Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
It was Monday 18 August 1969. Sha Na Na had left leaving everyone feeling good. Fun entertainment.
Next was the moment, that for many at the festival, as good as the long list of performers had been, was the one they had looked forward to: Jimi Hendrix.
Unfortunately, most of the crowd had had to leave before he took the stage around 9 AM. Why? Perhaps school. Perhaps getting the family car back home. Likely a summer job. Or simply too tired, dirty, and hungry to stick it out any more.
In the minutes before, those who were able to stay could still hear helicopters, the stage crew tapping mics, called instructions, and, of course, a request by MC Chip Monck, to please get off the light towers.
He does thank everyone there for “making all this possible…it’s been a long one, but it’s been delightful.” The crowd applauds.
After Chip introduced the band as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Hendrix politely explained that “they’d gotten tired of the Experience…so we decided to change the whole thing around and call it Gypsy Suns and Rainbows. For short…Band of Gypsys.”
Then he introduced the band. Someone in the crowd asked if he was high and he responded a few moments later that “I’ve got mine.”
The nearly 2-hour set was one of the longest in Hendrix’s cut-short career. This group performed just twice more before disbanding and was the only time Hendrix performed with a second guitarist.
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Personnel
- Jimi Hendrix: guitar, vocals
- Larry Lee: rhythm guitar
- Billy Cox: bass
- Juma Sultan: percussion
- Gerardo “Jerry” Velez: congas
- Mitch Mitchell: drums
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Setlist
- Message to Love
- Hear My Train a-Comin’
- Spanish Castle Magic
- Red House
- Mastermind (Larry Lee)
- Lover Man
- Foxy Lady
- Jam Back at the House (Beginnings)
- Izabella
- Gypsy Woman/Aware of Love (Larry Lee)
- Fire
- Voodoo Child (Slight Return)/Stepping Stone
- Star Spangled Banner
- Purple Haze
- Woodstock Improvisation
- Villanova Junction
- Hey Joe
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Message to Love
A song Jimi wrote and it first appeared on his Band of Gypsys album released by Capitol Records on March 25, 1970. The band had recorded the album at the Fillmore East in January 1970.
Well I travel at the speed of a reborn man
I got a lot of love to give
From the mirrors of my hand
I sent a message of love
Don’t you run away
Look at your heart baby
Come on along with me today
Well I am what I am thank god
Some people just don’t understand
Well help them god
Find yourselef first
And then your tool
Find yourself first
Don’t you be no fool
Here comes a woman
Wrapped up in chan
Messin’ with that fool baby
Your life is pain
If you wanna be free
Come on along with me
Don’t mess with the man
He’ll never understand
I said find yourself first
And then your talent
Work hard in your mind
So you can come alive
You beter prove to the man
You’re as strong as him
Cause in the eyes of god
You’re both children to him
Da da doo doo
Everybody come alive
Everybody live alive
Everybody love alive
Everybody hear my message
Hey, ooooo
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Hear My Train a-Comin’ (Getting My Heart Back Together Again)
Written by Jimi Hendrix, it also appeared on the Band of Gypsys album
Waitin’ for that train
Waitin’ for the train, yeah
Take me home, yeah
From this lonesome place
Well, now a while lotta people put me down a lotta changes
My girl had called me a disgrace
The tears burnin’
Tears burnin’ me
Tears burnin’ me
Way down in my heart
Well, you know it’s too bad, little girl,
It’s too bad
Too bad we have to part (have to part)
Gonna leave this town, yeah
Gonna leave this town
Gonna make a whole lotta money
Gonna be big, yeah
Gonna be big, yeah
I’m gonna buy this town
I’m gonna buy this town
An’ put it all in my shoe
Might even give a piece to you
That’s what I’m gonna do,
What I’m gonna do,
What I’m gonna do
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Spanish Castle Magic
Written by Jimi Hendrix, it had been on the Axis: Bold as Love album recorded from May – June and October 1967 in London. It was released in December 1967.
It takes about half a day
To get there
If we travel by my… Dragonfly
But all the same
You know
It’s a groovy name
And the wind’s just right
Hey
Hang on if you want to go
You know it’s really groovy place
And it’s just a little bit of a Spanish castle magic
And they overflow
With cotton candy
And battle grounds
Red and brown
Don’t think your time
On bad things
Just float your little mind around
Look out
Hang on if you want to go
It puts everything else on the shelf
With just a little bit of Spanish castle magic
Yeah baby
Hang on, hang on if you want to go
It puts everything else on the shelf
With just a little bit of Spanish castle magic
Hey
Its all in your mind
A little bit of daydream here and there
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Red House
Written by Jimi, it had appeared on his debut album in the UK, Are You Experienced. The US release did not include Red House.
There’s a red house over yonder, baby, that’s where my baby stays.
Well, I ain’t been home to see my baby in about ninety nine and one half days,
‘Bout time I see her.
The key wont unlock the door.
Wait a minute, something’s wrong, baby.
The key wont unlock the door.
Go back ‘cross yonder over the hill.
I might as well go back over yonder
Way back yonder ‘cross the hill, (That’s where I come from)
‘Cos if my baby don’t love me no more.
I know her sister will!
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Mastermind
Larry Lee had just returned from Vietnam two weeks earlier when Jimi, his Nashville guitar buddy, invited him to join his Gypsy Sun and Rainbows band. He wrote Mastermind.
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Lover Man
Written by Jimi, it would appear after he died on the Isle of Wight album, released by Polydor in November 1971.
Here he comes, here comes your lover man
I see him out your window, baby
Leap out as fast as I can
Reach up, baby those are my runnin’ shoes
Reach up, baby, and let me get my runnin’ shoes
See your man coming, I’ve got no time to lose
I wanna love you stronger, stronger but
I wanna love you all night long but
If that’s your man, baby, over yonder
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Foxy Lady
Written by Jimi, it appeared on his debut albums both in the US and UK.
You know you’re a cute little heart breaker, ha
foxy, yeah
And you know you’re a sweet little love maker, ha
foxy
I won’t do you no harm no, ha
You got to be all mine, all mine
Ooh foxy lady, yeah
Foxy, foxy
Oh foxy
You make me want to get up and a scream
foxy, oh baby listen now
I’ve made up my mind
Yeah, I’m tired of wasting all my precious time
You got to be all mine, all mine
Foxy lady
Here I come
foxy
I’m gonna take you home
I won’t do you no harm no
You got to be all mine, all mine
Foxy lady
Here I come baby, I’m commin’ to get ya
You look so good foxy
Oh yeah foxy
Yeah give us some foxy
Foxy foxy lady
Foxy lady
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Jam Back at the House (Beginnings)
Jimi explains…”
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Izabella
Jimi:
[loud guitar feedback]
to maybe a soldier in the army. singin’ about his old lady that
he dreams about and humpin’ a machine gun instead or it could be
could be a cat maybe tryin’ to fall in love with that girl baby,
but a little bit too scared. that’s where the problems come from
sometimes isn’t it? i meen the cat is really insecure a little bit.
So the call girls groupies and they call girls this. and they call
passive people hippies and bla bla, woof, woof, all down the line
That’s because their not in love man that’s what’s happening. that’s
the other half of a man, is woman. and we’d like to play a thing called
Izabella, and don’t you ever forget it.“
Every night
Hey, girl you know we got a war
Got a war to fight
So i think about you every day
Oh, and i hope you listen to me right
Girl, i’m fighting this war for the you
Hey little girl i fight this war for the children and the world and you
So i hope you hear me baby, yeah
Cause what i try to tell you is true
Hey
Izabella
I fight this war for the children and you
Hey girl, i said i fight this war for the children and you
Please save your love for me
Then i’ll know the fightin’ is true
Izabella
Hey
Izabella
I’m gonna fight this war against nature, my heart
“Thank you very much. and i’d like to go on with another slow thing.
I’d like to get by with a little bit of jam messin’ around with back
At the house. i think we’re going to call “get my heart back together
Again”
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Gypsy Woman/Aware of Love
You can hear from the Rhino soundtrack that the Jimi and the band don’t have a specific setlist already decided. Larry Lee does two songs.
From the weallbe site: “…a song originally written for The Impressions and which Hendrix and Lee had learned to perform from the soul master Curtis Mayfield when Lee and Hendrix toured with The Impressions and The Marvelettes”
Gypsy Woman
Around the campfire light
A lovely woman in motion
With hair as dark as night
Her eyes were like that of a cat in the dark
That hypnotized me with love
She was a gypsy woman
From the fire her face was all aglow
How she enchanted me
Oh, how I’d like to hold her near
And kiss and forever whisper in her ear
I love you, gypsy woman
She was dancing with all the men
Waiting for the rising sun
Everyone was having fun
I hate to see the lady go
Knowing she’ll never know
That I love her, I love her
A gypsy woman, a gypsy woman, a gypsy woman
Aware of Love
At last, I’m aware of love’
Now ‘What is love’ and he said,
‘Hello, you have to find out for yourself,
You cannot learn from somebody else’
And someday you’ll be aware of love,
I’d say someday if you live long enough
You’ll be aware of love’
And every little girl I took on a date
Told her that I really, really loved her
Vowed I’d never ever love another
But found it was just puppy love
I said I found yes, I did’ yes, I did
It was just puppy love’
I knew right then girl I had to get you
Took you in my arms and really kissed you
When you went away child
You know I missed you
At last I have found true love’
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Fire
Also by Jimi and also appearing on the UK and US debut albums.
Now dig this baby!
You don’t care for me,
I don’t care about that.
You got a new fool,
Hah, I like him like that.
I have only one burning desire,
Let me stand next to your fire.
[Let me stand next to your fire] Hey, let me stand next to your fire
[Let me stand next to your fire] Oh, let me stand baby
[Let me stand next to your fire] Let me stand
[Let me stand next to your fire] Yeah baby
Stop acting so crazy!
You say your mom ain’t home,
It ain’t my concern.
Just don’t play with me,
And you won’t get burned.
I have only one itching desire,
Let me stand next to your fire
[Let me stand next to your fire] Yeah, let me stand next to your fire
[Let me stand next to your fire] Let me stand
[Let me stand next to your fire] Oh, Let me stand
[Let me stand next to your fire] Oh
And let Jimi take over.
Yeah, you know what I’m talking about
Yeah!
Get on with it baby!
Now dig this!
Ha!
Now listen baby!
You try to give me your money,
You better save it babe.
Save it for your rainy day.
I have only one burning desire,
Let me stand next to your fire.
[Let me stand next to your fire] Oh, let me stand
[Let me stand next to your fire] Let me stand baby
[Let me stand next to your fire] I ain’t gonna do you no harm
[Let me stand next to your fire] Oh
You better move it baby . . .
I ain’t gonna hurt you baby . . .
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)/Stepping Stone
Voodoo Child originally appeared on Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland album which Reprise had released on October 1968.
Reprise Records released Stepping Stone,with Isabella, as a single on April 8, 1970. It was the last single released by Hendrix before his death.
Voodoo Child
And I chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
I chop it down with the edge of my hand
Well, I pick up all the pieces and make an island
Might even raise a little sand
Voodoo child
I’ll give it right back one of these days
I didn’t mean to take up all your sweet time
I’ll give it right back one of these days
I’ll meet ya on the next one
Don’t be late
Don’t be late
Lord knows I’m a voodoo child, baby
Stepping Stone
Yeah! And I’m here to tell you about it
So you might as well pick up on it! Yeah!
At least I’m tryin’ to be
I’ve lived before
The other half of me
I’ve lived before
That you don’t want me
But in this search
For nothing desperately
Oh, I’m tryin’ tryin’
Not to be a fool
I’m tryin’ tryin’
Lord to keep my cool, baby tryin’ so hard to keep it together
That true love of mine
I’m just rollin’ screamin’
Cryin’ flyin’
Can’t be trusted, but busted
Rolling Stone
At least you say you are
You’re a woman
At least you look like you are
You’re a woman
At least you taste like you are
But you can take it off
In bed with my guitar
And then you leave them
Throw me outside
To cry, cry
To the moon and the nighttime
Save my soul,
You can’t find
All you want is a ticket to ride
After you show me everything
It did prove otherwise
You just rollin’, screamin’, cryin’ good love is sometime, but can’t be trusted
Steppin’ Stone
Steppin’ Stone
Steppin’ Stone
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Star Spangled Banner
According to Joel Brattin, professor of literature at Worcester Polytechnic Institute: It was not the first time Hendrix had performed The Star Spangled Banner. In fact, there are nearly 50 live recordings of Hendrix playing the national anthem, 28 made before Woodstock. They range from about a minute to more than six minutes; the Woodstock version was three minutes and 46 seconds. It was among the best
He adds, “And, certainly, no other version is so iconic.”
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Purple Haze
Purple Haze appeared on both the US and UK releases of Hendrix’s debut album. It was released as the second single on March 17, 1967.
Lately things, they don’t seem the same
Acting funny, but I don’t know why
‘Scuse me while I kiss the skyPurple haze all around
Don’t know if I’m coming up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me
Help me! Help me!
Ah no, noYeah! Purple haze all in my eyes
Don’t know if it’s day or night
You got me blowing, blowing my mind
Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?No, help me
No, yeah purple haze
Oh no, no
Oh, help me
Tell me, tell me
Can’t go on like this
You make me blow my mind
No, no, no
No, no, purple haze
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Woodstock Improvisation/Villanova Junction
From the Woodstock Fandom site: Following “Purple Haze” is an improvisation…by Hendrix alone. He breaks out with a lot of fascinating guitar riffs, many of them which could have formed great songs if he lived somewhat longer. It’s simply amazing watching him play, totally in control of what he’s doing, yet he’s still improvising or playing song patterns from memory. When the rest of the band rejoined they continued with their last number “Villanova Junction”, a fine instrumental Blues song.
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Hey Joe
The crowd continues to call out requests. According to the above referenced Woodstock Fandom site, as he is about to begin the last song of his set, the last song of Sunday’s songs, and the last song of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair,
…Hendrix considered playing the very rare “Valleys of Neptune” which was only released posthumously, mostly on bootlegs. But he didn’t play the song (and never played it for the rest of his career on stage). He can be heard saying: “Ok, now don’t laugh at us. We gonna try this one song called Valleys of Neptune… oh, no I forgot the words of that, I forgot the words of that! I can’t do it.” This is quite ironic because most recordings of “Valleys of Neptune” don’t have any lyrics, so why should he play it at Woodstock with lyrics? But maybe Hendrix couldn’t remember the guitar patterns and notes or it was totally unplanned anyway. Instead he launched into “Hey Joe”, a more classic song.
Ironically, Jimi did not write this song.
Where you going with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe
I said, where you going with that gun in your hand?
You know, I caught her messing around with another man
I’m going down to shoot my old lady
You know, I caught her messing around with another man
And that ain’t too cool
I heard you shot your woman down
You shot her down, now
Hey Joe
I heard you shot your old lady down
You shot her down to the ground
Yeah
You know, I caught her messing around, messing around town
Yes I did, I shot her
You know, I caught my old lady messing around town
And I gave her the gun
I shot her!
Where you going to run to now?
Where you going to run to?
Hey Joe (I said)
Where you going to run to now?
Where you, where you going to go?
Well, dig it
Way down to Mexico way
Alright
I’m going way down south
Way down where I can be free
There’s no one going to find me
He ain’t gonna put a rope around me
You better believe it right now
I got to go now
You better run on down
Goodbye everybody, ow!
Hey Joe, uh
Run on down
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
Denouement
Jimi Hendrix Woodstock
