In 1969 the band were all arrested for possession of marijuana and Roky was incarcerated in Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane where he reportedly underwent electroshock therapy and was placed on Thorazine amongst other controversial treatments. Many claim he has never been the same since. Sadly in the intervening years record execs and managers displayed the bad side of the music business and took full advantage of his condition often leaving him living in poverty while they hoarded all the cash.
In 2001 Roky's youngest brother, Sumner Erickson (ex-tuba player for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), was appointed his legal guardian and an improvement in Roky's faculties has been reported since, leading to a return to live shows.
An excellent documentary on Roky, "You're gonna miss me" (2005), chronicled his troubled life - his schizophrenia, incarceration for possession of a joint, and talented and eccentric family.
Roller Coaster
Roky Erickson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His eyes were clear to see,
He put his thoughts into my mind,
And gave my self to be
He stopped me from living so unsane,
I could be just what I want to be
And things appear as they really are,
I can see just what I want to see
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Come on yeah!
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
So real it takes your breath away
It slides you through your point of view,
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
Your ride changes outside view,
While it glides you like a neon ray,
And you find you don't have to search for words,
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
Well come on, you gotta let it happen to you,
Come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
After your trip life opens up,
You start doing what you want to do
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
Gets what it has from you
No one can ever hurt you
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
And you're looking at the world
From brand new eyes,
And no one can ever spoil the view
Come on, and let it happen to you,
Hey, hey, hey come on, and let it happen to you,
You gotta open up your mind
And let everything come through
Open up your mind,
And let everything come through
The song Roller Coaster is about the transformative experience of psychedelic drugs. The first verse speaks to the profound impact that someone had on the singer when they were introduced to LSD or some other psychedelic substance. This person showed them a different way of thinking that allowed them to be more accepting of themselves and others. The second verse describes the feeling of being on a roller coaster, which is a metaphor for the psychedelic experience. The ride takes the listener on a journey where they are able to look at the world differently and see it with brand new eyes. They are able to shed their fears and become more confident in themselves. The chorus encourages the listener to open up their minds and let everything come through, in order to have a similarly transformative experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Well once , somewhere, sometime ago
In the past, at an unspecified time and place
His eyes were clear to see,
He was sincere and honest
He put his thoughts into my mind,
He influenced my thinking
And gave my self to be
And I opened myself up to his influence
He stopped me from living so unsane,
He helped me to stop living recklessly
I could be just what I want to be
I could become whatever I wanted
And things appear as they really are,
And now I can see things as they truly are
I can see just what I want to see
I have control over my perspective
Oh come on, and let it happen to you,
Encouragement to others to be open to change
I say, I say come on, and let it happen to you
Explicit repetition of encouragement for emphasis
You gotta open up your mind
You must be receptive to new ideas
And let everything come through
And be open to all possibilities
Well it starts like a Roller coaster ride,
Change can be thrilling and intense
So real it takes your breath away
So powerful that it is overwhelming
It slides you through your point of view,
It changes your perspective of the world
You look back to where you thought you'd stayed
You reconsider your former beliefs and behavior
Your ride changes outside view,
Your environment shifts with your change in perspective
While it glides you like a neon ray,
While it moves you quickly and brightly
And you find you don't have to search for words,
And you don't need to explain yourself
'Cause there's nothing you need to say
Because your change is evident and felt
After your trip life opens up,
Once you change, new opportunities arise
You start doing what you want to do
You have the freedom to pursue your desires
And you find out that the world that you once feared,
You realize that the world is not as scary as you thought
Gets what it has from you
And you realize that you contribute to the world
No one can ever hurt you
You are resilient and capable
'Cause you know more than you thought you knew
Because you have grown and learned
And you're looking at the world
And you see the world differently now
From brand new eyes,
From a fresh perspective
And no one can ever spoil the view
And no one else can taint your perspective
Come on, and let it happen to you,
Reiteration of the importance of being receptive to change
Hey, hey, hey come on, and let it happen to you,
Fervent insistence on being open to change
Open up your mind,
An exhortation to be receptive to new ideas
And let everything come through
To consider all possibilities
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roger Kyn Erikson, James Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind