I do (how could you not?), and I don't think Jimi's lyrics are "hippyish". So we're back where we started and will have to disagree on that.
"Hippy-dippy" is the pejorative; "hippyish" is simply the adjectival form of "hippie". If you have something against hippies, you can't take for granted that others share that.
You know fine well that I don't! Most of my favourite singers aren't 'great singers' necessarily... Hendrix's vocals drip with character, and his lyrics were pretty much perfect. Drifting may be my favourite song by anyone. It certainly is when it's playing anyway.
Whether one thinks Jimi was a good lyricist or not, there is no question Jimi knew a great lyric when he heard one.
As was Jimi is my guess. The wiki I posted used weak examples, like the music going lower in tone to emphasize a dark lyric. As if they couldn't begin to fathom the Jimi school of total fusion of all elements of a song. Anyway, 1983 is an amazing word painting.
If you can connect with the Hendrix aura (psychedelic guitar god where anything is possible) the lyrics work incredibly well. If you're more of a straight ahead lyrics person not open to his expansive artistic and musical vision they're solid but not great. Just my two cents.
Not every Hendrix lyric is as significant as his best writing is, and we must remember that the majority of what is in print on CD is posthumous and many songs are presented with what were never intended to be anything more than working lyrics-in-progress, some even with dummy-lyrics serving as placeholders until the final lyrics come to mind. As we all know, John Lennon often worked that way writing song lyrics.
I think his best lyrics are in Red House In the Blues storytelling tradition. And what a blues it is! 51st Anniversary In the same traditional story-vein lyrics-wise but a sly, bullet-rocker of a B-side. The Wind Cries Mary The Axis: Bold as Love album. If 6 was 9 Deceptively spare lyric. It's quite the masterpiece on vinyl. Gold and Rose Thoughtful, sensitive, playful Spanish Castle Magic Little Wing Electric Ladyland Voodoo Chile 1983 Burning of the Midnight Lamp Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Midnight Lightning (South Saturn Delta vers.) Posthumous releases Angel
There are certainly average lyricists, but I don't think Hendrix was one of them. His guitar prowess and pyrotechnics will always overshadow his brilliance as a songwriter and lyricist for many observers, but he really did compose some remarkable lyrics. The Wind Cries Mary, May This Be Love, Red House, Little Wing, One Rainy Wish, Bold As Love, Crosstown Traffic, 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be), Gypsy Eyes, Angel, Drifting, etc. are all first-rate lyrical compositions.
I find a lot of Hendrix’s phrases and overall themes to be ideas that sound cool (groovy!), but ultimately are rather pointless. Purple Haze? Cool, but so what? There’s not a whole lot of depth, either emotionally or intellectually. He’s just throwing out cool-sounding phrases. Not terrible, but not a top-notch lyricist. Compare his writing to Leonard Cohen, to use one of his contemporaries (albeit one of the best lyricists around). There is no comparison. And I consider Willie Dixon, to use perhaps a more similar blues-based writer, to have more creative ideas and skillful use of language. Compared to Dixon, Hendrix’s songs sound like they were written quickly, they don’t sound like he spent hours and hours perfecting his lyrics to get them perfect. Dixon sounds like he spent his youth “practicing” writing songs, the way Hendrix did playing guitar.
You managed to remember a few titles I didn't think of when listing mine. Yeah totally agree Jimi was (quite high) above average in the lyrics department. I mean, jee-minnie krissmas if I could write a Gold and Rose or a Little Wing, I imagine I'd be a little hurt if no one at least came up and gave me a pat on the back and said, “nice try old boy”
I don’t think he gets enough credit as an artist. Basically the total package, and he burst onto the scene with a personal vision certainly the equal of any major popular musician at the time.
I should think (hope) that the music and lyrics of Jimi Hendrix will remain safely archived / enshrined for posterity - barring negligent mishandling or calamitous circumstances, the future will (I predict) be forever aware of the legacy of one James Marshall Hendrix. Historians and Musicologists - academia - will require mention of his contribution if wishing to trace evolutions of guitar-based rock music and its blues roots accurately. And that is hopefully what we would all strive for with that which matters to us - whatever it may happen to be. Om.
Hendrix's lyrics are outrageous - as well as his guitar playing. Ozzy called Jimi Hendrix "an air-conditioned gypsy! "
Many appear to have no idea. Rolling Stone Magazine & its pundits naturally had to rate Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist of all time. But, in their list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, Jimi Hendrix was nowhere to be found. They really missed out.
I think he's a very underrated songwriter. The Axis album seems to be much more lyric-oriented than the first. Very unique semi-spoken style that I don't think I've heard from anyone else. He was one of a kind for sure .
I'm listening to this song now. Incredible lyrics. Incredible song. Next on the play list is Hear My Train A Comin. Another great lyrical blues song.
The preciseness & economy (minimalism) above is so impactful, similar to Machine Gun. How to say so much with so few words: Machine gun Tearing my body all apart Machine gun Tearing my body all apart Evil man make me kill ya Evil man make you kill me Evil man make me kill you Even though we're only families apart Well I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer (You know what I mean) Hey and your bullets keep knocking me down Hey I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer now Yeah but you still blast me down to the ground Hey machine gun
