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.
The Wind Cries Mary
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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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 lived is, 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
The Wind Cries Mary by Jimi Hendrix is a song that carries an ambiguous meaning as the lyrics don't present a clear narrative. Nonetheless, there are several interpretations of the lyrics that could be valid. One of the theories postulates that the lyrics talks about dealing with the aftermath of a disastrous night. The line, "after all jacks are in their boxes and the clowns have all gone to bed" can be interpreted as the party has ended, and everyone has gone home. The line, "you can hear happiness staggering on down the street, footprints dressed in red" can be understood to mean that despite the night's chaos, joy still trumpets. Happiness continues even though some people may have experienced a rough night.
The second verse presents a fairytale-like imagery of a somber world that is coming apart. "A broom is drearily sweeping up the broken pieces of yesterday's life," signifies someone cleaning and trying to fix something that is beyond repair. The following two lines, "Somewhere a queen is weeping, somewhere a king has no wife," could be interpreted as two parts of the same story, where the king and queen have lost their partner, and they are grieving. The concept of brokenness is continued in the third verse as the singer sees that life is slowly slipping away. The traffic lights represent roles in society, and the color blue represents change. The singer is lonely and feels the weight of the collapsed world around him.
Line by Line Meaning
After all jacks are in their boxes
After everything has been put away and the festivities have ended
And the clowns have all gone to bed
And the people who were putting on a happy face have gone home
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
You can hear people who are trying to be happy, but are struggling
Footprints dressed in red
This could be a reference to blood, symbolizing the pain and sorrow people are trying to hide
And the wind whispers Mary
The wind could represent a force that carries people's emotions and stories
A broom is drearily sweeping
Someone is trying to clean up the mess, but it's a difficult and monotonous task
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life
They are picking up the remnants of past events or actions
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Someone who is supposedly powerful and happy is actually deeply sad
Somewhere a king has no wife
Someone who is supposed to have everything is actually missing something important in their life
And the wind, it cries Mary
Again, the wind could represent a force that is carrying these emotional stories
The traffic lights they turn a blue tomorrow
The future seems bleak and unexciting
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
This negativity is very personal and affecting the artist directly
The tiny island sags downstream
The community or society around the singer is not doing well either
'Cause the life that lived is, is dead
Whatever once made the community or society thrive is gone
And the wind screams Mary
The force carrying these emotions and stories is intensifying
Will the wind ever remember?
Can people's emotions and stories be carried on forever?
The names it has blown in the past
The events and people that have been affected by this emotional force before
And with its crutch, its old age and its wisdom
The force that carries these stories and emotions is old and experienced and speaks with authority
It whispers "No, this will be the last"
Perhaps the singer is losing hope and feeling like things won't change, or the force carrying the emotions and stories is saying that this intensity will come to an end
And the wind cries Mary
The intense emotion and pain being expressed by people is continuing, and the force carrying it on is still present
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