Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression: What is the song about? A detailed song analysis
Jimi Hendrix was one of the best musicians of all time and the best guitarist in the world. With Manic Depression he wrote a song with serious theme.
A song about the great love of music
The song Manic Depression was released in 1967 by the band "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" on the album "Are You Experienced". The recording of the album lasted from October 1966 to April 1967. Hendrix was accompanied by Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass. On the first pressing of "Are You Experienced", Jimi's musical highlights like Foxy Lady, Red House, Fire and Are You Experienced? were found. Hendrix said during a concert that the song embodies the desire to make love with music rather than always with the same one, a woman. It is a song that has been covered very often. Examples of further artists are the "Red Hot Chili Peppers","Blood, Sweat and Tears","Jeff Beck" or "Yngwie J. Malmsteen".
The text on Manic Depression
The manic depression lyrics are about the bipolar disorder, an affect disorder. In this form of disorder, the mood of the mind changes remarkably strongly, sometimes the sick person is very depressed and sometimes strongly manic. The extremes of the drive cannot be controlled by one's own will. Whether Jimi Hendrix referred to Manic Depression is unknown. Throughout his young life, this subject has never been dealt with publicly. However, it is known that he wrote this song after his manager, Chas Chandler, told him that he was behaving like a manic-depressive. Hendrix sings from the ego-form. This does not mean that he sings about himself, it may be that he lets a fictitious person speak. The text begins with the line that manic depression wanders through his soul. He knows what he wants, but he doesn't know how to get to his destination. He wants to be able to hug and kiss someone and realizes that manic depression is frustrating. Probably the most important lines in Hendrix text are: You make Love, You break love, it? s all the same, when it? s over. The question arises whether Jimi only sings of the bipolar disorder or whether he continues to ask himself the question of the meaning of love after death. How much is it worth to love a person if you will never again have a connection to this feeling after death?