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.
Straight Ahead
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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So happy to see you again
I was so alone
All by myself I just couldn't make it
Have you heard baby what's the wind blown round
Have you heard baby
A whole lot a people comin' right on down
I don't give damn baby
If your hair is short or long
I said get outta your grave
Oh everybody is dancin' in the street
Hey Do what you know Don't be slow
You got to practice what you preach yeah ha
'Cause it's time for you and me
Come to face reality
Forget about the past baby
Things ain't what they used to be
Keep on straight ahead
Keep on straight ahead
Straight ahead baby
Straight ahead baby
We got to stand side by side
We got to stand together and organize
Send power to the people, that's what their screamin'
Freedom of the soul
Pass it on, pass it on, to the young and the old
You gotta tell the truth and the truth yeah
They're gonna need a whole lot of lives
Because one of these days baby
They'll be runnin' things
So when ya give 'em love you better give it right
Woman and child and man and wife
The best love to have is the love of life
That's about all baby
Pushing on straight ahead
Straight ahead, baby
Hello, my friends
It's so good to see you again
Now I've been all by myself
I don't think I could make it alone
I don't think I could make it alone
Got her teeth where it shouldn't be, ooh!
In Jimi Hendrix's song Straight Ahead, the lyrics are a call to action for people to unite and stand up for what they believe in. Hendrix sings about feeling alone but being happy to see his friends again, implying the importance of community in pursuing change. He then goes on to reference current events, asking if his friends have heard about "a whole lot of people comin' right on down," likely referencing the civil rights movement or anti-war protests of the time.
The theme of communication also plays a major role as Hendrix declares that communication is "comin' on strong," indicating the importance of speaking out and promoting open dialogue. He then calls for everyone to "keep on straight ahead," implying that progress can only be made by pushing forward and staying focused. The song wraps up with a call for love and unity among all people, reminding listeners that "the best love to have is the love of life."
Line by Line Meaning
Hello my friends
Jimi greets his friends with warmth and excitement.
So happy to see you again
Jimi expresses how much he enjoys the company of his friends.
I was so alone
Jimi admits to being lonely before his friends arrived.
All by myself I just couldn't make it
Jimi cannot cope with loneliness, and even self-motivation isn't enough.
Have you heard baby what's the wind blown round
Have you heard baby
A whole lot a people comin' right on down
Jimi asks his friends if they have heard about the many people arriving.
Communication, yeah, is comin' on strong
I don't give damn baby
If your hair is short or long
Jimi believes communication between people should be of utmost priority, and people should not judge others based on appearance.
I said get outta your grave
Oh everybody is dancin' in the street
Hey Do what you know Don't be slow
You got to practice what you preach yeah ha
'Cause it's time for you and me
Jimi implores people to leave their comfort zones and actively participate in the world, dancing and being themselves until they find their right place.
Come to face reality
Forget about the past baby
Things ain't what they used to be
Jimi urges people to accept current situations, as the past cannot be changed.
Keep on straight ahead
Keep on straight ahead
Straight ahead baby
Straight ahead baby
Jimi repeats that people should remain focused on their goals and keep moving forward.
We got to stand side by side
We got to stand together and organize
Send power to the people, that's what their screamin'
Jimi believes that people must work in unity and cooperate to effect positive change.
Freedom of the soul
Pass it on, pass it on, to the young and the old
You gotta tell the truth and the truth yeah
They're gonna need a whole lot of lives
Jimi encourages the sharing of free expression, knowledge, and honesty amongst people of all ages for a better future.
Because one of these days baby
They'll be runnin' things
So when ya give 'em love you better give it right
Woman and child and man and wife
The best love to have is the love of life
That's about all baby
Jimi believes that if children are well-nurtured with love and truth, they will someday lead people towards a better society
Pushing on straight ahead
Straight ahead, baby
Jimi once again repeats that people should keep moving forward with their goals.
Now I've been all by myself
I don't think I could make it alone
I don't think I could make it alone
Jimi reiterates that he cannot make it alone, let alone live life alone for an extended period.
Got her teeth where it shouldn't be, ooh!
This line does not fit the song's general message and meaning; it may have been added for emphasis or to add some humor unexpectedly.
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