On This Day in 1967, Jimi Hendrix Released a Single Inspired by a Novel With Lyrics That Have Been Debated for Decades

On this day (March 17) in 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released “Purple Haze” as the second single from Are You Experienced in the United Kingdom. The song would later become a top-five hit and one of the rock legend’s best-known songs. The meaning of the song’s lyrics has been debated over the years, with multiple theories being presented and defended.

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Several theories about the meaning behind the lyrics of “Purple Haze” have been put forward over the years. Some heard the line “excuse me while I kiss the sky” and decided that the song was about drugs. Others have pointed out that Hendrix was a fan of science fiction and read Philip Jose Farmer’s 1966 novel Night of Light, which takes place on an alien planet on which a purple haze has disorienting effects on humans.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1968, Jimi Hendrix Released His Only Hot 100 Hit and One of the Greatest Covers in Rock History]

According to Songfacts, Hendrix once said he got the idea of “Purple Haze” from a dream. More specifically, he said the song came from a dream in which he was walking under the sea. He also said that the song is about a man who is so in love that he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. Hendrix explained that he had a similar experience while in New York. There, he met a woman whom he believed used voodoo on him.

Jimi Hendrix Wrote an Epic That Was Trimmed Down

Jimi Hendrix started working on “Purple Haze” during a press function on December 26, 1966, at the Upper Cut Club in East London. It began when he played the standout main riff while in the venue’s dressing room.

Hendrix’s manager, former Animals drummer Chas Chandler, heard the riff and knew it was a hit. He urged Hendrix to finish writing the song, telling him that it would be the next single.

“Purple Haze” was originally an epic. The rock icon wrote several pages of lyrics for the song. Most of those lyrics are lost forever. However, one sheet of paper from a yellow legal pad is currently on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. None of the lyrics on the page appear in the final version of the song.

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