"The Wind Cries Mary" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and issued by the Jimi Hendrix Experience as the band's third single on May 5, 1967. It reached no. 6 in the UK Charts. The track is an example of psychedelic blues-rock, as the song is in the key of F major, with a guitar solo primarily involving the F major pentatonic scale. Today, it is #379 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It has been covered by musicians such as Jamie Cullum Read Full Bio"The Wind Cries Mary" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and issued by the Jimi Hendrix Experience as the band's third single on May 5, 1967. It reached no. 6 in the UK Charts. The track is an example of psychedelic blues-rock, as the song is in the key of F major, with a guitar solo primarily involving the F major pentatonic scale. Today, it is #379 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It has been covered by musicians such as Jamie Cullum, John Mayer, Xavier Rudd, Richie Sambora, Sting, Popa Chubby, Pat Boone and Caron Wheeler.
In the United States, the song was first released as the b-side to the "Purple Haze" single in June 1967 and later appeared on the August 1967 American version of the album Are You Experienced, where three tracks were deleted from the British LP version to make way for the band's three singles issued in the United Kingdom to that time.
The song was recorded at the end of the "Fire" sessions. It is said to have been inspired when Hendrix and his then girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, had an argument over her cooking; after she stormed out of their apartment, Hendrix wrote "The Wind Cries Mary", as Mary was Etchingham's middle name. Another possible inspiration could be the poem 'To Mary' by the English poet John Clare. Kathy has said that many of the Dylanesque lyrics describe the test card that appeared at the end of BBC television transmissions at that time. However, this is probably a mistake on Kathy's part as that particular testcard was not first broadcast until July 1967, while the song had been written long before that. Billy Cox, who was the bassist for the Band of Gypsys and long-time friend of Hendrix has stated Curtis Mayfield's influence on the song.
"'The Wind Cries Mary' was a riff that was influenced by Curtis Mayfield, who was a big influence for Jimi."
"The Wind Cries Mary" and "Highway Chile" were re-released in 1983, on The Singles Album compilation.
In the United States, the song was first released as the b-side to the "Purple Haze" single in June 1967 and later appeared on the August 1967 American version of the album Are You Experienced, where three tracks were deleted from the British LP version to make way for the band's three singles issued in the United Kingdom to that time.
The song was recorded at the end of the "Fire" sessions. It is said to have been inspired when Hendrix and his then girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, had an argument over her cooking; after she stormed out of their apartment, Hendrix wrote "The Wind Cries Mary", as Mary was Etchingham's middle name. Another possible inspiration could be the poem 'To Mary' by the English poet John Clare. Kathy has said that many of the Dylanesque lyrics describe the test card that appeared at the end of BBC television transmissions at that time. However, this is probably a mistake on Kathy's part as that particular testcard was not first broadcast until July 1967, while the song had been written long before that. Billy Cox, who was the bassist for the Band of Gypsys and long-time friend of Hendrix has stated Curtis Mayfield's influence on the song.
"'The Wind Cries Mary' was a riff that was influenced by Curtis Mayfield, who was a big influence for Jimi."
"The Wind Cries Mary" and "Highway Chile" were re-released in 1983, on The Singles Album compilation.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
The Wind Cries Mary
by Jimi Hendrix
After all jacks are in their boxes
And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footprints dressed in red
And the wind whispers Mary
A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Somewhere a king has no wife
And the wind, it cries Mary
The traffic lights they turn a blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
The tiny island sags downstream
'Cause the life that they lived is dead
And the wind screams Mary
Will the wind ever remember?
The names it has blown in the past
And with its crutch, its old age and its wisdom
It whispers "no, this will be the last"
And the wind cries Mary
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Jimi Hendrix
After all jacks are in their boxes
And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footprints dressed in red
And the wind whispers Mary
A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Somewhere a king has no wife
And the wind, it cries Mary
The traffic lights they turn a blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
The tiny island sags downstream
'Cause the life that they lived is dead
And the wind screams Mary
Will the wind ever remember?
The names it has blown in the past
And with its crutch, its old age and its wisdom
It whispers "no, this will be the last"
And the wind cries Mary
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Security Wise
Whos watching this in 2020?
Suonatore Jones
Me too.
Katherine Ace
Me too - I'm watching this. Over and over and over again. NOW (5/20/2020 and for the last two months, at least). Want to collect the best of the best of the past and the visionary mystics' products they left behind for us future humans. They often did it thru beauty. Hendrix had a very difficult life. He was part African and a good part Cherokee. Looking at his facial features and his music he was a lot Cherokee. The wind cries "mary" = many interpretations. Many slippages of the word 'mary'. One is, the loss of one individual is a loss forever. There has never been and never will be another YOU. Hendrix sings this in a way that everyone noticed and we do not forget.
H M
I totally am ! . A Genius and way, way ahead of his time !
Marshall Benjamin
Meeeeeee
maud.e
anyone loving this in 2019 ?
Katherine Ace
humans will be watching and listening to this for at least the next 1000 years. Probably long after our species extincts itself. This is a mystical visionary isolated active ingredient. This one song and the way he sings it. He was, and still is, a true blessing for us . thank you to the spirit who incarnated as Jimi Hendrix. We humans love you. We will not forget.
weburnitatbothends
uh huh and in May 2020
Random Video
Im loving here from the year 2051
Brenda Bowers
Still, 2020