Hendrix arrived in England in October 1966, and auditions were launched to find him a backing band. Noel Redding was chosen for the bass spot. Even though he had never played bass before auditioning (he was a guitarist), Hendrix liked his look and attitude. Mitch Mitchell was a seasoned London drummer who brought jazz chops and a lead style of playing to the table. He would prove to be Hendrix's most valuable musical partner.
Though initially conceived as Hendrix's backing band, The Experience soon became much more than that. Along with Cream, they were the first group to popularize the "power trio" format, which essentially strips a rock band lineup down to the essentials: bass, guitar and drums. This smaller format also encourages more extrovert playing from the players involved, often at very high volumes. In the case of The Experience, Hendrix mixed lead and rhythm guitar duties into one, while also making use of then-revolutionary guitar effects such as feedback and wah-wah.
Mitchell played hard-hitting jazz-influenced grooves that often served a melodic role as much as they did timekeeping. Redding was the eye of the storm, playing deceptively simple bass lines that helped to anchor the band's sound. Visually, they decked themselves out in matching psychedelic costumes and permed afros.
The lineup first came to prominence during the Monterey Pop Festival, one of the first major music festivals. The band delivered a stellar performance, that ended with Hendrix famously setting his guitar on fire. The moment was immortalized in a photograph which was used as a cover of Rolling Stone[1] magazine. The appearance was also filmed and put into the documentary film Monterey Pop. This brought them to the attention of North American audiences. They were then asked to go on tour with The Monkees as the opening act. They abruptly left the tour after only a few dates. It was later revealed by Chas Chandler as being a publicity stunt.
With the band, Hendrix recorded his three most successful albums, Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland. In June of 1969, he decided to break up the group. Deteriorating relations with Redding had come to a head, and he also felt stilted by the trio format. He used a larger band lineup for his Woodstock concert in August 1969.
Hendrix would revert back to the trio format with Buddy Miles on drums and Billy Cox on bass and called themselves the Band of Gypsys. A live self-titled album was released in March 1970. This line up only lasted a couple of months. From early 1970 they were back to the original The Jimi Hendrix Experience, except Noel Redding was replaced by Billy Cox on bass.
This line up continued until Jimi Hendrix died in London, England from a drug overdose on the 18th September 1970.
Crosstown Traffic
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ninety miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive.
You tell me it's alright, you don't mind a little pain.
You say you just want me to take you for a ride.
You're just like crosstown traffic, so hard to get through to you.
Crosstown traffic, I don't need to run over you.
Crosstown traffic, all you do is slow me down
I'm not the only soul who's accused of hit and run,
Tire tracks all across your back, uh-huh, I can see you had your fun.
But a darling, can't you see my signals turn from green to red
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead.
You're just like Crosstown traffic, so hard to get through to you.
Crosstown traffic, I don't need to run over you.
Crosstown traffic, all you do is slow me down
And I got better things on the other side of town.
Yeah now crosstown traffic, look out, look out, baby, let me through.
Crosstown traffic yeah, look out.
Crosstown traffic yeah, look out, look out, look out.
Crosstown traffic yeah, look out, watch that street.
The song "Crosstown Traffic" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience is a playful and clever metaphor for a tumultuous romantic relationship. The lyrics describe the frustration of trying to communicate with a partner who refuses to listen or compromises. The car represents the singer's attempts to navigate the relationship and reach a resolution, but obstacles keep getting in the way. The reference to the partner jumping in front of the car is an image of the partner creating problems intentionally or being unpredictable. The singer drives fast and dangerously, showing a willingness to take risks in the relationship to try to move forward. The partner, however, does not seem to share the singer's urgency or devotion to the relationship, slowing them down and causing more conflict. The tire tracks reference acknowledges that both parties are at fault for the damage done to the relationship.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of frustrated passion, with the singer wanting to break through the obstacles and reach the other side of the relationship. The repetition of "look out" at the end of the song could be interpreted as a warning to the partner, to pay attention to the road, but also to the singer's emotions and desires. In the end, the song leaves the question of whether or not the relationship will survive and prosper.
Line by Line Meaning
You jump in front of my car when you, you know all the time that
You intentionally obstruct my way even though you know that I'll be driving at a very high speed.
Ninety miles an hour, girl, is the speed I drive.
I drive at a crazy speed of 90 miles per hour.
You tell me it's alright, you don't mind a little pain.
You claim that you're okay with experiencing some discomfort or pain.
You say you just want me to take you for a ride.
You only want me to take you for a drive, without any further complications.
You're just like crosstown traffic, so hard to get through to you.
You're like a difficult and obstructing traffic that's hard to get past or communicate with.
Crosstown traffic, I don't need to run over you.
I don't want to harm you even though you're making things difficult.
Crosstown traffic, all you do is slow me down
You're only making things slower and harder for me to accomplish my goal.
And I'm trying to get on the other side of town.
I'm trying to reach a destination on the other side of town.
I'm not the only soul who's accused of hit and run,
I'm not the only one who's been blamed for reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Tire tracks all across your back, uh-huh, I can see you had your fun.
I can see that you've had your share of fun, but you've also been reckless in the process.
But a darling, can't you see my signals turn from green to red
Can't you see that I'm signaling to stop, but you're ignoring my warnings and making things difficult for me.
And with you I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead.
I can foresee that you're leading us into a traffic jam and causing more problems for us.
Yeah now crosstown traffic, look out, look out, baby, let me through.
I'm asking you to be cautious and let me pass through safely.
Crosstown traffic yeah, look out.
I want you to be alert and keep an eye out for any potential obstructions.
Crosstown traffic yeah, look out, look out, look out.
I'm emphasizing the importance of being alert and cautious.
Crosstown traffic yeah, look out, watch that street.
I'm reminding you to pay attention to the road and watch out for any potential dangers.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimi Hendrix
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind