Hendrix claimed this was inspired by a dream where he was walking under the sea. In the dream, he said a purple haze surrounded him, engulfed him and got him lost. It was a traumatic experience, but in his dream his faith in Jesus saved him.
Hendrix claimed this had nothing to do with drugs; instead it could refer to some themes in Sci-Fi comics he was fond of about purple rays. However the lyrics seem to vividly portray an acid trip, and Hendrix was doing plenty of drugs at the time.
The single peaked at number three in the UK but only number 65 in the US, where it was released on June 19, a month after the UK LP “Are You Experienced” and three months after the UK single. In March 2005, Q magazine ranked “Purple Haze” at number one in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at No. 17 in their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
This song was featured on Guitar Hero World Tour along with another Jimi Hendrix song, Wind Cries Mary. In Guitar Hero World Tour this song is in a lower tone than it really is because in Guitar Hero World Tour it was a live recording.
Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lately things they don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
Excuse me while I kiss the sky
Purple haze, all around
Don't know if I'm comin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Help me
Help me
Oh, no, no
Ooh, ah
Ooh, ah
Ooh, ah
Ooh, ah, yeah!
Purple haze all in my eyes
Don't know if it's day or night
You got me blowin', blowin' my mind
Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?
Ooh
Help me
Ahh, yeah, yeah, purple haze
Oh, no, oh
Oh, help me
Tell me, tell me, purple haze
I can't go on like this
(Purple haze) you're makin' me blow my mind
Purple haze, n-no, no
(Purple haze)
The song Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix was released in 1967 and is considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time. The lyrics of the song are a bit ambiguous, but it is believed that the song is about the experience of being high on psychedelic drugs and the sensations that come with it. Hendrix describes feeling like he is in a daze, unsure of what is real and what is not. He feels like he is under a spell and cannot break free.
The first verse of the song suggests that Hendrix is experiencing a sort of mental fog, where things around him appear distorted and strange. He is struggling to make sense of his surroundings and is acting peculiarly without really knowing why. The line "Excuse me while I kiss the sky" has become synonymous with the song and is often interpreted as representing the feeling of euphoria that comes with being high.
In the second verse, Hendrix describes feeling like he is in a dream-like state, where time and reality are disorienting. He is not sure if he is happy or miserable, and he feels like he has been put under a spell by a woman. The repetition of the phrase "Help me" throughout the song suggests that he is struggling to break free from the haze that has taken over his mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Purple haze, all in my brain
I feel hypnotized and overwhelmed by the drug-induced state of my mind
Lately things they don't seem the same
My perception of reality has been altered in a profound and unsettling way
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
I'm behaving erratically due to the disorientation brought on by the drug
Excuse me while I kiss the sky
I am so high that I feel like I am transcending the limitations of my physical body and touching the heavens
Purple haze, all around
The psychedelic influence of the drug has penetrated all aspects of my environment
Don't know if I'm comin' up or down
I cannot decide if the drug is causing me to feel euphoric or depressed
Am I happy or in misery?
I am experiencing conflicting emotions that I cannot readily interpret or understand
What ever it is, that girl put a spell on me
My disorienting state is caused by the effects of the drug, but I am attributing it to a particular girl who I am fixating on
Help me
I am overwhelmed and struggling to come to terms with the intensity of the drug's influence on me
Ooh, ah
I am experiencing uncontrollable sensations of pleasure and pain
Ooh, ah, yeah!
The drug is alternately making me feel joyous and despairing
Purple haze all in my eyes
The drug-induced state of my mind is interfering with my ability to see clearly or navigate my surroundings
Don't know if it's day or night
I cannot discern basic temporal distinctions due to the overwhelming effects of the drug
You got me blowin', blowin' my mind
The drug has pushed my mind to a point of extreme cognitive and perceptual overload
Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?
I am experiencing a profound sense of detachment from time and reality
Ahh, yeah, yeah, purple haze
The drug's influence over my mind and body is profound and all-encompassing
Oh, no, oh
I am becoming increasingly distraught and overwhelmed by the drug's influence
Tell me, tell me, purple haze
I am seeking some kind of guidance or relief from the overwhelming influence of the drug
I can't go on like this
I am becoming increasingly desperate and overwhelmed by the effects of the drug on my mind and body
(Purple haze) you're makin' me blow my mind
The influence of the drug on my mind and body is both profound and terrifying
Purple haze, n-no, no
The intensity of the drug's effects is becoming too much for me to handle
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@harrystanford1114
Fun fact : if Jimi Hendrix is not your favourite guitarist, he is your favourite guitarist's favourite guitarist.
@sexypigeonlover4631
this is true. mine is george harrison
Edit: Spelling corrected
@emrekarsidag188
Yeah, jimmy page
@harrystanford1114
@@emrekarsidag188 he is my favourite too 🔥
@emrekarsidag188
@@harrystanford1114 finally, a fellow
@Foxikaze
I like Kurt Cobain and Jimi. Two of my inspirations
@AidenProjects
50 years since Jimi passed but he is still gaining new fans everyday
@Victor-mu8rf
Literally today was my first day listening to him lmao
@graciebergheger7129
My baby cousin Hendrix was born today (he’s named after Jimi) crazy how the circle of life works
@flushwrite
He didn't pass away. Aliens dropped him off said show them how it's done and took him back after that