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.
Slight Return
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
Chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island
Might even raise just a little sand
Cause I'm a voodoo child
Lord knows I'm a voodoo child
I didn't mean to take you up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to you one of these days
I said, I didn't mean to take you up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to you one of these days
And if I don't meet you no more in this world
Then I'll, I'll meet you in the next one
And don't be late, don't be late
Cause I'm a voodoo child
Lord knows I'm a voodoo child
I'm a voodoo child
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix's song "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" are filled with mystical allusions and imagery. The song starts with Hendrix proclaiming that he can stand next to a mountain and chop it down with the edge of his hand, an assertion that speaks to his power and ability to control nature. He then goes on to say that he can pick up all the pieces and make an island, a line that likely references the creation of new worlds or realities through his music.
The chorus, "Cause I'm a voodoo child, Lord knows I'm a voodoo child," further emphasizes Hendrix's supernatural abilities, suggesting that his music is imbued with magical powers. The second verse takes a turn, with Hendrix apologizing for taking up his listener's time but promising to give it back to them someday. He hints at the possibility of meeting them in the afterlife, urging them not to be late. The final repetition of "I'm a voodoo child" cements Hendrix's image as a powerful magician or shaman whose music can transport listeners to other worlds.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
I am confident and strong, ready to take on any challenge.
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand
I possess immense power and capability, able to conquer obstacles with ease.
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island
I can take something broken or damaged and create something new and valuable out of it.
Might even raise just a little sand
I am unpredictable and unconventional, always pushing boundaries and trying new things.
Cause I'm a voodoo child
I am unique and different, possessing a mystical and powerful energy.
Lord knows I'm a voodoo child
The divine recognizes and celebrates my special qualities and abilities.
I didn't mean to take you up all your sweet time
I apologize for any inconvenience or interruption I may have caused.
I'll give it right back to you one of these days
I promise to repay any favors or kindness you have shown me in the future.
And if I don't meet you no more in this world
If we are not able to connect and see each other again in this lifetime...
Then I'll, I'll meet you in the next one
...we will surely meet and connect in the next life or dimension.
And don't be late, don't be late
Make sure you are ready and willing to meet me when the time comes.
Cause I'm a voodoo child
My mystical and powerful qualities will continue into the next life or dimension.
Lord knows I'm a voodoo child
The divine recognizes and celebrates my special qualities and abilities, even beyond this life or dimension.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EchelonRecordings
Enjoy a rare video of Jimi on acoustic guitar! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P701paKEMXs
@freddyzamora176
Hollywood hulk Hogan 💪👍💪 nwo 4 life voooooooo child 🔥🔥🔥
@tonyg1975
Thank you sir
@bashess4913
FIND YOURRSELF FIRRST.......AVE
@kingdeloatch8798
🇺🇸💯🔥🔥🔥🔥
@denismustafov8648
Майкмъл дънлоп
@MusicisWin
The best ever.
@cornball2448
Nice to see you here Tyler, you've taught me a whole lot about guitar, thank you!
@bertjuuhh182
This is not what you typed in the video..! Trickery!
@Schulzenberger
You lied to me.