Cover art for Machine Gun - Live at Fillmore East 1/1/70 [First Show] by Jimi Hendrix

Machine Gun - Live at Fillmore East 1/1/70 [First Show]

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Machine Gun - Live at Fillmore East 1/1/70 [First Show] Lyrics

[Verse 3]
The same way you shoot me down, baby
You'll be going just the same
Three times the pain
And your own self to blame
Hey, machine gun


[Solo]

[Verse 4]
I ain't afraid of your mess no more, babe
I ain't afraid no more
After awhile your, your cheap talk won't even cause me pain
So let your bullets fly like rain
Because I know all the time you're wrong baby
And you'll be going just the same

[Refrain]
Yeah, machine gun
Tearing my family apart
Yeah, yeah, alright
Tearing my family apart


[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 5]
Don't you shoot him down
He's about to leave here
Don't you shoot him down

He's got to stay here
He ain't going nowhere
He's been shot down to the ground
Oh where he can't survive no, no

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About

Genius Annotation

“Machine Gun” was written by Jimi Hendrix and performed by him along with varying band-mates at several live concerts from late 1969 up to his death in September of 1970.

This version, considered the finest recording of the song, was recorded live in New York City at the Fillmore East on January 1, 1970 with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles; this 12-minute recording was subsequently released in March of 1970 on Hendrix’s live album Band of Gypsys (the short-lived trio of Hendrix, Cox, and Miles were known as Band of Gypsys).

The lyrical content of the song is a protest of the Vietnam Conflict, with the lyrics switching between the perspective of a U.S. soldier and a Vietnamese civilian, both of whom lament the situation that they are engulfed in.

The musical composition of the song was very complex and exemplified Jimi’s exquisite use of guitar effects such as the wah-wah pedal, Uni-Vibe pedal, Octavia pedal, audio feedback, and distortion effects. Jimi masterfully synthesized these musical components to mimic the sounds of a battlefield during his guitar solos, including helicopters, bombs dropping, attack aircraft, explosions, machine guns, and the screams and cries of soldiers.

Renowned musicologist and guitarist Andy Aledort labeled “Machine Gun” as the pinnacle of Hendrix’s career, describing the track as:

the premiere example of [his] unparalleled genius as a rock guitarist…In this performance, Jimi transcended the medium of rock music, and set an entirely new standard for the potential of electric guitar.

Jimi’s performance on this track is widely considered among the greatest electric guitar performances of all time.

Credits
Produced By
Composer
Associated Performer
Recording Engineer
Studio Personnel
Lead guitar
Drums and Percussion
Bass Guitar
Recorded At
Fillmore East, New York, NY
Release Date
March 25, 1970
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