Meaning of the song voodoo child

[Batman]

For Voodoo Child (slight return) by Jimi Hendrix, the lyrics are pretty weird. They are things like "I stand up next to a mountain, and chop it down with the edge of my hand." He also says "I make up all the pieces and make an island. Maybe I'll raise a little sand. Cause Im a voodoo child! God knows Im a voodoo child!" What do these lyrics mean? ::

[_Jayson_]

Ive done a lot of research on this song, and I still havent figured out the meaning of it. I guess for this one it's a matter of personal opinion. So, IMO, It sounds like the time when the world is being created. Then when he says "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"

It sounds like he's talking to a girl or wife.

[Guest]

To throw a curve ball into this equation; what is the difference between Voodo Child, and Voodo Chile? Both covered by Stevie Ray Vahaughn and Jimmy Hendrix, and who knows how many others and with which title?

[_Jayson_]

Hmm, well to try to hit this curveball...

I think Voodoo Chile is a lot longer, slower, and has more of a blues sound to it. Rather than Voodoo Child(slight return)

The Stevie Ray Vaughan cover is amazing. Sounds an incredibly lot like Jimi Hendrix's version. But of course Stevie adds his own things to it.

I think Steve Vai and Joe Satriani covered this on their G3 tour. I think either Yngwie Malmsteen or George Lynch joined them on this one.

Even I , with my measly recording technology, have covered this song.( not on a cd or anything)

:guitar:

[Guest]

This is only a guess, but I think the song is about...

A homeless child. Given away at a very young age. Taken in by the blues, and jamin with them. Overcoming adversity, and makeing something great out of it. (Stevie Ray, and Jimmy's connection!! :guitar:

[MuzikTyme]

A lot can be interpreted from this song. One thing for sure, it's hard to get into the mind of one so gifted, especially when their mind has been altered by drugs.

The "mountain" could be society/audience and the "edge of his hand" could be his expertise with the guitar.

You have to admit, the edge of his hand, as well as the rest of it, could tear a "mountain" down.

Jimi was a humble spirit who was taken advantage of by many "so-called-friends." I don't think he ever had the time to realize just how great he was.

He was the voodoo chile, one who inspired many, not unlike a voodoo doll. Only difference being the edge of his hand was the needle that many followed that to this day can still feel it's prick.

[Batman]

I JUST FIGURED IT OUT! I CRACKED THE CASE!

I read in Rolling Stone "the Immortals" and Little Richard says that rock n roll used was called voodoo music (why it was called this, i can only speculate. I think its because it caused kids to go crazy or that rock could do anything it wanted to them).

So when Jimi says he is a voodoo child, he means he was brought up on Rock n Roll.

When he says he stands up next to a mountain and chops it down with the edge of his hand, and when he talks about making an island and raising sand, he is talking about creating a new world with rock. This is also shown when he says "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" he is talking about the new world of Rock (like a new kind of rock). A bit confusing but oh well. When he says "didn't mean to take up all your sweet time, I'll give it right back to you, one of these days" he might be apologising to parents with sons/daughters who listen to rock. The time they spend with their kids is being taken away. And he also says at the end, that he doesn't take no for an answer, so kind of like he is going to make this music whether you like it or not.

Its a cool song!

[bss217]

Well one thing we know what he meant when he said stand at the mountain and chop it down with the edge of my hand, his guitar is sometimes called an axe and ever hear the term played some great chops. Standing at the edge of rock and roll and tear it down means he's going to change it forever. Then he's referring to when he dies I'll meet u don't be late. Don't mean to take up ur sweet time I'll give it back one of these days, means he's just getting started with these songs he played he really didn't care for but in time I'll show the world things they won't believe. Just my opinion, I can't speak for Jimi Hendrix but maybe some of its right 

Edited March 16, 2016 by bss217
Grammar

[coffeegod]

My take on the "WTF is she/he talking about in this song" genre is it means what it means.  This attitude has, however, backfired on me.  Case in point, "Cecilia" - Simon and Garfunkle.  I was in the car with my mom (years ago).  The song came on (remember when radio played S&G?)  She turned to me with a VERY shocked look on her face.  "That girl's a SLUT!"

[Otokichi]

Way back in the Psychedelic era, if you wanted to make a STATEMENT, you came up with larger-than-life lyrics for the fans to enjoy, critics to puzzle over, and enrage The Man. For an electric guitar surfer like Jimi Hendrix, doing "the master or space and time" thing, was second nature. See what Kenny Rogers & The First Edition started with (Just Dropped In) To See What Condition My Condition Was In? It was amazing what musicians and plain folks did/took to get high, be it substance or language experiments. (But hey, I only recall some of that stuff because I didn't to pharmaceuticals.;)

What brought this on? I was summoned for jury duty today, which led to a slog through early morning traffic on an empty stomach. Then there was the trial of jury selection, where potential jurors presented the most interesting reasons/philosophies to get an excused-from-duty slip. As for me, the drama and ennui reminded me of the 1960's military draft blues, as person after person around me was selected by lot. Since there were two defendants, we of the jury pool had to listen to three lawyers question each candidate about following the judge's directions, punitive damages, proving civil liability, etc.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Otokichi
Pardon my "Rolling Stone" magazine parody...

[bss217]

I wish I had never commented on this site. These commenters have no idea what they are talking about. I got my information from an article in a magazine about Jimi Hendrix on most of what I wrote the other part was from me but others are just commenting just to comment having no idea what they are talking about. Please take me off this forum 

[snowyd]

"standing next to the mountain & chopping down with the edge of my hand" refers to the "Denny Regrade" in Seattle in the early 1900's, a major re-shaping of the Seattle downtown area!

[Carl]

Interesting. That city has had some major restructuring. I think the monorail is still there.

[axeoholic]

Since this was  the sixties and since I was a teenager in the 70's , I just naturally assumed the standing next to the mountain and chop it down with the edge of my hand was a drug metaphor.  I know the movie came later, but every time I hear these lyrics, I think about the movie Scarface and where Al Pacino has a mountain of coke on his desk/table.  If I remember correctly , he takes the side of his hand and uses it to chop a huge line to  snort, not bothering with a razor blade or credit card. Maybe it's my 70's jaded memories, but that's what I think about.

[Darren]

This song is not about Jimmy talking to a chick. its about God talking to jimmy! God is is telling him to stand up next to a mountain and chop it down with the back of gods hand this tells us all that we are here to do Gods work, not to get free ******* and party! God then tells Jimmy when he is no longer  of use to him, to meet him on the other side and dont be late. This tells us that when we are done serving gods purpose on this side he has more work for us on the other side and dont be late. This is also when god says facetiously that he we give us back all of our sweet time.  We are here to serve god and nothing else.