Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Well, I stand up next to a mountain
And i chop it down with the edge of my hand
Yeah
Well, i stand up next to a mountain
And 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
Yeah
'Cause i'm a voodoo child
Lord knows i'm a voodoo child baby
I want to say one more last thing
I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to ya one of these days
Hahaha
I said i didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back one of these days
Oh yeah
If i don't meet you no more in this world then uh
I'll meet ya on the next one
And don't be late
Don't be late
'Cause i'm a voodoo child voodoo child
Lord knows i'm a voodoo child
Hey hey hey
I'm a voodoo child baby
I don't take no for an answer
Question no
Yeah
And i chop it down with the edge of my hand
Yeah
Well, i stand up next to a mountain
And 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
Yeah
'Cause i'm a voodoo child
Lord knows i'm a voodoo child baby
I want to say one more last thing
I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to ya one of these days
Hahaha
I said i didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back one of these days
Oh yeah
If i don't meet you no more in this world then uh
I'll meet ya on the next one
And don't be late
Don't be late
'Cause i'm a voodoo child voodoo child
Lord knows i'm a voodoo child
Hey hey hey
I'm a voodoo child baby
I don't take no for an answer
Question no
Yeah
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
Rest in Peace JIMI!!!!!!!!!
The lyrics do carry more meaning than the ramblings of a drug induced haze however.
First off the title: the theme to (slight return) seems related in only one way to the theme of voodoo chile... I.E., the theme of he (jimi) being a "voodoo child" which in numerous hendrix (hear my train a comin, as one example) songs seems to refer to being "special" or extraordinary.
Being able to chop down a mountain may very well have been inspired by an acid trip, though i defy you to offer a shred of evidence other than the fact that one can "see" jimi doing this in southern california. You can "see it", great, doesn't mean it EVER happened. chopping down a mountain and making an island out of the pieces would seem to be symbolic of achieving great things, being godlike, being special, being a "voodoo child". Maybe he had a trip about it, maybe not, probably will never know so why pretend like you do????
Now the other part of this song is jimi telling people he's "sorry for taking up your sweet time"
this is likely a reference to the people who thought he was worthless growing up, it is well documented jimi hated highschool and the town he grew up in.
More telling lyrics:
I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back to ya one of these days
Hahaha
I said i didn't mean to take up all your sweet time
I'll give it right back one of these days
Oh yeah
If i don't meet you no more in this world then uh
I'll meet ya on the next one (I'm pretty sure it's actually "I don't need you no more in this world, I'll meet you in the next one, now don't be late!)
These lyrics seem to be resentful of the way people treated him earlier in life, and now jimi doesn't want anything to do with these people so he'll meet them in the next world. So it's a song about jimi making something out of himself despite the people who didn't have time for him when he was a kid. Because he is truly a voodoo child. So in that way it is a song about determination and more specifically: self determination.
and i would agree that the word voodoo can be seen as referring to many themes including things like satan or black magic.
I believe you are correct sir, however I believe there is more rich meaning to the song-- besides a creative episode of spontaneity backed by hallucinatory experiences. During the 60's the parents and adults referred to the new rock in many derogatory adjectives--satan music, devil music and VOODOO music. So when Jimi says he is a Voodoo Child, he is saying he was raised up in rock. When he chops down a mountain (shattering it to pieces), I believe he is referring making a new style of rock (because mountains are made of rocks) by taking the old rocks and forming them together to make an island---something that is remote and by itself--essentially he is taking the old and making something new. He was frickin revolutionary and that is why I think he was so great. I think this theory is even more credited when he sings, "If I don't meet you in this world then I'll meet ya on the next one." This just confirms the fact that he is forming (formed) something that had never existed and broke-through to bring it to us in time, "I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time, I'll give it right back one of these days." Well thank you Jimi, because you certainly did and probably had the heaviest influence on rock than any other one human being. Peace.
Its awesome that 16 year old children like me can still rock to a Rock n' Roll God like Jimmy! And the guitar on this is actually what attracted me to this song. Does anybody know the name of the song where he says, "are you gonna go my way?"
i know that doesn't have anything to do with the song, i just thought it was funny as hell
but
anyways
its obvious
its about the next world and our abilities, and having some of those abilities in this world