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Jimi Hendrix — The Wind Cries Mary
Album: Are You Experienced
Avg rating:
8.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 4714









Released: 1967
Length: 3:18
Plays (last 30 days): 3
After all the jacks are in their boxes
And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footprints dressed in red

And the wind whispers, "Mary"

A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life
Somewhere, a queen is weeping
Somewhere, a king has no wife

And the wind, it cries, "Mary"

The traffic lights, they turn blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
The tiny island sags downstream
'Cause the life that lived is dead

And the wind screams, "Mary"

Will the wind ever remember
The names it has blown in the past?
And with this crutch, its old age and its wisdom
It whispers, "No, this will be the last"

And the wind cries, "Mary"
Comments (331)add comment
JIMMY !!!
psyche -mo - delic, Brings me back to 1967
When I met Mary on 03 Sep 82, she changed my life.❤️❤️❤️
When this came out it changed my life...for the better!
 uksminas wrote:


wow. this is so cool. mesmerizing. really goes with the music, too.

that slight "hand clap" keeps coming in at the exact right time!
for me
 uksminas wrote:


 uksminas wrote:


not so much that i dont like it but it makes me DIZZY
A masterpiece
 sajitjacob wrote:

I just got an iFI blue tooth thingy for my Nad and Q3030s, listening on Flac and holy shit! 




Totally Cool!!  ENJOY!!  
I just got an iFI blue tooth thingy for my Nad and Q3030s, listening on Flac and holy shit! 
 uksminas wrote:


Re-posting for because it's cool
Happy Birthday Jimi!
 Kaw wrote:

I think you would not accept the 'style' of Jimi's singing if it wasn't Jimi himself. He sings with annoying habbits and the range is not impressive. The music itself is not perfect either. Imagine doing some B-artists singing and playing like this and you would call it pretencious.
I'm not giving it a 1. It's an 8 "most excellent" and that's still very good. Just not in the range of close to perfection or even perfect.


Nor Dylan.  Perfect is the enemy of "good enough", out the door and into our ears.
 alexandersmcmillan wrote:
This would be my vote for the greatest clean electric guitar tone of all time.
 

Got my vote!
saw a movie, I believe it was called "My Dinner With Jimi", worth watching for the dinner scenes alone. New appreciation for the Turtles after seeing it. Don't all bands want to hit big and meet their heroes?
This would be my vote for the greatest clean electric guitar tone of all time.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Agreed; Shakespeare was a pretty talented guy, but he was no Jimi!  ; )
 
that's the best moment about Jimi I've ever heard  
A lovely little song.  My mother was Mary and I played this to her a few times.  She didn't quite get  but she liked the fact that there was a song with her name in it.
It doesn’t get better than this !
 SuperWeh wrote:

Rock 'n' roll isn't really about technical perfection.
 
 ConradD wrote:

You are so right! Music isn't about technical perfection at all! Art isn't about technical perfection - no never!
 
  He didn't say  "music isn't about technical perfection", he said "Rock 'n' roll isn't really about technical perfection".   There's a difference.
Long Live                                                                                                                     Radio Paradise
To me this is                                                                                                               9 - Outstanding                      
No point in comparing to Jeff Beck - my all time favorite.  Completely different styles.   Jimmy's imagery is masterful.  
Don't be an idiot.  Of course it's one of the very best.
Every time I see footage of Jimi playing, I am struck by the fact that his hands were huge dwarfing his Stratocaster. 
 TerryS wrote:
Comparing Jimi with Mr Shakespeare is a bit rich.
 
Agreed; Shakespeare was a pretty talented guy, but he was no Jimi!  ; )
 TerryS wrote:

Comparing Jimi with Mr Shakespeare is a bit rich.
 
But both have been and will continue to be richly remembered long after their time upon the stage ended. And for a number of the same reasons. Their languages and media may have been different but that doesn't detract from the genius they shared with the rest of us.
 EdEastridge wrote:
Unrelated, but...

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; 
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; 
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, 
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; 
And in some perfumes is there more delight 
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. 
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know 
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; 
I grant I never saw a goddess go; 
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. 
   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 
   As any she belied with false compare.

"William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 mocks the conventions of the showy and flowery courtly sonnets in its realistic portrayal of his mistress."
 
"You ain't a beauty but hey you're alright."
Bruce Springsteen

How times change!
To me this is 9 - Outstanding  
heard a great story - that Jimi wrote this song as an apology to his girlfriend after he offended her by criticizing her cooking (something about mashed potatoes). Apology accepted!
 EdEastridge wrote:

Unrelated, but I think definitely offers up justification for an 8.9. Sometimes it's far more than technical prowess, far more than intonation, or the perfectly exercise in stage performance. Sometimes it's about raw unadulterated emotion. The guilty pleasure, the flame that's lit by something or someone that is perfect for you, regardless of what anyone else thinks or says. This is what perfection actually is.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; 
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; 
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, 
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; 
And in some perfumes is there more delight 
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. 
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know 
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; 
I grant I never saw a goddess go; 
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. 
   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 
   As any she belied with false compare.

 And my rating for Mr. Hendrix here? A righteous 10. The world of music is better for him having been part of it.


 
Comparing Jimi with Mr Shakespeare is a bit rich.

 SuperWeh wrote:

Rock 'n' roll isn't really about technical perfection.

 
You are so right! Music isn't about technical perfection at all! Art isn't about technical perfection - no never!
 jbuhl wrote:
Man I wish he would have lived long enough to do more material like this.

 
^^^^^  THIS!
I just love how on this song, Jimi seems to be really trying to sing the trippy, powerful lyrics. The guitar is beyond godlike. A real GEM.
Still revelation
 Kaw wrote:

I think you would not accept the 'style' of Jimi's singing if it wasn't Jimi himself. He sings with annoying habbits and the range is not impressive. The music itself is not perfect either. Imagine doing some B-artists singing and playing like this and you would call it pretencious.
I'm not giving it a 1. It's an 8 "most excellent" and that's still very good. Just not in the range of close to perfection or even perfect.

 
Unrelated, but I think definitely offers up justification for an 8.9. Sometimes it's far more than technical prowess, far more than intonation, or the perfectly exercise in stage performance. Sometimes it's about raw unadulterated emotion. The guilty pleasure, the flame that's lit by something or someone that is perfect for you, regardless of what anyone else thinks or says. This is what perfection actually is.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; 
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; 
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, 
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; 
And in some perfumes is there more delight 
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. 
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know 
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; 
I grant I never saw a goddess go; 
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. 
   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 
   As any she belied with false compare.

 And my rating for Mr. Hendrix here? A righteous 10. The world of music is better for him having been part of it.

Man I wish he would have lived long enough to do more material like this.
 Kaw wrote:

I think you would not accept the 'style' of Jimi's singing if it wasn't Jimi himself. He sings with annoying habbits and the range is not impressive. The music itself is not perfect either. Imagine doing some B-artists singing and playing like this and you would call it pretencious.
I'm not giving it a 1. It's an 8 "most excellent" and that's still very good. Just not in the range of close to perfection or even perfect.

 
Rock 'n' roll isn't really about technical perfection.
 Kaw wrote:

I think you would not accept the 'style' of Jimi's singing if it wasn't Jimi himself. He sings with annoying habbits and the range is not impressive. The music itself is not perfect either. Imagine doing some B-artists singing and playing like this and you would call it pretencious.
I'm not giving it a 1. It's an 8 "most excellent" and that's still very good. Just not in the range of close to perfection or even perfect.

 
"Perfect" is vastly overrated.   Anyhow, in 1967 a great many people "accepted" Jimi's style of singing long before he attained his posthumous, "legendary" status.  This album received rave reviews and sold over one million copies in less than a year of its release.
50 friggin years.... such is the power of rock and roll.
 boontonite wrote:
Wow !!! Still sounds as good as when I first heard it. For my money this is Hendrix at his best.
 
{#Yes}

https://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/94431f2140064be0c13f177c02becdc721d23478.jpg
A 9 from me, still awesome after all these years
Wow !!! Still sounds as good as when I first heard it. For my money this is Hendrix at his best.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS RECORD remains as astounding as ever, from the wild cover pic to the stony grooves; still drips big trips
 willmcnaught wrote:

pompous ass lol AVERAGE rating 8.9 lol spare us Kaw lol {#Drunk}

 
I think you would not accept the 'style' of Jimi's singing if it wasn't Jimi himself. He sings with annoying habbits and the range is not impressive. The music itself is not perfect either. Imagine doing some B-artists singing and playing like this and you would call it pretencious.
I'm not giving it a 1. It's an 8 "most excellent" and that's still very good. Just not in the range of close to perfection or even perfect.
 tomcool wrote:
Fellow RP listeners:

I've made a slideshow dedicated to this great song.

I'm claiming fair use for purposes of commentary, with the following particular comment:  the correct lyric is "And with this, crush this old age and its wisdom," not "And with this crutch, this old age and its wisdom," as is commonly reported.  The latter makes no sense.

Wind Cries Mary
 
Very nice images
I never realized how great this song really is
thanks 
wicked cool music/album cover/memory ignitor   : )
Great bass/drummer. Ok guitar/vocal. 
 Suzl wrote:
Not likely that I will ever grow tired of this song... 

 
Not likely I will ever hear the music that was made during this period as new and fresh again!
Not likely that I will ever grow tired of this song... 
Pure class
Hmm.  Already rated it god like.  Where's the 11 when you need it?
Amazing what just three accomplished musicians can make together! {#Cheers}
 stegokitty wrote:
Back in the early days of HBO, as a teenager of about 15 years old, I was watching the film "Heartbeat" (1980) in which I first heard the song "Purple Haze". That might've been the beginning of my reading-the-credits-to-the-end habit in films. I sat raptly waiting for a sign in the credits, of what that song was. I wrote it down and the next morning walked to the record and novel store and bought SMASH HITS, because it had "Purple Haze", and I figured it's probably safer to go with a "hits" album just in case it's the only good song on the album. Boy what a pleasant surprise. And as much as I liked PH, and "Cross Town Traffic", and "Fire", etc., I think I really liked "The Wind Cries Mary" the most. Those first few strums of the song were like "Wha ...? This is amazing ... yesssss". Anyway, that's my little story on how I met Jimi's music.

 
Reading the music memories is the best thing about the song comments.

My father bought us a crap stereo for the basement so he wouldn't have to listen to our music all the time. But *stereo* when the upstairs player was still mono. He wouldn't buy us headphones because he thought we would go deaf, but my older brother taught me how to put the speakers facing each other on either side of my head to get the full effect of this album. And that's my little story of how I got experienced
 Kaw wrote:
9 > 8, its not that good. I'm sorry.
 

 
What would you'd give a 9+ if not this?
 Kaw wrote:
9 > 8, its not that good. I'm sorry.
 

 
pompous ass lol AVERAGE rating 8.9 lol spare us Kaw lol {#Drunk}
It amazes me how he doesn't play a lot of notes, it sounds so effortless, and yet so complete. It's a very laid back tune, and yet so rich and hugely satisfying. Unique chord progressions and arpeggios. How did he figure this one out? Awesome.
Back in the early days of HBO, as a teenager of about 15 years old, I was watching the film "Heartbeat" (1980) in which I first heard the song "Purple Haze". That might've been the beginning of my reading-the-credits-to-the-end habit in films. I sat raptly waiting for a sign in the credits, of what that song was. I wrote it down and the next morning walked to the record and novel store and bought SMASH HITS, because it had "Purple Haze", and I figured it's probably safer to go with a "hits" album just in case it's the only good song on the album. Boy what a pleasant surprise. And as much as I liked PH, and "Cross Town Traffic", and "Fire", etc., I think I really liked "The Wind Cries Mary" the most. Those first few strums of the song were like "Wha ...? This is amazing ... yesssss". Anyway, that's my little story on how I met Jimi's music.
Jimi Hendrix forever{#Clap} 10++
 papajoe_aiea wrote:

My favorite is in verse 2:

The broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life

Heartbreaking.  Jimi's best song. 

 
The lyrics seem very Dylan'isque; wonder if it was an homage as I think Hendrix was a big Dylan fan.
WOW. Even still
This tiny island sagged down stream and the street lights turned blue today ....MARY!
Class, pay attention to the solo. It is perfect.
 aristoteles wrote:
There is something in this song , the vibe, pure honesty art,...don't know, but it sounds godlike, I mean, this is the way the music should sound...

 
...yes. Exactly.
9 > 8, its not that good. I'm sorry.
 
it would be nice to segue to/from the Waterboys' "Return of Jimi Hendrix".....just a thought 
Everybody in my alien space craft loves this song...
I suppose some of the provocateurs (certainly no musicians among them) be out here hatin on this just to piss off the rest of us. I respect that but ya gotta realize, just because your dad loved it doesn't mean you can't.
I don't care for most of his music but I respect that a vast number of folks appreciate it. This is decent.
trash
 Peter_Bradshaw wrote:
{#Notworthy} G O D L I K E {#Notworthy}
 
God can dream
A clear 9...ok 10 it is!
 Peter_Bradshaw wrote:
{#Notworthy} G O D L I K E {#Notworthy}
{#Notworthy} G O D L I K E {#Notworthy}
 
 
Yup, my thoughts exactly.
 
Whispers... Cries... Screams. 
A perfect song for this very dry and hot Summers day.... Especially with a couple of cold pints under the belt... 
The track is an example of psychedelic blues-rock, as the song is in the key of F major, with a guitar solo primarily involving the F major pentatonic scale. Today, it is #379 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It is said to have been inspired when Hendrix and his then girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, had an argument over her cooking; after she stormed out of their apartment, Hendrix wrote “The Wind Cries Mary”, as Mary was Etchingham’s middle name.  (last.fm)
{#Notworthy} G O D L I K E {#Notworthy}

 Dosequis wrote:
He ain't no Jeff Beck. Jeff is still the best of all time. This song is...........ok.

 
Agree completely.
He ain't no Jeff Beck. Jeff is still the best of all time. This song is...........ok.
 Ghiaap wrote:

Or Gary.....

 
...or Barry
and , ....MARY.........{#Heartkiss}
 Papernapkin wrote:

Is that a 40 year old condom in your wallet? There's great new music. Be open to it.

 
Hendrix = cloth napkin, new music = paper napkin
If any song deserves a '10' Godlike rating it's this one.
There is something in this song , the vibe, pure honesty art,...don't know, but it sounds godlike, I mean, this is the way the music should sound...
One of the best of Jimi's.
 exactly. On_The_Beach wrote:
Sometimes when the wind is drunk, it calls Larry.

 


:-) sweet classic:-)
I immediately intended to write some snarky response like this:  Yeah.  American Idol, Britney Spears, and their cousins will soon unseat Jimi (Hendrix), Jimmy (Page), and Jim (Morrison) in the popular music pantheon.  Make you a deal: hold your breath until that happens, and when it does, I'll congratulate you on being right.

And then I felt the maturity of my years.  You know, there is good new music around these days.  Doesn't de-value the older stuff by one scintilla, however.

(PS: If that really is a 40-year-old condom ... get a new one.)
 d48m02h1918 wrote:
Hmmmmm....Jimi Hendrix music vs. today's offerings of sound. 

No contest. {#No} 
 
Is that a 40 year old condom in your wallet? There's great new music. Be open to it.
Hmmmmm....Jimi Hendrix music vs. today's offerings of sound. 

No contest. {#No} 
 johnjconn wrote:
Jimi's cool
This song isn't
 
Man, I just couldn't disagree more.
dieser song ist wunderbar!! 
If any song can be a 10, well.... This is IT>
 johnjconn wrote:
Jimi's cool
This song isn't
 
Yes, it is.
Woo hoo, two Jimi songs in one day thanks to PSD.
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Sometimes when the wind is drunk, it calls Larry.
 
Or Gary.....
Would the person who stole our silk screen of Jimi Hendrix that we made in Grade 10 art class, please bring it back.  Yeah, I know that was 1971.  
 WakeUpWorld wrote:
"The traffic lights turn blue tomorrow"...poetry baby.
 
My favorite is in verse 2:

The broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life

Heartbreaking.  Jimi's best song. 
"The traffic lights turn blue tomorrow"...poetry baby.
 Skaterella wrote:
and they call the wind mariah...
 
 I just looked and there is absolutely no Kingston Trio in the library nor has any ever been uploaded.  I need to get off my lazy ass and start uploading ancient stuff to annoy the kids again.  I don't really have much of a lawn I can yell at them to get off of.
 


and they call the wind mariah...

 
On_The_Beach wrote:
Sometimes when the wind is drunk, it calls Larry.
 


We Miss You Jimi! 
 MiracleDrug wrote:
and Mary cries "ohhhh Lou"...

chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.  Lovely woman stained by "cosmetic" surgery.
Jimi is 10 - generally!
and Mary cries "ohhhh Lou"...
THANK GOD for TVLand....  {#Lol}

Sometimes when the wind is drunk, it calls Larry.
Good Lord! What do you have to do to get a 10 around here??! The song is PERFECT the way it is. Therefore it's a 10!
 ziakut wrote:
There's a place for this and all Jimi tunes in Rock History...but I don't give this a "9" just because it's Jimi Hendrix. C'mon people...its ok to really listen to the music and THEN decipher. I do like the guitar riffs and drumming on this track...but it is NO WAY a "9". Just my unpopular opinion...ok...bring it on.
 
I agree. It's a 10.
There is a vague similarity between Jimi's break on this one and George Harrison's on "Don't Bring Me Down." Oh, no. Was George plagiarizing again? (Joke. See the thread on the Dandy Warhols' "Godless.")
 Jelani wrote:

I had a break from the blues once. Took eleven bars to get there. A few hours later didn't feel like such a genius.
 
{#Lol}

 ziakut wrote:
There's a place for this and all Jimi tunes in Rock History...but I don't give this a "9" just because it's Jimi Hendrix. C'mon people...its ok to really listen to the music and THEN decipher. I do like the guitar riffs and drumming on this track...but it is NO WAY a "9". Just my unpopular opinion...ok...bring it on.
 
Love Jimi's work.  OK, I gave it an 8 since it IS "most excellent."

 ziakut wrote:
There's a place for this and all Jimi tunes in Rock History...but I don't give this a "9" just because it's Jimi Hendrix. C'mon people...its ok to really listen to the music and THEN decipher. I do like the guitar riffs and drumming on this track...but it is NO WAY a "9". Just my unpopular opinion...ok...bring it on.
 
Of course it's a 9. It says so near the top of the page. Look, right there after the words "Avg. Rating." See?
There's a place for this and all Jimi tunes in Rock History...but I don't give this a "9" just because it's Jimi Hendrix. C'mon people...its ok to really listen to the music and THEN decipher. I do like the guitar riffs and drumming on this track...but it is NO WAY a "9". Just my unpopular opinion...ok...bring it on.
Favorite Jimi song.
Another gem from 1969. 
 d-don wrote:
15 on the Jimi scale.
 
15 on the Mortal scale, 9 on the Jimi scale.
15 on the Jimi scale.