James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942… Read Full Bio ↴James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music".

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.

Gypsy's Boy
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey gypsy boy
Where do you come from
From the land of the new rising sun
Hey gypsy boy
Where do you plan to go to
I’m gonna spread a lot of love
And my piece of my mind too
One day I’ll come along

I’ll come along

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jimi Hendrix's "Gypsy Boy" express a sense of curiosity and open-mindedness towards a free-spirited, wanderlust-filled protagonist. The opening lines, "Hey gypsy boy, where do you come from, from the land of the new rising sun," create a sense of mystique and unknown origins. The reference to the "new rising sun" is believed to be a nod to Hendrix's own cultural identity as a Black American, as well as his interest in Eastern spirituality and philosophy.

The subsequent lines, "Hey gypsy boy, where do you plan to go to, I’m gonna spread a lot of love and my piece of my mind too" showcases the singer's optimistic, positive outlook on life, as they vow to share love and their unique perspective with the world. Hendrix's use of the phrase "my piece of my mind" further emphasizes the character's individuality and independence. The final lines, "One day I’ll come along, I’ll come along," suggest that the singer may eventually join the gypsy boy on his journey towards personal enlightenment.

Overall, "Gypsy Boy" can be interpreted as an ode to the human desire for adventure, self-discovery, and freedom. As with many of Hendrix's songs, the poetic lyrics and intricate guitar riffs create a dreamlike atmosphere that invites the listener into a world of limitless possibilities and infinite potential.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey gypsy boy
Greetings to the young, wandering traveler

Where do you come from
What is your place of origin?

From the land of the new rising sun
I hail from a land where opportunity and hope are abundant, where everything is new and fresh

Hey gypsy boy
Once more, good greetings to the youthful wanderer

Where do you plan to go to
What is your intended destination?

I’m gonna spread a lot of love
I intend to share kindness and affection with all I encounter

And my piece of my mind too
In addition, I will also share my thoughts and perspectives with those I meet

One day I’ll come along
Someday, I may traverse the same path as you

I’ll come along
I too will wander and explore

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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