Jimi Hendrix on MLK Jr's death

[H2O Man]

"House Burning Down," from Electric Ladyland, was Jimi Hendrix's song detailing his reaction to Martin Luther King, Jr's death, and the riots that followed. Hendrix was under pressure from friends who were associated with the Black Panthers to make a militant statement on the subject of King's murder. Although he donated money to the Panthers, Hendrix remained an advocate of non-violence:

Look at the sky turn a hell-fire red
Somebody's house is burning
down down down down

Well I asked my friend
"Where is that black smoke coming from?"
He just coughed and changed the subject
and said, "Uh, it might snow some."
So I left him sipping his tea
and I jumped in my chariot and rode off to see
Just why and who could it be this time.

Sisters and brothers, daddies, mothers
standing around crying
When I reached the scene the flames were making a ghostly whine
so I stood on my horse's back
and I screamed without a crack
I said, "Oh, baby why did you
burn your brother's house down?"

Well someone stepped from the crowd
He was nineteen miles high
He shouts, "We're tired and disgusted
So we painted red through the sky."
I said, "The truth is straight ahead
so don't burn yourself instead
Try learning, instead of burning
Hear what I say."

So I finally rode away
But I'll never forget that day
'Cause when I reached the valley
I looked down across the way
a giant boat from space
landed with eerie grace
And came and taken all the dead away.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. i had no idea this song was about that

thanks for posting.

[livetohike]

2. Thank you

and thanks, Jimi.

[indigobusiness]

3. Grace and wisdom are coldly received

in a culture in decline.

[LuCifer]

4. DAMN!

Odd how I don't hear that on my local-yokel classic rock Crap Channel owned FM station!

Lu Cifer, BUT JUST KEEP PLAYING "FOXY LADY" EVERY OTHER HOUR! Thank GODS for the Internet and satellite radio!!!!!!
http://www.LU13.TK
http://www.MidnightCalling.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LeftWingRadicals/join
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SternAndMore/join

[SheepyMcSheepster]

5. it's funny.....

classic rock stations tend to only play "foxy lady", "purple haze" and "vodoo child"

[H2O Man]

6. It's not a wildly popular song

and most people today don't have a clue what it's about. I don't know if I ever heard Hose Burning Down on the radio ....and it's not on the relatively new boxed set .... but it remains a favorite of mine.