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.
Let The Good Times Roll
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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What's in my heart, and why I love you so
I love you baby like a miner loves gold
Come on sugar, let the good times roll (hey)
So many people live in make believe
They keep a lot a going up their sleeves
But my love, baby, is no kind that folds
Let the good times roll
Ah baby, come on and let daddy fill your soul
Baby, let the good times roll
(Hey)
A love is nice if it's understood
It's even nicer when you're feelin' good
You got me flippin' like flag on a pole
Come on sugar, let the good times roll
Hey! Yeah! Let the good times roll
Feel me baby! Come on, let good times roll
Come on and let me fill your soul
Hey, let the good times roll
In Jimi Hendrix's "Come On", the artist is expressing his affection for someone who is not being understood by others. People are talking without knowing what's in Hendrix's heart and why he loves this person so. Hendrix compares the love he has for this person to a miner's love for gold, emphasizing that his love runs deep. Moreover, he implies that others might have their own hidden motives for pretending to love someone, but his love is genuine and unyielding. He urges the object of his affection to let loose and enjoy the good times with him, which suggests that the relationship between him and the person he loves is currently strained or repressed.
The lyrics convey the idea that love should be felt and experienced, not just talked about. Hendrix believes that there's no point in pretending to love someone just to fit into society's expectations or to get something out of the other person. He wants his love to be celebrated, and it's evident in the upbeat rhythm of the song, which captures the essence of excitement and exhilaration.
Overall, Jimi Hendrix's "Come On" is a song about the importance of genuine love and enjoying the good times that come with it. It emphasizes that love should not be just a show for others but a deeply personal feeling that needs to be shared and experienced.
Line by Line Meaning
People talkin' but they just don't know
Despite what people say about us, they don't know the true depth of my feelings for you.
What's in my heart, and why I love you so
My love for you is pure and strong, but hard to articulate to others.
I love you baby like a miner loves gold
My love for you is unwavering and of great value, like gold to a miner.
Come on sugar, let the good times roll (hey)
Let's enjoy and make the most of our time together, and have some fun while we're at it.
So many people live in make believe
Many people aren't genuine or authentic, and live a life of illusion or fantasy.
They keep a lot a going up their sleeves
People often hide their true intentions or feelings from those around them, keeping secrets and manipulations under wraps.
But my love, baby, is no kind that folds
My love for you is real and steadfast, and I won't back out or let you down.
Come on baby, let the good times roll
Let's not let anything get in the way of having a good time and enjoying ourselves.
Let the good times roll
Let's fully embrace and enjoy the moment and have some fun!
A love is nice if it's understood
Love is a great feeling, but it's even better when there's mutual understanding and respect.
It's even nicer when you're feelin' good
When we're both happy and feeling good, our love is even stronger and more enjoyable.
You got me flippin' like flag on a pole
Your love and affection have me feeling ecstatic and joyous.
Come on sugar, let the good times roll
Let's keep the good times going and make the most of our time together.
Hey! Yeah! Let the good times roll
An expression of enthusiasm and excitement for the good times to continue.
Feel me baby! Come on, let good times roll
Let's maintain our strong connection and continue having fun together.
Come on and let me fill your soul
Let me love and cherish you in a deep and meaningful way.
Hey, let the good times roll
An expression of continued enthusiasm for enjoying life to the fullest with each other.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Earl King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devin Kennedy
on Spanish Castle Magic (alternate take)
Is this really the alternete take