You don’t need me, you just wanna see me watch you, run after that suicide ball
Bouncin’ across the freeway
Bang, bang! Shoot, shoot
As long as you’re yourself girl, I’ll try not to give a hoot
Oh, yeah, yes, slow down
Bang, bang! Shoot, shoot
Slow down, slow down, slow down
The lyrics of Jimi Hendrix's song "Crash Landing" seem to address a toxic relationship between the singer and his partner. He acknowledges that he is not loved but used and so he wants this relationship to end as soon as possible, requesting his partner to cut him free with her dagger. He further notes that his partner does not need him but wants to bleed him dry, which indicates an imbalance in the relationship where one partner is sacrificing more than the other.
The lyrics also touch on drug addiction and its impact on relationships, as the singer warns his partner that he will take away her needle and try to make love with her without it. He wonders what their relationship would be like if his partner wasn't addicted to drugs and suggests that her addiction is a way for her to hurt him. The last part of the song suggests that the relationship has become destructive, with the partner bouncing across the freeway like a "suicide ball" and the singer encouraging her to slow down before something terrible happens.
Overall, the lyrics of "Crash Landing" suggest a relationship that is unhealthy, imbalanced, and destructive. The singer is aware of this, and instead of trying to fix it, he wants to end it quickly.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
The singer is trying to get someone's attention.
You don’t love me , you just want me
The singer feels that the other person is using them for their own purposes and does not genuinely care for them.
So let’s make it baby, so I can leave
The singer suggests having sex so they can end the relationship and move on.
You don’t need me
The artist feels that they are not truly necessary or valued by the other person.
You just want to bleed me
The artist feels that the other person is taking advantage of them.
So take out your dagger, and cut me free, cut me free
The singer symbolically suggests that the other person end the relationship by 'cutting' them free.
Hey
The singer is once again trying to get the other person's attention.
You don’t love me, you just want to suffocate me
The other person's behavior is making the artist feel trapped and imprisoned.
So hand me your blankets and take your dirty sheets
The artist suggests that the other person leave and take their negative energy with them.
Dirty sheets, yeah
A repetition of the previous line, emphasizing the need for the other person to go.
Well I must admit that you can be a pretty good artist
The singer acknowledges that the other person has the ability to create beautiful things.
But I’ve never seen that smile painted all across your face
Despite their artistic ability, the other person does not seem genuinely happy.
Baby, baby on your
The singer is addressing the other person affectionately.
Baby on your face
The singer may be referring to a tattoo or other form of permanent art on the other person's face.
Oh I do declare you should be a rocket
The singer is complimenting the other person's potential for greatness.
You get me spaced out, laid out, look at the sun fade out
The other person's influence has a powerful effect on the artist.
And you almost made me leave my faith outside
The artist almost lost touch with their beliefs or morals because of the other person's influence.
Hey, look at ya, all lovey-dovey when you mess around with that needle
The other person's drug use is being criticized by the singer.
Well I, I wonder how would your loving be other-wise
The singer wonders what the other person would be like without their addiction.
Well dig this brother
The artist is now addressing someone else, perhaps a friend or bystander.
I’m gonna spank your hands and I’m gonna throw away your stupid needle
The artist intends to intervene in the other person's drug use and help them quit.
I’m gonna try to make love straight, for the very first and last time
The artist wants to have a pure, drug-free experience with someone.
Slow it down sugar, unless you in a hurry to die
The singer encourages the other person to slow down and be cautious with their life.
You don’t love me girl, you just want to hurt me
The artist now addresses a woman who wants to cause them pain, rather than genuinely caring for them.
So let’s hurry and get this scene over so can marry up with that old sweet
The singer suggests ending the relationship so the woman can move on to someone else.
You don’t need me, you just wanna see me watch you, run after that suicide ball
The woman is trying to hurt the singer by making them chase after something that will only destroy them.
Bouncin’ across the freeway
The 'suicide ball' may be a metaphor for a dangerous lifestyle or addiction.
Bang, bang! Shoot, shoot
This line may be a reference to violence or a warning of impending danger.
As long as you’re yourself girl, I’ll try not to give a hoot
The artist will try to remain unaffected by the woman's attempts to hurt them as long as she remains true to herself.
Oh, yeah, yes, slow down
The singer encourages the woman to take a break and reevaluate her life choices.
Slow down, slow down, slow down
A repetition of the previous line, emphasizing the need to stop and reflect.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Oliver Forster
Great song.
But meanwhile on many channels
so much Hendrix songs disabled or greyed out
on U-Tube.
Was told to move to the music app sp××××y
(the app where i was supposed to find real
and no fake Hendrix)
There are some real ones.
But when listening
in the album
Crash Landing,
(*a posthumous compilation)
which was released in 1975 and produced by
Alan Douglas)
i hear that many
sequences of the then recorded songs
are no longer in the(*original)way.
Even as the 1975
"Crash landing" album
already was no longer
100% real Hendrix,
it was still better
then what i hear in these
new revised edition.
Most of the songs are
now modified and sound
adulterated,
missing the greatness
i used to hear in older
album editions;
with all the interplay
and finer points.
Maybe the result of
some new recording engineer regime,
in a misguided opinion
that the new generation might not hear
the difference between
the once original well-recorded ones
and
the new
but bad-sounding mingle-mangle?
Very annoying for me!
Saddening and
beyond my comprehension
that one of the
most creative guitar genius is being neglected
and alienated by partly
cheap covers of musicians
and a inactive,
indifferent music entertainment industry.
Arthur Whittle
Some time ago I ranked Jimi as number one all time for guitar. Then time passes where I hear a lot of other music and start to question it. Then I rediscover this. And I'm in awe. It's not just about whether or not you can teach another guitarist to play this. It's not that hard. But you will never find another guitarist who can come up with something like this. And if you could, it wouldn't sound like this. All analog, perfectly paced, brilliant.
Chris Soule
He is our teacher 😮
Phil G
The notes, yeah, but you can’t teach someone how to play LIKE Hendrix, assuming you know yourself.
Kenneth Raymond Moore
The misconception people have is that what makes Hendrix great is his technique. It's not. That's emulated all the time. What makes him unique is his skill as a composer on the guitar. Riff after original riff within single songs - the man seemed to have an endless well of creativity when it came to the guitar. You'll never hear such variety of playing within a single song from any other rock guitarist.
Todd Heimbuch
Young Arthur, Shame on you! ( Metaphorically speaking ). It really is not the usual 'Subjective thing', with our Jimi. One can hear his genius, and one simply knows it is the rarest of gift that is being heard. I've heard otherwise insightful people, sometimes suggest his prowess was of his disciplined persistence until he 'perfected' his sound, or the 'voice' of it. Or that it was all about his creative use of the cutting edge gizmos of his Era, including the electric guitar that he was innovating on.
But the obvious truth was his Talent for expression is plainly unmatchable. There are others who of course we can all dig so much, but Jimi's level of artistry is why he has no competition. His art approaches the sublime like no one ever. There are plenty of other Artists we can say are truly fantastic as well of course, but there's no need to list them because it remains that Jimi's ability at expression is the pinnacle of what we have ever witnessed.(Personally, I feel 'Captain Coconut ' is the closest thing to GOD speaking through music)
Arthur Whittle
@Todd Heimbuch A gorilla beats his chest. I want to validate you; we seem like kindred spirits, at least on this topic. Why then the pedantic tone? (rhetorical question)
August Lyons
I don't care what criticisms are made about this album being cobbled together using session players to fill in gaps and all, this album still sounds fantastic to my Jimi-loving ears.
Vinz Klortho
Jeff Mironov did an amazing job filling for Jimi.
David Gomez
This is where he was headed musically, and it was far ahead of the time, mindblowing!!!
Joel Houlette
Agree. Like the backround singers.