Patti Smith’s ode to Jimi Hendrix: “He was a wonderful poet”
It still surprises people that Jimi Hendrix only spent around four years of his life as a mainstream artist. To have the public’s attention for just four years and still be considered one of the greatest guitarists to ever live over five decades later is a testament to the talent that he was. This is recognised as much by musicians today as it was back when Hendrix first started out. One artist who continues to hold him as an inspiration is none other than Patti Smith.
It could be argued that nobody represents the intertwining of music and poetry better than Patti Smith does. Her lyrics are not only some of the best to be committed to the page, but her books that outline a love for music, creativity, and the people she has met in the pursuit of both are considered as classic as her albums.
During an interview with Forbes, Smith recalled first meeting Hendrix and the love he had for poetry. “I got to talk to him once about 50 years ago. And for a young girl he was everything you would want in your rock and roll star,” she said, “[He] loved poetry. He often spoke not in the most favourable way about his poetry. He didn’t think he was the greatest writer. He really admired Bob Dylan, but he was a wonderful poet.”
It’s true that Hendrix’s legacy is one that revolves more around his guitar-playing ability over his lyrical capacity, but Smith is correct when she holds him in high regard for what he wrote. Hendrix’s lyrics sounded profound in a way that sounded like a true poet’s work, but they still remained accessible enough for audiences to connect with. Smith picks out two songs in particular, “’Moon, Turn The Tides’ and ‘1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)’, any of his lyrics on that album,” she said. “They have such universal appeal. You have a sense of a mirror of our world at the time, but also expanding into the future.”
Smith was so inspired by Hendrix that on the anniversary of his death, she decided to reuse his lyrics from one of her favourite songs, an ode to one of the greatest musicians the world has ever seen. The track Elegie is somewhat haunting, with Patti Smith’s emotive vocals and stellar songwriting ability taking centre stage alongside a piano mirroring her vocal melody and a descending guitar solo providing an atmospheric backdrop.
The song was recorded on September 18th, 1975, five years after Hendrix passed away. “The last lines,” she said, “’I think it’s sad, just too bad, that all our friends can’t be with us today’ – are borrowed from ‘1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)’. I didn’t think Jimi would mind!”
It’s hard to imagine how Jimi Hendrix would perceive his continued success and acknowledgement as a great so long after his passing. He was always quite humble, almost looking embarrassed when people complimented him. During an interview on The Dick Cavett Show, when the host referred to him as one of the best guitar players in the world, he laughed it off and replied: “How about the best sitting in this chair?”
Despite it being tough to know how Hendrix would react to modern music’s continued love for him though, there is no doubt he would be happy to have a wordsmith like Patti Smith pay homage to him in a song as beautiful as Elegie.
