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.
Drifter
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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I heard the drifter say
As they carried him from the court room
And were taking him away
Well, my trip hasn't been a pleasant one
And my time it isn't long
And I still do not know
What is was that I've done wrong
Well the judge he cast his robe aside
A tear came to his eye
Well you fail to understand, he said
Why must you even try
Outside the crowd was stirring
You could hear it from the door
Inside the judge was stepping down
While the jury cried for more, more, more
Cried for more, cried for more
Hey you better leave that boy's soul alone
Oh stop that passing the jury
Grab me a tendon and me a nurse
Oh, the trial was bad enough
Yes, but this is ten times worse
Just then bolt of lightning
Showed the court house out of shape
And while everybody knelt to pray
The drifter made his escape
The drifter did his escape
Yeah
So long
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix's song "Drifter" tell the story of a man who is being taken away and is pleading for help in his weakness. He explains that his trip hasn't been a pleasant one and that he doesn't know what he has done wrong. The judge, who is moved to tears, explains that the man fails to understand why he even tries. The crowd is stirred outside, while inside, the judge steps down and the jury cries for more.
The line "outside the crowd was stirring, you could hear it from the door" is interesting as it highlights the tension and uncertainty of the situation. This line sets the scene for the rest of the song as it creates a sense of urgency and danger. The line "the judge he cast his robe aside, a tear came to his eye" is significant as it reveals the humanity of the judge and the emotional weight he carries in his role. Furthermore, the line "the drifter made his escape" at the end of the song emphasizes the man's desperation for freedom and adds a sense of justice to the story.
Overall, "Drifter" is a powerful and emotionally charged song that tells a story of desperation and justice. The lyrics, combined with Hendrix's masterful guitar playing, create a sense of urgency and intrigue that captures the listener's attention.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, help me in my weakness
The drifter pleads for assistance during a trying time.
I heard the drifter say
Someone listened to the drifter's plea.
As they carried him from the court room
The drifter was escorted from the courtroom.
And were taking him away
The drifter was being removed from the situation.
Well, my trip hasn't been a pleasant one
The drifter has had a difficult journey.
And my time it isn't long
The drifter knows that time is running out for him.
And I still do not know
The drifter remains unsure.
What is was that I've done wrong
The drifter is confused about the reason for his troubles.
Well the judge he cast his robe aside
The judge abandoned his professional exterior.
A tear came to his eye
The judge was emotionally moved.
Well you fail to understand, he said
The judge believes that the drifter doesn't see the truth.
Why must you even try
The judge questions the drifter's actions.
Outside the crowd was stirring
The audience was agitated.
You could hear it from the door
The commotion was audible from outside.
Inside the judge was stepping down
The judge was leaving his seat in the courtroom.
While the jury cried for more, more, more
The jury demanded further action.
Cried for more, cried for more
The jury's plea was repeated.
Hey you better leave that boy's soul alone
A warning not to harm the drifter in any way.
Oh stop that passing the jury
An exclamation to halt the jury's actions.
Grab me a tendon and me a nurse
An odd statement that seems disconnected from the rest of the lyrics.
Oh, the trial was bad enough
The trial was already a difficult experience for the drifter.
Yes, but this is ten times worse
The current situation is even more unbearable for the drifter.
Just then bolt of lightning
An unexpected occurrence took place.
Showed the court house out of shape
The lighting altered the appearance of the courthouse.
And while everybody knelt to pray
Those present were moved to pray.
The drifter made his escape
The drifter left the scene.
The drifter did his escape
Reiteration of the drifter's successful escape.
Yeah
An exclamation of finality.
So long
A farewell message.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devin Kennedy
on Spanish Castle Magic (alternate take)
Is this really the alternete take