Jimi Hendrix, a self-taught guitarist, was unable to read music, and as such often experienced musical and emotional ideas in terms of color (similar to the condition of synesthesia). The lyrics reflect this (Hendrix stated, in explanation of his color-emotion interpretations, "Anger is purple; I'm purple with rage...", paralleling the lyrical reference to the "purple armor" of a personified anger). The piece also has elements of a love song, as Hendrix explained that his usage of color is how "... you explain your different emotions in colors toward this certain girl who has all the colors in the world...".
Bold as Love
Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Towering in shiny metallic purple armour
Queen Jealousy, envy waits behind him
Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground
Blue are the life-giving waters taken for granted,
They quietly understand
Once happy turquoise armies lay opposite ready,
But they're all bold as love, yeah, they're all bold as love
Yeah, they're all bold as love
Just ask the axis
My red is so confident that he flashes trophies of war,
And ribbons of euphoria
Orange is young, full of daring,
But very unsteady for the first go round
My yellow in this case is not so mellow
In fact I'm trying to say it's frightened like me
And all these emotions of mine keep holding me from, eh,
Giving my life to a rainbow like you
But, I'm bold as love, yeah, I'm bold as love
Yeah, yeah
Well I'm bold, bold as love (hear me talking, girl)
I'm bold as love
Just ask the axis (he knows everything)
Yeah,
Yeah,
Yeah!
The lyrics to Jimi Hendrix Experience’s song “Bold As Love” are highly metaphorical and explore the themes of love, war, and emotions. The opening lines describe a figure, Anger, who appears in shiny metallic purple armor, with Queen Jealousy lurking behind him in her fiery green gown. The next lines reference the blue waters that give life, which are often taken for granted. The turquoise armies, who were once happy and ready for battle, now question why they must fight at all. Yet, despite this confusion, they are all “bold as love,” just like the axis that knows everything.
The next section of the song speaks of different colors and their associated emotions. “Red” is confident and proud of its war ribbons, “orange” is young and daring, but “yellow” is frightened and uncertain, just like the singer himself. All these emotions hold the singer back from fully embracing love and life, but he still claims to be “bold as love,” encouraging others to ask the axis which seemingly knows everything.
The lyrics of “Bold As Love” are open to interpretation and have been analyzed in different ways since their release in 1967. Some interpretations suggest that Anger and Queen Jealousy represent the destructive side of love, while others view the song as a playful exploration of emotions. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that this song is a compelling work of art that showcases Hendrix’s exceptional songwriting and guitar-playing abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Anger, he smiles,
Anger is personified as a male figure who is grinning in a way that suggests he enjoys causing harm.
Towering in shiny metallic purple armour
He is wearing shiny, metallic purple armor that makes him seem invincible and powerful.
Queen Jealousy, envy waits behind him
The female figure symbolizes the emotion of jealousy - lurking closely behind anger
Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground
The woman's green dress also shows her jealousy towards nature, as it looks down on it with contempt.
Blue are the life-giving waters taken for granted,
The vital blue waters required for life are often unappreciated by people.
They quietly understand
Despite being under-appreciated, the waters are forgiving and able to accept this.
Once happy turquoise armies lay opposite ready,
Groups with differing intentions were once united and happy, but now are on opposite sides and ready to fight.
But wonder why the fight is on
One side can't comprehend the reason behind the conflict.
But they're all bold as love, yeah, they're all bold as love
Despite the conflict, both sides are passionate and fearless about their cause.
Just ask the axis
The axis here refers to the Earth's axis, and the suggestion is asking it as the Earth sees everything that happens.
My red is so confident that he flashes trophies of war,
The color red symbolizes confidence, pride, and awareness of their successes.
And ribbons of euphoria
In addition, the red is adorned with ribbons of euphoria or feelings of intense happiness.
Orange is young, full of daring,
The color orange symbolizes youth and exuberance, as well as being full of courage and boldness.
But very unsteady for the first go round
However, this youth and bravery can be reckless and unstable.
My yellow in this case is not so mellow
The color yellow is typically associated with mellow feelings, but in this case, it is anxious and nervous.
In fact I'm trying to say it's frightened like me
Like the emotions being described, the singer also feels fearful.
And all these emotions of mine keep holding me from, eh,
All of these emotions are preventing the singer from moving forward or pursuing something.
Giving my life to a rainbow like you
The goal or objective is described as being a colorful rainbow.
But, I'm bold as love, yeah, I'm bold as love
Despite the fear, the singer is bold and passionate about what he's after.
Yeah, yeah
An expression of affirmation.
Well I'm bold, bold as love (hear me talking, girl)
The language is directly addressing a woman who is being told to listen.
I'm bold as love
Again, the character is resolute in his passion.
Just ask the axis (he knows everything)
The influence of the Earth's axis is all-knowing and thus can give an answer to any question.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind