Chords for The Significance of Jimi Hendrix's "Star-Spangled Banner"
Tempo:
119.75 bpm
Chords used:
C
Am
A
G
Bb
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
When I first started playing guitar, my dad was [C] especially excited.
And though [G] all of us deeply love this instrument, I have [Dm] a feeling it meant a little bit more
to his [Em] generation.
Even before my first lesson, he was telling me all about the [G] recording techniques used
on Led [D] Zeppelin II, about this lesser known Irish [Em] bluesman named Rory Gallagher.
He'd [C] fondly recall seeing [G] Santana blow everyone's minds at the old [D] Winnipeg Arena.
The more I talked to [Em] him about music, the more I realized that the [C] biggest cultural
icons of his time [G] all carried guitars.
So all the artists that [D] he would rave about, I went and checked out on my own.
There was one specific performance I'd heard about over and over again.
Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner [Dm] at Woodstock 1969.
I was waiting to check this one out, saving it because [C] I'd heard that it was one of
the greatest guitar moments of all [Em] time.
I downloaded a recording on Napster, [D] queued it up, plugged in [G] my headphones, listened
to it all the way through, and thought to myself, [Em] I don't get it.
To me it [C] sounded like the Star Spangled Banner jumbled [G] up with a bunch of noise.
Why [D] does anyone care about this at all, let [Em] alone hold it in such high acclaim, a [C] young
13 year old me thought to himself.
[G] As a Canadian, I can't truly [D] say I understand the relationship [Am] America has with its national anthem.
[G] Our countries are similar and deeply intertwined, but not without our differences.
The [Dm] way we treat patriotism being one of them.
Recently, like everyone else, I've seen [C] how one song can highlight a divide in [Cm] a nation.
Which again got me [Em] thinking about Hendrix's classic [D] rendition of the anthem.
While I'm no [G] historian, merely a musician, I've got a couple more years under my belt
and I think I can see why [Dm] this was such a powerful moment.
Let's take a quick second to [Am] set the stage.
It's 1969 and America [Gb] is in the middle of [B] fighting the Vietnam [Am] War.
Sometimes [C] referred to as the [Gb] First Televised War, [A] the horrendous realities of this conflict
[C] were broadcast [B] across the states.
[Gm] This among other [E] reasons created a large [Gb] part of the population vehemently opposed to [A] the war.
Back then, the racially [G] segregating Jim [Gb] Crow laws in the [Bb] southern states had only [A] recently
stopped being [Em] enforced.
On top [B] of that, the Civil Rights [F] Movement was fresh on [Em] everyone's mind, JFK was assassinated
[B] only 6 short years before, and the [A] staunch Republican Richard [Gb] Nixon held office.
To say there was some tension [E] in the US is a bit [C] of an understatement.
[Gb] Out of this turmoil, [F] a movement swept [A] across the country.
The [C] young, anti [B]-war, counter-culture, [Bb] long-haired [A] beatniks would become known [C] as the hippies.
In [B] August of 1969, hundreds of [A] thousands of them [C] gathered at a farm in [B] Bethel, New York
for the [F] Woodstock Music [Am] and Arts Festival.
[C] Jimi Hendrix was scheduled [B] to close it out.
[C] At the time, Hendrix [Am] was firmly [C] established in the music [B] world, having already [A] released
the only three studio albums [C] he ever would.
So here [Gb] you have one of the biggest names at the time taking [G] stage at one of the [Gb] biggest
music gatherings of all [B] time.
His set was [E] delayed and by the [Gb] time he finally performed, only about [G] 40,000 people and [E] a
camera crew had stuck around.
[Gb] Jimi was nearing the end of his [C] set when, 13 [A] songs in, he played [G] the Star Spangled [Gb] Banner.
If you've never seen [F] it, hit pause, [Am] go watch it now, I'll put a [Gb] link up there to it.
Alright, welcome back, hope you enjoyed [A] it.
Festival [C]-goer Roz Payne [B] describes the [Bb] experience.
[A]
[C] [B] [Bb] [Am]
[C] Al [B] Aronowitz, pop [Am] critic for the New [C] York Post [B] said,
[A]
[G] [Gb] [G] You finally [E] heard what [G] the song was about, [Bm] that you can love your country but hate the government.
[A] Powerful stuff.
Upon first listen, like I [Bb] said earlier, it sounded like a bunch [A] of noise to me.
But the noise is [Ab] meant to convey the [Bb] sounds of war.
Through his [Am] six-string theatrics, [E] Jimi emulated the [Bb] sounds of sirens, children crying, [Am] tanks
rolling, bombs [E] falling.
At one point, he quotes the melody of Taps, [A] the bugle call played [Am] at military [A] funerals.
What does it mean to have those [Am] things intertwined with the anthem?
Is [Bb] it disrespectful to put such a unique [A] spin on it?
One of the things that makes this so impactful is that, like any other great piece of art,
it inspires [E] deeper thought and discussion.
Throughout [Am] history, very few other instrumentals have [Bb] made this type of statement, especially
on such [Am] a large stage.
[Bb] Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner shouldn't be listened to as a [Am] song, rather art that
[A] transcends music.
No other guitar performance [Am] can be seen as such a [E] powerful yet peaceful protest.
Though this wasn't the first time he performed the [Bb] anthem this way, it was special [A] for those
in attendance and was captured in the [Gb] Woodstock film that would go [A] on to be seen by millions.
Hendrix's intentions, [Bb] political or [E] not, were only ever known by [A] Jimi himself.
He did [E] say at a press conference soon [A] after when asked [Am] about that performance,
We're all [A] Americans.
It was like, go America.
We play it the way the air is in America [Bb] today.
The air is slightly static, see?
[Am] We can analyze this song all we want, but one thing is for sure.
It was the [Am] defining moment of a [E] generation and became an anti-establishment [Am] rally cry.
It should be mentioned that while Jimi [Bb] Hendrix was at one point enlisted in the [Am] army, and
earlier in his [Bb] Woodstock set, he did pay tribute to the troops, [Am] he was an outspoken [Bb] proponent
of peace and love.
And I'm sure [Am] somewhere out there, some grumpy old man [E] saw an interview of his and mumbled
that his TV, stick to playing guitar you dirty hippie, leave [C] politics to the politicians.
It's funny to think that that is exactly what he did and he was still able to make a statement.
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 and it would be absurd to say that Jimi was responsible.
But history [F] doesn't view this war kindly.
[C] There's that famous saying that those that fail to learn from [F] history are doomed to repeat it.
[C] The cultural movement [G] of the 60s, the art and music [F] reminds us of that.
So say what you [C] want about Jimi Hendrix's star spangled banner.
My [F] point here is not to say he was right, wrong, or [C] what he meant by it, but rather
to point out the power that [F] one man and an electric guitar can [C] truly have.
Thank you all for [F] watching and I hope you enjoyed this video.
My content [G] is made possible by the people who support me through Patreon.
[F] It's a crowdfunding platform that helps [G] creators like me do what we do.
Through it I offer a [F] number of unique rewards.
Please consider hitting that link [C] over there and checking it [Am] out.
Thank you all again.
I'm [F] SamuraiGuitarist and [G] I will see you soon.
[C] [N]
And though [G] all of us deeply love this instrument, I have [Dm] a feeling it meant a little bit more
to his [Em] generation.
Even before my first lesson, he was telling me all about the [G] recording techniques used
on Led [D] Zeppelin II, about this lesser known Irish [Em] bluesman named Rory Gallagher.
He'd [C] fondly recall seeing [G] Santana blow everyone's minds at the old [D] Winnipeg Arena.
The more I talked to [Em] him about music, the more I realized that the [C] biggest cultural
icons of his time [G] all carried guitars.
So all the artists that [D] he would rave about, I went and checked out on my own.
There was one specific performance I'd heard about over and over again.
Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner [Dm] at Woodstock 1969.
I was waiting to check this one out, saving it because [C] I'd heard that it was one of
the greatest guitar moments of all [Em] time.
I downloaded a recording on Napster, [D] queued it up, plugged in [G] my headphones, listened
to it all the way through, and thought to myself, [Em] I don't get it.
To me it [C] sounded like the Star Spangled Banner jumbled [G] up with a bunch of noise.
Why [D] does anyone care about this at all, let [Em] alone hold it in such high acclaim, a [C] young
13 year old me thought to himself.
[G] As a Canadian, I can't truly [D] say I understand the relationship [Am] America has with its national anthem.
[G] Our countries are similar and deeply intertwined, but not without our differences.
The [Dm] way we treat patriotism being one of them.
Recently, like everyone else, I've seen [C] how one song can highlight a divide in [Cm] a nation.
Which again got me [Em] thinking about Hendrix's classic [D] rendition of the anthem.
While I'm no [G] historian, merely a musician, I've got a couple more years under my belt
and I think I can see why [Dm] this was such a powerful moment.
Let's take a quick second to [Am] set the stage.
It's 1969 and America [Gb] is in the middle of [B] fighting the Vietnam [Am] War.
Sometimes [C] referred to as the [Gb] First Televised War, [A] the horrendous realities of this conflict
[C] were broadcast [B] across the states.
[Gm] This among other [E] reasons created a large [Gb] part of the population vehemently opposed to [A] the war.
Back then, the racially [G] segregating Jim [Gb] Crow laws in the [Bb] southern states had only [A] recently
stopped being [Em] enforced.
On top [B] of that, the Civil Rights [F] Movement was fresh on [Em] everyone's mind, JFK was assassinated
[B] only 6 short years before, and the [A] staunch Republican Richard [Gb] Nixon held office.
To say there was some tension [E] in the US is a bit [C] of an understatement.
[Gb] Out of this turmoil, [F] a movement swept [A] across the country.
The [C] young, anti [B]-war, counter-culture, [Bb] long-haired [A] beatniks would become known [C] as the hippies.
In [B] August of 1969, hundreds of [A] thousands of them [C] gathered at a farm in [B] Bethel, New York
for the [F] Woodstock Music [Am] and Arts Festival.
[C] Jimi Hendrix was scheduled [B] to close it out.
[C] At the time, Hendrix [Am] was firmly [C] established in the music [B] world, having already [A] released
the only three studio albums [C] he ever would.
So here [Gb] you have one of the biggest names at the time taking [G] stage at one of the [Gb] biggest
music gatherings of all [B] time.
His set was [E] delayed and by the [Gb] time he finally performed, only about [G] 40,000 people and [E] a
camera crew had stuck around.
[Gb] Jimi was nearing the end of his [C] set when, 13 [A] songs in, he played [G] the Star Spangled [Gb] Banner.
If you've never seen [F] it, hit pause, [Am] go watch it now, I'll put a [Gb] link up there to it.
Alright, welcome back, hope you enjoyed [A] it.
Festival [C]-goer Roz Payne [B] describes the [Bb] experience.
[A]
[C] [B] [Bb] [Am]
[C] Al [B] Aronowitz, pop [Am] critic for the New [C] York Post [B] said,
[A]
[G] [Gb] [G] You finally [E] heard what [G] the song was about, [Bm] that you can love your country but hate the government.
[A] Powerful stuff.
Upon first listen, like I [Bb] said earlier, it sounded like a bunch [A] of noise to me.
But the noise is [Ab] meant to convey the [Bb] sounds of war.
Through his [Am] six-string theatrics, [E] Jimi emulated the [Bb] sounds of sirens, children crying, [Am] tanks
rolling, bombs [E] falling.
At one point, he quotes the melody of Taps, [A] the bugle call played [Am] at military [A] funerals.
What does it mean to have those [Am] things intertwined with the anthem?
Is [Bb] it disrespectful to put such a unique [A] spin on it?
One of the things that makes this so impactful is that, like any other great piece of art,
it inspires [E] deeper thought and discussion.
Throughout [Am] history, very few other instrumentals have [Bb] made this type of statement, especially
on such [Am] a large stage.
[Bb] Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner shouldn't be listened to as a [Am] song, rather art that
[A] transcends music.
No other guitar performance [Am] can be seen as such a [E] powerful yet peaceful protest.
Though this wasn't the first time he performed the [Bb] anthem this way, it was special [A] for those
in attendance and was captured in the [Gb] Woodstock film that would go [A] on to be seen by millions.
Hendrix's intentions, [Bb] political or [E] not, were only ever known by [A] Jimi himself.
He did [E] say at a press conference soon [A] after when asked [Am] about that performance,
We're all [A] Americans.
It was like, go America.
We play it the way the air is in America [Bb] today.
The air is slightly static, see?
[Am] We can analyze this song all we want, but one thing is for sure.
It was the [Am] defining moment of a [E] generation and became an anti-establishment [Am] rally cry.
It should be mentioned that while Jimi [Bb] Hendrix was at one point enlisted in the [Am] army, and
earlier in his [Bb] Woodstock set, he did pay tribute to the troops, [Am] he was an outspoken [Bb] proponent
of peace and love.
And I'm sure [Am] somewhere out there, some grumpy old man [E] saw an interview of his and mumbled
that his TV, stick to playing guitar you dirty hippie, leave [C] politics to the politicians.
It's funny to think that that is exactly what he did and he was still able to make a statement.
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 and it would be absurd to say that Jimi was responsible.
But history [F] doesn't view this war kindly.
[C] There's that famous saying that those that fail to learn from [F] history are doomed to repeat it.
[C] The cultural movement [G] of the 60s, the art and music [F] reminds us of that.
So say what you [C] want about Jimi Hendrix's star spangled banner.
My [F] point here is not to say he was right, wrong, or [C] what he meant by it, but rather
to point out the power that [F] one man and an electric guitar can [C] truly have.
Thank you all for [F] watching and I hope you enjoyed this video.
My content [G] is made possible by the people who support me through Patreon.
[F] It's a crowdfunding platform that helps [G] creators like me do what we do.
Through it I offer a [F] number of unique rewards.
Please consider hitting that link [C] over there and checking it [Am] out.
Thank you all again.
I'm [F] SamuraiGuitarist and [G] I will see you soon.
[C] [N]
Key:
C
Am
A
G
Bb
C
Am
A
When I first started playing guitar, my dad was [C] especially excited.
And though [G] all of us deeply love this instrument, I have [Dm] a feeling it meant a little bit more
to his [Em] generation.
Even before my first lesson, he was telling me all about the [G] recording techniques used
on Led [D] Zeppelin II, about this lesser known Irish [Em] bluesman named Rory Gallagher.
He'd [C] fondly recall seeing [G] Santana blow everyone's minds at the old [D] Winnipeg Arena.
The more I talked to [Em] him about music, the more I realized that the [C] biggest cultural
icons of his time [G] all carried guitars.
So all the artists that [D] he would rave about, I went and checked out on my own.
There was one specific performance I'd heard about over and over again.
Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner [Dm] at Woodstock 1969.
I was waiting to check this one out, saving it because [C] I'd heard that it was one of
the greatest guitar moments of all [Em] time.
I downloaded a recording on Napster, [D] queued it up, plugged in [G] my headphones, listened
to it all the way through, and thought to myself, _ [Em] I don't get it.
To me it [C] sounded like the Star Spangled Banner jumbled [G] up with a bunch of noise.
Why [D] does anyone care about this at all, let [Em] alone hold it in such high acclaim, a [C] young
13 year old me thought to himself.
[G] As a Canadian, I can't truly [D] say I understand the relationship [Am] America has with its national anthem.
[G] Our countries are similar and deeply intertwined, but not without our differences.
The [Dm] way we treat patriotism being one of them.
Recently, like everyone else, I've seen [C] how one song can highlight a divide in [Cm] a nation.
Which again got me [Em] thinking about Hendrix's classic [D] rendition of the anthem.
While I'm no [G] historian, merely a musician, I've got a couple more years under my belt
and I think I can see why [Dm] this was such a powerful moment.
Let's take a quick second to [Am] set the stage.
It's 1969 and America [Gb] is in the middle of [B] fighting the Vietnam [Am] War.
Sometimes [C] referred to as the [Gb] First Televised War, [A] the horrendous realities of this conflict
[C] were broadcast [B] across the states.
[Gm] This among other [E] reasons created a large [Gb] part of the population vehemently opposed to [A] the war.
Back then, the racially [G] segregating Jim [Gb] Crow laws in the [Bb] southern states had only [A] recently
stopped being [Em] enforced.
On top [B] of that, the Civil Rights [F] Movement was fresh on [Em] everyone's mind, JFK was assassinated
[B] only 6 short years before, and the [A] staunch Republican Richard [Gb] Nixon held office.
To say there was some tension [E] in the US is a bit [C] of an understatement.
[Gb] Out of this turmoil, [F] a movement swept [A] across the country.
The [C] young, anti [B]-war, counter-culture, [Bb] long-haired [A] beatniks would become known [C] as the hippies.
In [B] August of 1969, hundreds of [A] thousands of them [C] gathered at a farm in [B] Bethel, New York
for the [F] Woodstock Music [Am] and Arts Festival.
[C] Jimi Hendrix was scheduled [B] to close it out.
[C] At the time, Hendrix [Am] was firmly [C] established in the music [B] world, having already [A] released
the only three studio albums [C] he ever would.
So here [Gb] you have one of the biggest names at the time taking [G] stage at one of the [Gb] biggest
music gatherings of all [B] time.
His set was [E] delayed and by the [Gb] time he finally performed, only about [G] 40,000 people and [E] a
camera crew had stuck around.
[Gb] Jimi was nearing the end of his [C] set when, 13 [A] songs in, he played [G] the Star Spangled [Gb] Banner.
If you've never seen [F] it, hit pause, [Am] go watch it now, I'll put a [Gb] link up there to it.
Alright, welcome back, hope you enjoyed [A] it.
Festival [C]-goer Roz Payne [B] describes the [Bb] experience.
_ [A] _ _
[C] _ _ [B] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Am] _ _
[C] _ _ Al [B] Aronowitz, pop [Am] critic for the New [C] York Post [B] said,
_ _ [A] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ [Gb] _ [G] You finally [E] heard what [G] the song was about, [Bm] that you can love your country but hate the government.
[A] Powerful stuff.
Upon first listen, like I [Bb] said earlier, it sounded like a bunch [A] of noise to me.
But the noise is [Ab] meant to convey the [Bb] sounds of war.
Through his [Am] six-string theatrics, [E] Jimi emulated the [Bb] sounds of sirens, children crying, [Am] tanks
rolling, bombs [E] falling.
At one point, he quotes the melody of Taps, [A] the bugle call played [Am] at military [A] funerals.
What does it mean to have those [Am] things intertwined with the anthem?
Is [Bb] it disrespectful to put such a unique [A] spin on it?
One of the things that makes this so impactful is that, like any other great piece of art,
it inspires [E] deeper thought and discussion.
Throughout [Am] history, very few other instrumentals have [Bb] made this type of statement, especially
on such [Am] a large stage.
[Bb] Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner shouldn't be listened to as a [Am] song, rather art that
[A] transcends music.
No other guitar performance [Am] can be seen as such a [E] powerful yet peaceful protest.
Though this wasn't the first time he performed the [Bb] anthem this way, it was special [A] for those
in attendance and was captured in the [Gb] Woodstock film that would go [A] on to be seen by millions.
Hendrix's intentions, [Bb] political or [E] not, were only ever known by [A] Jimi himself.
He did [E] say at a press conference soon [A] after when asked [Am] about that performance,
We're all [A] Americans.
It was like, go America.
We play it the way the air is in America [Bb] today.
The air is slightly static, see?
[Am] We can analyze this song all we want, but one thing is for sure.
It was the [Am] defining moment of a [E] generation and became an anti-establishment [Am] rally cry.
It should be mentioned that while Jimi [Bb] Hendrix was at one point enlisted in the [Am] army, and
earlier in his [Bb] Woodstock set, he did pay tribute to the troops, [Am] he was an outspoken [Bb] proponent
of peace and love.
And I'm sure [Am] somewhere out there, some grumpy old man [E] saw an interview of his and mumbled
that his TV, stick to playing guitar you dirty hippie, leave [C] politics to the politicians.
It's funny to think that that is exactly what he did and he was still able to make a statement.
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 and it would be absurd to say that Jimi was responsible.
But history [F] doesn't view this war kindly.
[C] There's that famous saying that those that fail to learn from [F] history are doomed to repeat it.
[C] The cultural movement [G] of the 60s, the art and music [F] reminds us of that.
So say what you [C] want about Jimi Hendrix's star spangled banner.
My [F] point here is not to say he was right, wrong, or [C] what he meant by it, but rather
to point out the power that [F] one man and an electric guitar can [C] truly have. _
Thank you all for [F] watching and I hope you enjoyed this video.
My content [G] is made possible by the people who support me through Patreon.
[F] It's a crowdfunding platform that helps [G] creators like me do what we do.
Through it I offer a [F] number of unique rewards.
Please consider hitting that link [C] over there and checking it [Am] out.
Thank you all again.
I'm [F] SamuraiGuitarist and [G] I will see you soon.
[C] _ _ [N] _ _
And though [G] all of us deeply love this instrument, I have [Dm] a feeling it meant a little bit more
to his [Em] generation.
Even before my first lesson, he was telling me all about the [G] recording techniques used
on Led [D] Zeppelin II, about this lesser known Irish [Em] bluesman named Rory Gallagher.
He'd [C] fondly recall seeing [G] Santana blow everyone's minds at the old [D] Winnipeg Arena.
The more I talked to [Em] him about music, the more I realized that the [C] biggest cultural
icons of his time [G] all carried guitars.
So all the artists that [D] he would rave about, I went and checked out on my own.
There was one specific performance I'd heard about over and over again.
Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner [Dm] at Woodstock 1969.
I was waiting to check this one out, saving it because [C] I'd heard that it was one of
the greatest guitar moments of all [Em] time.
I downloaded a recording on Napster, [D] queued it up, plugged in [G] my headphones, listened
to it all the way through, and thought to myself, _ [Em] I don't get it.
To me it [C] sounded like the Star Spangled Banner jumbled [G] up with a bunch of noise.
Why [D] does anyone care about this at all, let [Em] alone hold it in such high acclaim, a [C] young
13 year old me thought to himself.
[G] As a Canadian, I can't truly [D] say I understand the relationship [Am] America has with its national anthem.
[G] Our countries are similar and deeply intertwined, but not without our differences.
The [Dm] way we treat patriotism being one of them.
Recently, like everyone else, I've seen [C] how one song can highlight a divide in [Cm] a nation.
Which again got me [Em] thinking about Hendrix's classic [D] rendition of the anthem.
While I'm no [G] historian, merely a musician, I've got a couple more years under my belt
and I think I can see why [Dm] this was such a powerful moment.
Let's take a quick second to [Am] set the stage.
It's 1969 and America [Gb] is in the middle of [B] fighting the Vietnam [Am] War.
Sometimes [C] referred to as the [Gb] First Televised War, [A] the horrendous realities of this conflict
[C] were broadcast [B] across the states.
[Gm] This among other [E] reasons created a large [Gb] part of the population vehemently opposed to [A] the war.
Back then, the racially [G] segregating Jim [Gb] Crow laws in the [Bb] southern states had only [A] recently
stopped being [Em] enforced.
On top [B] of that, the Civil Rights [F] Movement was fresh on [Em] everyone's mind, JFK was assassinated
[B] only 6 short years before, and the [A] staunch Republican Richard [Gb] Nixon held office.
To say there was some tension [E] in the US is a bit [C] of an understatement.
[Gb] Out of this turmoil, [F] a movement swept [A] across the country.
The [C] young, anti [B]-war, counter-culture, [Bb] long-haired [A] beatniks would become known [C] as the hippies.
In [B] August of 1969, hundreds of [A] thousands of them [C] gathered at a farm in [B] Bethel, New York
for the [F] Woodstock Music [Am] and Arts Festival.
[C] Jimi Hendrix was scheduled [B] to close it out.
[C] At the time, Hendrix [Am] was firmly [C] established in the music [B] world, having already [A] released
the only three studio albums [C] he ever would.
So here [Gb] you have one of the biggest names at the time taking [G] stage at one of the [Gb] biggest
music gatherings of all [B] time.
His set was [E] delayed and by the [Gb] time he finally performed, only about [G] 40,000 people and [E] a
camera crew had stuck around.
[Gb] Jimi was nearing the end of his [C] set when, 13 [A] songs in, he played [G] the Star Spangled [Gb] Banner.
If you've never seen [F] it, hit pause, [Am] go watch it now, I'll put a [Gb] link up there to it.
Alright, welcome back, hope you enjoyed [A] it.
Festival [C]-goer Roz Payne [B] describes the [Bb] experience.
_ [A] _ _
[C] _ _ [B] _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Am] _ _
[C] _ _ Al [B] Aronowitz, pop [Am] critic for the New [C] York Post [B] said,
_ _ [A] _ _ _ _
[G] _ _ [Gb] _ [G] You finally [E] heard what [G] the song was about, [Bm] that you can love your country but hate the government.
[A] Powerful stuff.
Upon first listen, like I [Bb] said earlier, it sounded like a bunch [A] of noise to me.
But the noise is [Ab] meant to convey the [Bb] sounds of war.
Through his [Am] six-string theatrics, [E] Jimi emulated the [Bb] sounds of sirens, children crying, [Am] tanks
rolling, bombs [E] falling.
At one point, he quotes the melody of Taps, [A] the bugle call played [Am] at military [A] funerals.
What does it mean to have those [Am] things intertwined with the anthem?
Is [Bb] it disrespectful to put such a unique [A] spin on it?
One of the things that makes this so impactful is that, like any other great piece of art,
it inspires [E] deeper thought and discussion.
Throughout [Am] history, very few other instrumentals have [Bb] made this type of statement, especially
on such [Am] a large stage.
[Bb] Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner shouldn't be listened to as a [Am] song, rather art that
[A] transcends music.
No other guitar performance [Am] can be seen as such a [E] powerful yet peaceful protest.
Though this wasn't the first time he performed the [Bb] anthem this way, it was special [A] for those
in attendance and was captured in the [Gb] Woodstock film that would go [A] on to be seen by millions.
Hendrix's intentions, [Bb] political or [E] not, were only ever known by [A] Jimi himself.
He did [E] say at a press conference soon [A] after when asked [Am] about that performance,
We're all [A] Americans.
It was like, go America.
We play it the way the air is in America [Bb] today.
The air is slightly static, see?
[Am] We can analyze this song all we want, but one thing is for sure.
It was the [Am] defining moment of a [E] generation and became an anti-establishment [Am] rally cry.
It should be mentioned that while Jimi [Bb] Hendrix was at one point enlisted in the [Am] army, and
earlier in his [Bb] Woodstock set, he did pay tribute to the troops, [Am] he was an outspoken [Bb] proponent
of peace and love.
And I'm sure [Am] somewhere out there, some grumpy old man [E] saw an interview of his and mumbled
that his TV, stick to playing guitar you dirty hippie, leave [C] politics to the politicians.
It's funny to think that that is exactly what he did and he was still able to make a statement.
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 and it would be absurd to say that Jimi was responsible.
But history [F] doesn't view this war kindly.
[C] There's that famous saying that those that fail to learn from [F] history are doomed to repeat it.
[C] The cultural movement [G] of the 60s, the art and music [F] reminds us of that.
So say what you [C] want about Jimi Hendrix's star spangled banner.
My [F] point here is not to say he was right, wrong, or [C] what he meant by it, but rather
to point out the power that [F] one man and an electric guitar can [C] truly have. _
Thank you all for [F] watching and I hope you enjoyed this video.
My content [G] is made possible by the people who support me through Patreon.
[F] It's a crowdfunding platform that helps [G] creators like me do what we do.
Through it I offer a [F] number of unique rewards.
Please consider hitting that link [C] over there and checking it [Am] out.
Thank you all again.
I'm [F] SamuraiGuitarist and [G] I will see you soon.
[C] _ _ [N] _ _