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.
Stepping Stone
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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Yeah, and I'm here to tell you about it
So you might as well pick up on it
I'm a man at least I'm trying to be
What I lived before the other half of me
I've lived before, that you loved me
But I'm ain't gonna search for nothing desperately
Not to be a fool
Well I'm trying, trying
Lord to keep my cool, baby
Trying so hard to keep it together
After I find, baby that true love of mine
I'm just rolling, screaming, crying
Flying can be trusted, but busted rolling stone
You're a woman at least you say you are
You're a woman at least you look like you are
You're a woman at least you taste like you are
But you can make off in bed with my guitar
And then you leave or throw me outside
To cry, cry to the moon and the night time
Save my soul, you can't find
All you want is a ticket to ride
After you show me everything did prove otherwise
You just rolling, screaming, crying
Good love works sometimes but can't be trusted
Stepping stone
Stepping stone baby
The song Stepping Stone by Jimi Hendrix is a tale of heartbreak and longing for true love. The singer begins by confessing that he feels blue and proceeds to describe how he is trying to be a man after being hurt by the other half of him, who he previously believed loved him. The lyrics also reveal that he has been searching for love but is no longer desperate to do so. The singer is trying not to be a fool and to keep his cool while keeping everything together.
In the next verse, the singer addresses a woman who claims to be a woman or looks and tastes like one. He admits that he has been intimate with her and she has taken advantage of him by leaving him outside to cry. He also acknowledges that he cannot find his soul because all she wanted was a ticket to ride. The singer then goes on to describe how he is just rolling, screaming, and crying because good love can't always be trusted.
The lyrics to Stepping Stone have a poignant, layered quality about them. The song seems to be about the human desire for meaningful connections, love, and the frustration that can come when trying to find it. Hendrix's guitar work heightens the melancholic feel of the song, with his signature fuzzed-out sound adding to the overall atmosphere of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
I sure got the blues this morning, baby
I am feeling extremely sad and down today.
Yeah, and I'm here to tell you about it
I want to express my feelings to someone.
So you might as well pick up on it
Please listen to what I have to say and understand me.
I'm a man at least I'm trying to be
I am trying to be a mature and responsible person.
What I lived before the other half of me
I have experienced a part of my life when you were not there.
I've lived before, that you loved me
You have loved me in the past when I was a different person.
But I'm ain't gonna search for nothing desperately
I will not seek anything desperately, but will wait for what is meant to be.
And I'm trying, trying
I am making an effort to fulfill my aspirations.
Not to be a fool
I do not want to appear foolish and naive.
Well I'm trying, trying
I am putting maximum effort into achieving my goals.
Lord to keep my cool, baby
I am trying to stay calm and composed in difficult situations.
Trying so hard to keep it together
I am putting all my efforts to maintain stability in my life.
After I find, baby that true love of mine
Once I find true love, I will feel complete and fulfilled.
I'm just rolling, screaming, crying
I will be overjoyed and overwhelmed when I find true love.
Flying can be trusted, but busted rolling stone
Freedom and exploration are good, but they can lead to being broken.
You're a woman at least you say you are
You claim to be a woman, but I am unsure of your true identity.
You're a woman at least you look like you are
You appear to be female, but looks can be deceiving.
You're a woman at least you taste like you are
Your physical actions and interactions make me believe that you are female.
But you can make off in bed with my guitar
You may be interested in me or may just want to steal my possessions.
And then you leave or throw me outside
You may leave or reject me after using me for your benefit.
To cry, cry to the moon and the night time
I will mourn and weep alone under the night sky.
Save my soul, you can't find
You are unable to save or heal my emotional pain.
All you want is a ticket to ride
You are not interested in a serious relationship, but just want a fling or adventure.
After you show me everything did prove otherwise
Once you reveal your true intentions, I will know if you are genuine or not.
Good love works sometimes but can't be trusted
Sometimes love can be wonderful, but it can also lead to disappointment and betrayal.
Stepping stone
I am taking small steps to reach my goals and grow as a person.
Stepping stone baby
I am optimistic and hopeful about my future despite the challenges.
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