Jesse Colin Young got his start as a solo act on the folk circuits of Boston and New York and had already cut a couple of unsuccessful albums before deciding to form a band with guitarist Jerry Corbitt. After a failed single called "My Babe", they hired aspiring jazz drummer Joe Bauer and guitarist/pianist Lowell Levinger III, better known simply as "Banana". Young began playing bass when several candidates-- including Felix Pappalardi and Harvey Brooks (later of The Electric Flag)--proved incompatible, and the quartet took the name 'Youngbloods' from the singer's second solo album.
The group was eventually selected as the house band at New York's famed Cafe Au Go Go and established itself as a leading folk rock/good time attraction. Their sound would temper their blues and jugband influences with gentle California psychedelia, particularly after they moved to the San Francisco Bay area.
While Young was always the focal point of the band, their first two albums also had songwriting contributions from Corbitt. Their first single, Grizzly Bear, was a local hit. Their second attempt, Get Together, didn't do much better when it was first released. This Dino Valenti song had previously been recorded by the Jefferson Airplane, but The Youngbloods' slow, soulful interpretation of "Get Together" was definitive. The record faded quickly but suddenly rocketed to the Top 10 when it was re-released in 1969 after being used in a television public service ad. The tune was subsequently adopted as a counterculture anthem.
By that time, Corbitt had left. The Youngbloods, reduced to a trio, were living in Marin County, CA. 1969's Elephant Mountain was produced by country artist Charlie Daniels. Reflecting the mellowing influence of San Francisco psychedelia, it was their best effort, featuring some of Young's best songs. They released a few more albums in the early '70s (some live), but on these, the mellow California rock sound had begun to turn lame and wimpy.
Further albums by Bauer, Levinger and Young were marred by inconsistency. A friend from the Boston days, Michael Kane, joined the band in the spring of 1971, but they split the following year when Young left the band. Levinger, Bauer and Kane continued as Banana And The Bunch, but this occasional venture subsequently folded.
Jesse Colin Young went on to have a long and moderately successful career as a solo singer-songwriter.
Euphoria
The Youngbloods Lyrics
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And Daddy's in the living room a-grumbling and a-twitching
And I'm out here, kicking a gong for you
Euphoria
Your mind, reeling and a-rocking
And your insides bossing, squealing and a-squawking
Floating around some other kind of cloud singing
Oh baby you're so, so...
Making faces at a union label
Tweaked his ear, rolled his eyes and I love you
Euphoria
Your mind, reeling and a-rocking
And your insides bossing, squealing and a-squawking
Floating around on some other kind of cloud singing
Euphoria
(Aw, pick it Wilson)
Well I had Eve on the bottom and Adam on the back
And I grinned at the snake and the snake grinned back
I picked that apple off the two by song and I love you
Euphoria
Your mind, reeling and a-rocking
And your insides bossing, squealing and a-squawking
Floating around on some other kind of cloud singing
Euphoria
The Youngbloods’ song “Euphoria” is a psychedelic rock track from their 1967 album “Earth Music”. The song celebrates the feeling of euphoria that comes with psychedelic drug use. The song vividly portrays a scene where the singer and his fellow revelers experience the sensation of euphoria while their parents and other authority figures are preoccupied with their own concerns elsewhere.
In the first stanza, the singer describes the setting where his mother is in the kitchen, his father is in the living room, and he is outside, “kicking a gong” for his friends, who are feeling euphoric. In the second stanza, the singer imagines the euphoria as a tangible force that is making their minds “reel and rock” and their insides “boss and squawk”. In the final stanza, the singer describes the scene of the Garden of Eden where all is right in the world, even with the snake. He then ties it back to the present, where everyone is still feeling euphoric.
Overall, “Euphoria” is an anthem of the 60s psychedelic counterculture. It celebrates the concept of being in a state of euphoria, brought on by drugs or other means, where everything is right in the world and authority figures and their preoccupations are irrelevant. It is a vivid and playful depiction of the subculture of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well Mama's out yonder switchin' in the kitchen
My mother is busy in the kitchen, probably cooking or cleaning.
And Daddy's in the living room a-grumbling and a-twitching
My father is sitting in the living room, frustrated and agitated.
And I'm out here, kicking a gong for you
Meanwhile, I'm making music for you by playing a gong.
Euphoria
All of this chaos and noise doesn't matter, because I'm experiencing a sense of euphoria at the moment.
Your mind, reeling and a-rocking
You feel dizzy and overwhelmed.
And your insides bossing, squealing and a-squawking
Your emotions and physical sensations are in turmoil, making you feel uncomfortable.
Floating around some other kind of cloud singing
You feel like you're in a different world, and you're singing happily.
Oh baby you're so, so...
You feel so amazing and ecstatic that you can't even find the words to describe it.
Well there's a man over yonder underneath the table
I see a man hiding under the table over there.
Making faces at a union label
He's making silly faces at a union label, perhaps out of boredom or mischief.
Tweaked his ear, rolled his eyes and I love you
He did something silly and I laughed and told him I love him.
Euphoria
Despite the odd things going on around me, I still feel euphoric.
Well I had Eve on the bottom and Adam on the back
I'm making a reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, placing Eve on the bottom and Adam on top.
And I grinned at the snake and the snake grinned back
I'm continuing the reference to the story of Adam and Eve, adding a silly element by suggesting that I interacted with the snake and it responded with a grin.
I picked that apple off the two by song and I love you
I'm making another reference to the story of Adam and Eve, suggesting that I took a delicious bite of the forbidden fruit, and then expressing my love for someone.
Euphoria
Once again, I'm emphasizing that even though I'm making strange references and talking about odd things, I'm still feeling a sense of euphoria.
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.