The track was released as the first single from Jimi Hendrix's posthumous album, People, Hell & Angels. The record contains 12 previously unreleased tracks showcasing, the guitar legend's experimental work outside the then current Jimi Hendrix Experience.
This is not the first time the song has appeared on disk. A different version was previously included on the 4-disc box set titled The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which was released in 2000.
Co-producer John McDermott commented to Digital Spy that he was surprised this wasn't considered for Electric Ladyland. He added: "I don't know whether that was because Jimi recorded it without Chas Chandler being there to supervise it - that could have been an issue. Like 'My Friend,' it's a really interesting look at Jimi when he was just starting to step outside the original three-man band."
Stephen Stills was good friends with both Jimi and Buddy Miles. McDermott told Digital Spy: "I think this track was really about Jimi taking advantage of the skills his friends had and tapping into that. Today, it's nothing to invite your friends to the studio and have them play on a track - people do it all the time, guest starring on cuts and all that. Back then, it didn't happen so much. The Beatles, The Stones - with rare exceptions, they always kept the core."
This was one of seven tracks from People, Hell, & Angels, which featured on the episode of the CBS cop drama Hawaii Five-0 that aired on January 20, 2013.
People, Hell and Angels debuted at # 2 on the Billboard 200, marking Hendrix' highest-charting album since Electric Ladyland spent two weeks at #1 in 1968.
Somewhere
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see fingers, hands and shades of faces
Reachin' up and not quite touchin' the promised land
I hear pleas and prayers and a desperate whisper sayin'
Oh, Lord, please give us a helpin' hand
Yeah yeah
Way down in the background
And all across the water, baby
I see weapons barkin' out the sting of death
And up in the clouds I can imagine UFOs jumpin' themselves
Laughin' they sayin'
Those people so uptight, they sure know how to make a mess
Back in the saloon my tears mix and mildew with my drink
I can't really tell my feet from the sawdust on the floor
But as far as I know, they may even try
To wrap me up in cellophane and try and sell me
Brother sell me, and don't worry about lookin' at the score
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Jimi Hendrix’s song Somewhere depicts a world of chaos, where people are reaching out to the heavens for help while cities burn and weapons go off in the distance. The first verse paints a picture of hands and faces that are almost touching the “promised land” but cannot quite grasp it. This could represent the struggle for equality and freedom in America during the 1960s, where African Americans were fighting for their rights, but still falling short. The chorus then pleads for the help of a divine being to improve the world and alleviate human suffering. The second verse paints a darker picture of the state of the world, with frustrated souls and physical violence taking place.
The third verse takes a turn into surrealism, with the mention of UFOs in the clouds as they watch humanity’s downward spiral. This could represent a feeling of helplessness and lack of control, as the people on earth seem to be spiraling out of control. The final verse returns to the eyes of the singer, who finds himself in a saloon, drowning his sorrows. He feels forgotten and disposable, as if he could be wrapped in cellophane and sold without any concern.
Overall, the song Somewhere expresses a sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with the state of the world, while also pleading for help and change.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh uh
The singer is expressing uncertainty and unease
I see fingers, hands and shades of faces
The singer witnesses people stretching towards a better life but not quite reaching it
Reachin' up and not quite touchin' the promised land
People are aspiring towards something that they have not yet attained
I hear pleas and prayers and a desperate whisper sayin'
The artist hears people asking for divine intervention
Oh, Lord, please give us a helpin' hand
People are asking for divine assistance to overcome their struggles
Way down in the background
In the distance, the singer witnesses more chaos and destruction
I can see frustrated souls of cities burnin'
The singer sees cities in turmoil and its people struggling
And all across the water, baby
The artist sees conflict happening across the world
I see weapons barkin' out the sting of death
The artist sees weapons being used to kill people
And up in the clouds I can imagine UFOs jumpin' themselves
The artist imagines strange phenomena happening in the sky
Laughin' they sayin'
These strange phenomena seem to be mocking humanity's struggles
Those people so uptight, they sure know how to make a mess
The strange phenomena perceive humanity to be causing their own problems
Back in the saloon my tears mix and mildew with my drink
The singer is upset and drinking to cope
I can't really tell my feet from the sawdust on the floor
The singer is disoriented and struggling to function
But as far as I know, they may even try
The singer is paranoid about being taken advantage of
To wrap me up in cellophane and try and sell me
The artist imagines themselves being commodified and sold
Brother sell me, and don't worry about lookin' at the score
The artist feels like they are worth little and can be bought and sold easily
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
The singer's unease and paranoia persist
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tuzito31895
"If Jimi Hendrix isn't your favorite guitar player, he is your favorite guitar player's favorite guitar player"
@petecanthropus9947
Not if your favorite guitar player is Marty Friedman
@rashthelife2221
Zakk wylde is my favourite. And zakk's favourite guitarist is Jimi Hendrix ✌️🎶🤙🧡
@kevinsmith9395
Truth
@sunnyray7819
Satch's favorite...
@jamie9726
Easily true. People dont know how good they are. Such is the curse of life 😉
@johnbillson3767
when i first heard of hendrix as a kid i thought "man this guy cant play half as fast or good as the metal bands i listen to" then as i got older i realized the true beauty and skill of his music, the way he can play a seemingly completely different song each time he goes on stage, this man simply mastered that instrument and the fact that he sings while playing....im shitting myself
@YONKERS0814
I dare to claim that not a single metal guitarist ever touches the the level of skill and understanding of jimis work. only for the reason that they started playing later than him
@RutherfordBcrazy
There was poop EVERYWHERE. No survivors
@efrax.gravityblaster.666
@@YONKERS0814 Music is not a competition.