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.
Long Hot Summer
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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Long, long hot summer night
As far as my eyes could see
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, my heart was way down
Cold, cold winter stone
Well my darlin', where can you be?
Where can you be, baby?
There were three sugar walls
And two candy cane windows
But the silliest move melted all those inside
Well, everybody's on fire, but it's
A-snowin' in a cold blizzard
Where are you in this a-hot cold summer?
Where are you in this a-hot cold summer?
Where are you in this a-hot cold summer?
God, God, God
Around about this time the telephone
Blew its horn across the room
Scared little Annie
Clean out of her mind
Out of her mind
Roman the Candle he peeps out of his peekaboo hide and seek
And grabbed little Annie from the ceiling just in time
And the telephone keeps on screamin'
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
"Hello", said my shakey voice, "well, how you doin'?"
I start to stutter
"ah, can't cha tell I'm a-doin' fine?"
There was my baby talkin', she's way down 'cross the border
She says, "I'm gonna hurry to ya I've been a fool
And I'm tired of cryin'"
Said I'm tired of cryin'
Yeah a long, long, long hot summer night
As far as my eyes could see
But I can ah feel the heat comin' on as my baby's gettin' closer
I'm so glad that my baby's comin' to rescue me
So glad that my baby's comin' to rescue me
So glad my baby's comin' to rescue me
Rescue, rescue, rescue
Rescue, rescue
Rescue, rescue, what'd I say
Rescue me, rescue me
Rescue, rescue me, rescue me
Rescue
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix Experience's song "Long Hot Summer Night" are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to describe a situation in which the singer's heart is cold and lonely like a winter stone, and he is searching for his lover during a long, hot summer night. The imagery is vivid and surreal, with references to sugar walls, candy cane windows, and a telephone that keeps screaming. The contrasting temperatures of hot and cold are also emphasized, with the singer wondering where his lover is in this "hot cold" summer.
The second half of the song brings some resolution to the storyline, as the singer's lover calls him from "way down 'cross the border" and tells him she is coming to rescue him. The tension and anticipation builds, as the singer feels the heat coming on and is so glad his baby is coming to rescue him. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the repeated refrain of "rescue me" expressing the singer's desire to be saved from his cold and lonely state.
Overall, the lyrics to "Long Hot Summer Night" are a fascinating blend of surreal imagery, emotional yearning, and ambiguous symbolism. They offer a glimpse into the mind of one of rock's greatest iconoclasts and showcase his ability to create vivid, evocative word pictures.
Line by Line Meaning
Show us a long
The singer wants to experience a lengthy moment.
Long, long hot summer night
The current atmosphere is hot, lively, and long-lasting.
As far as my eyes could see
The singer is surrounded by a vast open and inviting space.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
An exclamation of excitement and anticipation.
Well my heart was way down
The artist is feeling down and dejected.
Cold cold winter stone
The singer is isolated and numb, similar to the feeling of winter's coldness.
Well my darlin' where can you be
The singer is looking for their loved one amidst their current emotional state.
Where can you be baby
The artist is pleading for their loved one to show themselves.
There were three sugar walls
The surroundings are sweet and inviting, similar to a house with sugary walls.
And two candy cane windows
The windows are also made of candy, further enhancing the sweetness of the surroundings.
But the silliest move melted all those inside
Despite the inviting atmosphere, a foolish or careless action caused the sweet surroundings to melt away.
Well everybody's on fire, but its
Everyone is enthusiastic and energetic, despite the unexpected change in atmosphere.
A snowin' in a cold blizzard
However, there is an underlying coldness that contrasts with the fire and snow, resulting in a blizzard-like atmosphere.
Where are you in this a hot cold summer?
The singer is still searching for their loved one, even amidst the contrasting hot and cold atmosphere.
God, god, god
An exclamation of frustration or despair.
Around about this time the telephone
Suddenly, the phone rings interrupting the artist's train of thought.
Blew its horn across the room
The phone rang loudly and jarringly.
Scared little Annie
The loud noise frightened a person named Annie.
Clean out of her mind
Annie is overwhelmed and disoriented from the sudden noise.
Roman the Candle he peeps out of his peekaboo hide and seek
A person named Roman is hiding and peeking out, playing a game of hide-and-seek.
And grabbed little Annie from the ceiling just in time
Roman rescued Annie from a dangerous situation.
And the telephone keeps on screamin'
The phone continues to ring loudly and persistently.
Hello said my shakey voice, well how you doin'
The singer answers the phone with a shaky and nervous voice, asking how the other person is doing.
I start to stutter
The artist becomes nervous and starts to repeat themselves.
ah can't cha tell I'm ah doin' fine
The singer tries to mask their nervousness with an attempt at humor.
There was my baby talkin' she's way down 'cross the border.
The singer's loved one is calling from another country.
She says I'm gonna hurry to ya I've been a fool
The loved one admits to making a mistake and wants to make things right by hurrying to the singer.
And I'm tired of cryin'
The loved one is tired of feeling emotional pain and wants to be with the artist.
Yeah a long long long hot summer night
The atmosphere is still hot and lively, creating a sense of anticipation.
As far as my eyes could see
The open and inviting space is still present, suggesting hope for the future.
But I can ah feel the heat comin' on as my baby's gettin' closer
The singer feels the excitement and anticipation of being reunited with their loved one.
I'm so glad that my baby's comin' to rescue me
The artist is relieved and grateful that their loved one is coming to be with them.
Rescue, rescue, rescue
An expression of relief and joy, as the artist's loved one is coming to save them.
Rescue
A final emphasis on the artist's feelings of being saved and rescued.
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