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.
Georgia Blues
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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Yes I was
I was born down in Georgia
People let me tell you, 27 years ago
Augusta Georgia, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
I've had heartaches and misery
And I ain't got no place to go
Have you ever seen a man
Good God, all-mighty, you know what I'm talking about
Have you ever seen a man
With tears rolling down his face
You know what I'm talking about
They say that a man, a man ain't supposed to cry
But somebody tell me what else can I do?
But my little girl just walked out on me
Mama, ooh mama mama
Can you hear your little boy calling your name
Yeah yeah
Ooh mama mama mama
Can you hear your little boy calling your name
The blues has got me
And I'm in so much misery and pain
Somebody, somebody listen to what I got to say
I need a little help, I need a little help right now
Lord I need I need a helping hand
Good God all-mighty
I said I need a little help right now
Lord I need a helping hand
My life, my life just ain't no good
And I'm living in the world, without a helping hand
Somebody come on and help me out here
Come on, come on and help me out right now
So long, everybody
Lord I don't see no reason to stay around
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let me say it again
I said so long, goodbye everybody
Lord I don't see no reason to stay around
Well now, the little girl that I love has gone and left me
And all my friends, all my friends have put me down
All my friends have put me down
The lyrics of Jimi Hendrix's song Georgia Blues are a heartfelt confession of anguish and desperation. The song starts with the artist sharing the place and time of his birth, Augusta, Georgia, 27 years ago. And from there, he begins to tell his story of heartaches and misery. The artist reveals that he has no place left to go, and his little girl has walked out on him, leaving him in tears. He also asks if anyone has ever seen a man crying like him, which suggests the enormity of his pain.
In the second verse, the artist cries out for help, asking for a little help, a little support, and a helping hand. He is in misery, and his life just ain't no good. He needs somebody to listen to his cries as he feels that he is living in the world without any help. The despair that grips him is so profound that he sees no reason to stay around, and he bids goodbye to everyone, all of whom had put him down.
In summary, Jimi Hendrix's Georgia Blues is a song that speaks to the human condition of heartaches, misery, and pain. The lyrics are an emotional outpouring that attempts to explain the hurt and anguish that comes when a relationship ends or when life takes a turn for the worse. The song leaves the listener with a sense of empathy and a deep appreciation of the complexities of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in George 27 years ago
Jimi Hendrix is reflecting on his birthplace and how long ago it has been since he was born.
Yes I was
Jimi Hendrix confirms his statement about being born in George 27 years ago.
I was born down in Georgia
Jimi Hendrix emphasizes his birthplace as being Georgia.
People let me tell you, 27 years ago
Jimi Hendrix repeats his statement about being born 27 years ago to grab the listener's attention.
Augusta Georgia, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
Jimi Hendrix specifies that his birthplace is Augusta, Georgia.
I've had heartaches and misery
Jimi Hendrix has gone through difficult times in his life that have caused him emotional pain.
And I ain't got no place to go
Jimi Hendrix feels like he doesn't belong anywhere and is lost in life.
Have you ever seen a man
Jimi Hendrix poses a question to the listener to make them think about his next statement.
With tears rolling down his face
Jimi Hendrix is describing a man crying, indicating how emotional and vulnerable he is feeling.
Good God, all-mighty, you know what I'm talking about
Jimi Hendrix expresses strong emotions about the man with tears rolling down his face and emphasizes this to the listener.
They say that a man, a man ain't supposed to cry
Jimi Hendrix references a popular belief that men shouldn't show weakness or emotion, but he doesn't agree with it.
But somebody tell me what else can I do?
Jimi Hendrix is questioning the listener about what else a man can do if he is feeling emotional and vulnerable.
But my little girl just walked out on me
Jimi Hendrix is revealing that his girlfriend has just broken up with him, causing him to feel even more pain.
Mama, ooh mama mama
Jimi Hendrix is calling out to his mother for comfort in his time of need.
Can you hear your little boy calling your name
Jimi Hendrix is emphasizing his plea for his mother to come to his aid during his time of suffering.
The blues has got me
Jimi Hendrix is describing the feeling of blues music, which represents his current state of mind.
And I'm in so much misery and pain
Jimi Hendrix is emphasizing how much he is suffering both physically and emotionally.
Somebody, somebody listen to what I got to say
Jimi Hendrix is asking for someone to listen to him and to understand his pain.
I need a little help, I need a little help right now
Jimi Hendrix is expressing his immediate need for assistance in overcoming his pain.
Lord I need I need a helping hand
Jimi Hendrix is calling out to a higher power for assistance in his time of need.
My life, my life just ain't no good
Jimi Hendrix is expressing his negative feelings about his life and how he is feeling lost.
And I'm living in the world, without a helping hand
Jimi Hendrix is emphasizing how alone he feels in the world and how he needs assistance to overcome his struggles.
Somebody come on and help me out here
Jimi Hendrix is making a final plea for someone to come and help him overcome his pain.
So long, everybody
Jimi Hendrix is saying goodbye to everyone around him, indicating that he is going to leave and not return.
Lord I don't see no reason to stay around
Jimi Hendrix is expressing his lack of purpose in life and why he feels like he needs to leave.
Well now, the little girl that I love has gone and left me
Jimi Hendrix is further emphasizing how heartbroken he is and how much he is struggling to cope with his pain.
And all my friends, all my friends have put me down
Jimi Hendrix is feeling abandoned by his friends and doesn't feel like he has anyone to turn to in his time of need.
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