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.
Electric Ladyland Blues
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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Have you ever been, to Electric Ladyland?
The magic carpet waits for you
So don't you be late
Oh
I want to show you
I want to learn you
The sounds and motions
Electric women waits for you and me
So it's time we take a ride
we can cast all of your hang-ups over the seaside
While we fly right over the love filled sea
Look up ahead, I see the loveland, soon you'll understand
Make love, make love, make love, make love
(I wanna show you)
The angels will spread their wings, spread their wings
(I wanna show you)
Good and evil lay side by side while electric love penetrates the sky
(I wanna show you)
Lord, Lord I wanna show you
(I wanna show you)
Hmm, hmmm, hmmm
(I wanna show you)
Show you
(I wanna show you)
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix's song "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" convey the idea of taking a psychedelic and sensual journey to this fantastical place called Electric Ladyland. It's a place where everything is possible, and the magic carpet is waiting to take you there. The song speaks of different emotions and sounds and motions that can be experienced if you choose to go and see for yourself. Electric women and love fill the land, and it's time to take a ride and cast away all hang-ups.
The chorus of "I wanna show you" repeated several times throughout the song emphasizes the idea of introducing someone to new experiences, emotions, and sensations. The lyrics are straightforward and convey the message of freeing oneself of limitations and opening up to a world of possibility that one may not have experienced before. The song is also known to contain sexual undertones and imagery, typical of Hendrix's music.
In conclusion, "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" is a classic psychedelic rock song that speaks of a surreal and sensual journey to another world. The focus is on experiencing new things and breaking out of one's limitations. Hendrix's masterful guitar playing combined with the hypnotic rhythm creates an otherworldly musical landscape that further emphasizes the lyrics' message.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever been?
Have you ever experienced something truly unique and extraordinary?
Have you ever been, to Electric Ladyland?
Have you ever visited a place that exists beyond our wildest imagination, like Electric Ladyland?
The magic carpet waits for you
There is an opportunity waiting for you to embark on an incredible journey.
So don't you be late
Don't miss out on this opportunity by being tardy or hesitant.
I want to show you
I am eager to share with you the wonders of this journey.
Different emotions
You will experience a broad range of emotions on this journey.
I want to learn you
I am also excited to learn more about you and your reactions to this journey.
The sounds and motions
You will encounter a variety of sounds and motions that are beyond what you have previously experienced.
Electric women waits for you and me
There are incredible and unique experiences that await both of us on this journey.
So it's time we take a ride
Let's not waste any more time and embark on this journey together.
We can cast all of your hang-ups over the seaside
You have the opportunity to release all your worries and doubts as we soar over the sea.
While we fly right over the love filled sea
We will effortlessly soar over a sea of love and positivity.
Look up ahead, I see the loveland, soon you'll understand
There is something beautiful ahead that you will soon experience and come to understand.
Make love, make love, make love, make love
Embrace and celebrate the love that surrounds us on this journey.
(I wanna show you) The angels will spread their wings, spread their wings
We will encounter divine and heavenly beings on our journey.
(I wanna show you) Good and evil lay side by side while electric love penetrates the sky
There is a balance between good and evil, and we will witness the power of love that transcends above it all.
(I wanna show you) Lord, Lord I wanna show you
I have a strong desire to share this experience with you.
(I wanna show you) Hmm, hmmm, hmmm
This journey is truly indescribable with words and requires experiencing it firsthand.
(I wanna show you) Show you
I want to demonstrate and reveal the wonders of this journey to you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devin Kennedy
on Spanish Castle Magic (alternate take)
Is this really the alternete take