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.
Who Knows
Jimi Hendrix Lyrics
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They don't know
Like I know
Like I know
Do you know
They don't know
I don't know
I don't know
What my baby
Put on down
Put on down
What my baby
What my baby
I just came back from
I don't know
I can't count it
I can't count it
I just can't find this town
They don't know
I'm lookin' for my seller
I don't know my baby
Have you seen her
Have you freed her yeah
Have you seen her
Oooh hhhooo
Talkin' about my baby
Goin' down
Talkin' about my baby
I just came in
I just came in baby
I just came in
I just came in
Spread the magic baby
All in my bed
She got chains, attached to my head
Talkin' about
Talkin' about
Talkin' about my baby
I don't know about it
They don't know what I know
They don't know like I know
All the time I've been hangin' around
All the time I hang around
She didn't know
A she didn't care
She didn't know
She didn't care
And she go walkin' down the street singin'
Everybody die
Da da dada da doo doo
Etc. (scat singing)
They don't know
Nobody knows
They don't know
Just don't know
Da da da...
In Jimi Hendrix's song "Who Knows", the lyrics seem to describe the singer's search for his lover, or "baby". The use of repetition highlights the frustration and confusion of the singer as he asks and repeats several times what he doesn't know. The line "All the time I hang around, She didn't know, A she didn't care," indicates that the singer feels neglected or invisible to his lover. Additionally, the use of scat singing towards the end of the song may represent the singer's mental breakdown as he realizes that he cannot find his lover.
One interesting interpretation of the song is that "Who Knows" was written about Hendrix's relationship with Devon Wilson, his girlfriend and muse. Despite their intense and passionate love, Hendrix felt that Wilson was emotionally distant, which led to a sense of isolation and desperation. In this sense, "Who Knows" explores the theme of codependency and the power dynamics within a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
They don't know
Many people don't understand what I know
They don't know
Many people don't understand what I know
Like I know
I have a deeper understanding that others lack
Like I know
I have a deeper understanding that others lack
Do you know
Do you have the same perspective and understanding as me?
They don't know
Many people don't understand what I know
I don't know
I'm not sure
I don't know
I'm not sure
What my baby
What my significant other
What my baby
What my significant other
Put on down
Is doing or has done
Put on down
Is doing or has done
What my baby
What my significant other
What my baby
What my significant other
I just came back from
I've returned from somewhere
I don't know
I'm not sure
I can't count it
I've experienced so much that I can't quantify it
I just can't find this town
I'm disoriented and can't keep my bearings
They don't know
Many people don't understand what I know
I'm lookin' for my seller
I'm searching for something or someone who can help me
I don't know my baby
I'm unsure of what my significant other is doing
Have you seen her
Do you know where she is?
Have you freed her yeah
Can you help me liberate her from something or someone?
Have you seen her
Do you know where she is?
Oooh hhhooo
Vocalization or expression of emotion
Talkin' about my baby
I'm referring to my significant other
Goin' down
Something is happening or unfolding
Talkin' about my baby
I'm referring to my significant other
I just came in
I've just arrived
I just came in baby
I've just arrived
I just came in
I've just arrived
I just came in
I've just arrived
Spread the magic baby
Let's create an atmosphere of wonder, excitement, and possibility
All in my bed
We're going to enjoy each other's company
She got chains, attached to my head
I'm deeply infatuated with her and can't stop thinking about her
Talkin' about
I'm discussing, chatting, or thinking about
Talkin' about
I'm discussing, chatting, or thinking about
Talkin' about my baby
I'm referring to my significant other
I don't know about it
I'm not sure what's happening or what to make of it
They don't know what I know
Many people don't understand what I know
They don't know like I know
Many people don't understand what I understand
All the time I've been hangin' around
I've spent a lot of time in this place or with a particular person
All the time I hang around
I've spent a lot of time in this place or with a particular person
She didn't know
My significant other was unaware of something
A she didn't care
My significant other was indifferent about something
She didn't know
My significant other was unaware of something
She didn't care
My significant other was indifferent about something
And she go walkin' down the street singin'
My significant other is carefree and happy
Everybody die
A nonsensical or absurd phrase meant to provoke a reaction
Da da dada da doo doo
Vocalization or expression of emotion
They don't know
Many people don't understand what I know
Nobody knows
No one else possesses my unique perspective and knowledge
They don't know
Many people don't understand what I know
Just don't know
They lack understanding or awareness
Da da da...
Vocalization or expression of emotion
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: R Bateman, J Hendrix, B Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devin Kennedy
on Spanish Castle Magic (alternate take)
Is this really the alternete take