Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?” The final verse is heralded by a guitar solo that is punctuated by breathy vocalizations. But again the other interpretation would be that it is a cry for help from an addict and the drugs are likened to a spell cast by a woman. And so comes a cry for help, to be saved from this existence of constant confusion. He is entranced, to the extent that he cannot differentiate what is real or false anymore. It talks of a girl that had Hendrix spellbound and perhaps that is what is making his mind foggy. This verse also lends credence to “Purple Haze” being a love song. The second verse intensifies the feeling of being lost. Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me” Watch Jimi Hendrix Perform “Purple Haze” Live at Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970 It is also interesting that the color purple is associated with many things such as spirituality, mystery, and magic which were the cornerstones of the counterculture that Hendrix was a part of. Whatever it may be, Hendrix describes the sense of being lost and directionless, likening it to being surrounded by a purple haze. Falling in love is a mind-altering experience and his love was unachievable, like ‘kissing the sky’. However, Hendrix himself saw “Purple Haze” as a love song – a seemingly far-fetched theory! But if we take a moment and look clearly, it can be seen that way too. The fact that the lyrics refer to ‘acting funny’ and ‘kissing the sky’ only seems to enforce this interpretation. This is likened to the altered state of mind a person enters by consuming drugs and seems to be the most common interpretation. The opening lines convey a sense of confusion. The lyrics seem to enhance this, as they are not arranged in a coherent manner but rather sound like the ramblings of a mad man. This dream-like quality is present right throughout “Purple Haze”. Hendrix claimed that the song was inspired by a dream that he saw after reading a science fiction novel – where he was lost in a purple fog. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Purple Haze” Lyrics Review and Song Meaning Verse 1 “Purple Haze” is ranked #2 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time and is also featured on their The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.īuy ‘Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix’ Album on Apple Music & Amazon The song peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song itself established Hendrix as one of the most influential electric guitar players of all time. ‘Are You Experienced’ became 5x Multi-Platinum certified by RIAA on June 18, 2014. It is named by many music critics as one of the best rock and roll albums ever released. “Purple Haze” was released in March 1967, and was a hit single from The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s debut studio album ‘Are You Experienced.’ The album itself was an immediate commercial success. There were sped-up guitar parts, some sections recorded in half-speed, and enhanced background noises that came out as echoes which enriched the song to create a wholly unique masterpiece. What an apt way to describe “Purple Haze” and the musical force that was Jimi Hendrix! The song had multiple sound effects which contributed to its psychedelic feel. You know, I’d never heard anything quite like it.” When he stepped out on the studio floor and, you know, plugged in – oh, my God, it was just a revelation for me. Kramer remembers recording “Purple Haze” as a one-of-a-kind experience Kramer was known for experimenting with ‘weird’ music and nothing could get as weird as Hendrix’s eccentric style. Of course, “Purple Haze” would not be the hit it is if not for the contribution of the studio engineer Eddie Kramer, who worked for the Olympic studios in which the song was recorded. The early versions of the song had multiple variations and changes, unlike the shorter version that was finally released to make it more radio-friendly. Hendrix had returned with nearly ten pages of lyrics. Because I think he had heard enough of Jimi, even in the two or three months that they were together, to know that that is something very special, work on that.” “Jimi was playing a small club date in London and was backstage toying with the riff of “Purple Haze”, and Chas, you know, being there, heard it immediately and said, ‘Write the rest of that.
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