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.
Day Tripper
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um ah um ah
I got a good reason, for taken the easy way out
I got a good reason, for taken the easy way out now
She was a day tripper
She was a day tripper, yeah
One way ticket yeah
It took so long to find out, I found out
She's a big teaser
She let me half the way down
She's a big teaser
She let me half the way down
She was a day tripper
Trippin' bright and gay
It took so long to find out, I found out
Oh, can you hear me now
Yeah
I try to please her
She only played one that stands
I try to please her
She only played one that stands
She was a day tripper
The day tripper, yeah
Was a one way ticket
One way ticket, yeah
It took so long to find out, I found out
Oh I found out
Your out of your mind
Day tripper
Day tripper
Day tripper
Day tripper
Day tripper
Day tripper
I got a good reason
I got a good reason
Yeah
Baby you can...
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix's song Day Tripper are about a woman who is a "day tripper," meaning she is not looking for a serious relationship and is only interested in casual encounters. The singer of the song has a good reason for taking the easy way out with her because he knows that she will not commit to anything long-term. The repetition of the phrase "one way ticket" emphasizes the idea that this woman is only interested in temporary relationships without any commitment.
However, the woman is also portrayed as a "big teaser" who leads the singer on, only to leave him hanging halfway down. Despite this, he keeps trying to please her, but she only wants someone who will play by her rules. In the end, he realizes that she is not worth his time and that he is "out of [his] mind" for pursuing her.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the casual dating culture of the 1960s and the difficulties of finding a genuine connection with someone. The singer tries to navigate this world but ultimately realizes that the "day tripper" lifestyle is not for him.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, Um ah um ah
The singer begins the song with an expressive sound that sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics.
I got a good reason, for taken the easy way out
The singer chooses to take the easy way out of a difficult situation and feels justified by it.
She was a day tripper
The woman in question is a day tripper, someone who goes on short outings for leisure or adventure.
One way ticket yeah
The day tripper's adventure is a one-way experience that will eventually come to an end.
It took so long to find out, I found out
It took the singer a long time to figure out the true motives and intentions of the day tripper.
She's a big teaser
The day tripper leads the singer on with hints of interest and affection.
She let me half the way down
The day tripper disappointed the singer by not following through on her promises or expectations.
Trippin' bright and gay
The day tripper is enjoying herself immensely, carefree and full of life.
Oh, can you hear me now
The singer asks for confirmation that the day tripper can hear what he is saying, perhaps indicating some frustration or desperation.
I try to please her
The singer makes an effort to please the day tripper, but it seems to be in vain.
She only played one that stands
The day tripper was only interested in a single fling or adventure, with no intention of any continuation or commitment.
Was a one way ticket
The day tripper's journey was only meant to go in one direction, with no return trip planned.
Oh I found out
The singer has finally discovered the day tripper's true intentions.
Your out of your mind
The singer is shocked or incredulous at the day tripper's behavior or actions.
Day tripper
Repetition of the phrase reinforces the idea that the song is about a woman who enjoys short-lived experiences for pleasure or fulfillment.
I got a good reason
Repetition of this phrase suggests the singer is certain that his reasons for taking the easy way out were justified.
Baby you can...
The song ends abruptly, leaving the listener to wonder what the singer might have said next.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devin Kennedy
on Spanish Castle Magic (alternate take)
Is this really the alternete take