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.
Gypsy Eyes
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love you gypsy eyes
I love you gypsy eyes
All right
Gypsy
Way up in my tree I'm sitting by my fire
And known' all the time
Your still rollin' along the country side
Do you still think about me?
Oh my
Gypsy
Well I walked right on up to your rubble road side
The one that rambles on for a million miles
Yes I walked down this road searching for your love
And I found some too
But I found her I ain't gonna let go
I remember the first time I saw you
The tears in your eyes oh that girl's tryin' to say
Oh little girl you know I could love you
But first I must make my getaway
Two strange men fightin' to the death over me today
I'll try and meet you by the old highway
Hey!
Well I realize that I've been hypnotized
I love you gypsy eyes
I love you gypsy eyes
I love you gypsy eyes
I love you gypsy eyes
I've been searching so long
I think they made me lose the battle
Down against the road my worry knees
Off to the side I fall but I hear her sweet call
My gypsy eyes fine and I've been saved
Oh I've been saved
That's why I love you
I said I love you
Lord I love you
The song "Gypsy Eyes" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience is an ode to a free-spirited gypsy woman that the singer has fallen in love with. The singer is sitting in a tree by his fire, wondering where this woman might be, knowing that she is still out roaming the countryside. He then walks down the rubble road searching for her love, and finds someone else, but knows that he won't let her go. The lyrics suggest that this woman has a hold on the singer, as he realizes that he's been hypnotized by her gypsy eyes. He's been searching for her for so long that it seems like he's lost the battle, but he hears her sweet call and knows that he's been saved. The singer's love for this gypsy woman is so strong that he concludes the song by repeating "I love you gypsy eyes" multiple times.
The lyrics of "Gypsy Eyes" suggest that this woman is a symbol of freedom, adventure, and mystery. She's someone who's not tied down to one place or person, and the singer is drawn to that sense of spontaneity. The imagery of sitting in a tree by the fire and walking down a rubble road looking for love creates a visual atmosphere of being lost, searching for something elusive. The repetition of the phrase "I love you gypsy eyes" emphasizes the singer's obsession with this woman and how she has affected him deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I realizes I've been hypnotized
I finally understand that I have been entranced by you
I love you gypsy eyes
I'm incredibly in love with you, with your wandering spirit
All right
Okay
Gypsy
A term of endearment for you, my free-spirited love
Way up in my tree I'm sitting by my fire
I'm sitting in my own world, enjoying my own company while thinking of you
Wonderin' where in this world might you be
I'm contemplating your whereabouts, wishing you were here with me
And known' all the time
And all along the way
Your still rollin' along the countryside
You're still traveling around freely, not attached to anything or anyone
Do you still think about me?
Do you still consider me, reminisce about our time together?
Oh my
Oh my goodness!
Well I walked right on up to your rubble roadside
I approached the place where I expected to find you
The one that rambles on for a million miles
The place where you can travel on a never-ending journey
Yes I walked down this road searching for your love
I followed this path looking for your love
And I found some too
And I found someone else who could match that love
But I found her I ain't gonna let go
But now that I've found her, I won't give up on this new love
I remember the first time I saw you
I recall when I first laid my eyes on you
The tears in your eyes oh that girl's tryin' to say
I could tell by the tears in your eyes that you were trying to convey something
Oh little girl you know I could love you
Oh darling, I could love you so much
But first I must make my getaway
But first, I need to leave and find my own sense of freedom
Two strange men fightin' to the death over me today
Two strangers fought over me today, but it wasn't about love
I'll try and meet you by the old highway
I'll make an effort to meet you at a familiar location
Hey!
An exclamation of excitement or enthusiasm
I've been searching so long
I've been on this quest for far too long
I think they made me lose the battle
Others have caused me to fail in my pursuit of love
Down against the road my worry knees
I'm feeling so down and hopeless that my knees are shaking
Off to the side I fall but I hear her sweet call
I'm defeated and fallen but I can still hear your alluring voice
My gypsy eyes fine and I've been saved
My wandering eyes have spotted a new love and I've been rescued from my despair
Oh I've been saved
I've finally found happiness and relief from my heartache
That's why I love you
This is why I'm so devoted to you
I said I love you
Just in case it wasn't clear, I want to reaffirm my love for you
Lord I love you
I love you more than words can express
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind