‘Eight Miles High’: Who really wrote The Byrds’ hit song?
In 1966, rock music was evolving at a rapid pace. Amid this musical revolution emerged a song that would become a symbol of psychedelic exploration and musical innovation: ‘Eight Miles High’ by The Byrds.
Drawing inspiration from the evocative sounds of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and the freeform jazz of saxophonist John Coltrane, ‘Eight Miles High’ was a groundbreaking force in shaping the realms of psychedelia and raga-rock. Many deem this track not only the first archetype of psychedelic rock but also a timeless masterpiece emblematic of the countercultural movement of its era.
The genesis of the song arrived after David Crosby, one of the first American rock musicians to embrace the skills of Shankar, became determined to get ahead of the curve with raga-rock.
Collaborating with his Byrds companions, Crosby contributed to the creation of ‘Eight Miles High’, blending the band’s recognisable folk-rock essence with vivid Indian influences, psychedelic nuances, and hints of jazz improvisation.
When it came to the meaning behind the song, the narrative often conveyed by the band suggested it was inspired by a conversation between Gene Clark and Jim McGuinn during a flight. Allegedly, Clark inquired about their altitude, and McGuinn responded with “six miles”, altering it to “eight” for the song’s lyrical purposes. However, this account was likely a diversion tactic to deflect from the song’s perceived drug references.
During that period, the band was known to indulge in various substances, including LSD, a probable source of inspiration for the song. “Well, it was done on an aeroplane ride to England and back,” McQuinn explained in 2016. “I’m not denying that the Byrds did drugs at that point – we smoked marijuana – but it wasn’t really about that.”
The song also maintains a sense of mystery regarding who actually wrote it. The songwriting credits attribute the track to Clark, Crosby, and McGuinn, yet Clark contradicts this in his book Echoes. According to Clark, he crafted the song single-handedly, with Crosby contributing one pivotal line, while McGuinn assisted in arranging the track, aided by Crosby.
McQuinn later denied this, however, stating: “Not true! The whole theme was my idea… Gene would never have written a song about flying. I came up with the line, ‘Six miles high and when you touch down.’ We later changed that to Eight because of the Beatles song ‘Eight Days a Week.’ I came up with several other lines as well. And what would the song be without the Rickenbacker 12-string breaks?”
