History of Hey Joe



The first time the song Hey Joe was recorded was not as the third song on the Are You Experienced Album.  In fact, this song was a very popular rock song to record and cover during the 1960’s.  The song discusses a man who has shot his girl and is running away from his old life to Mexico.  While some claim the song is a traditional folk song sung long before the sixties, it was officially copyrighted in 1962 by Billy Roberts.  The song was first largely recorded in 1965 by the Leaves and later recorded by many other bands before Hendrix recorded it for his 1967 album.  The Leaves’ version is very different from Hendrix’s however as it is upbeat, and has a more frantic and frenzied tone to it.  The lead singer often screams the lyrics making it seem as if ‘Joe’ must run immediately or else he will be caught.  The Leave’s version is a very conventional rock song.



Hendrix took the song and slowed it way down.  It has a bluesy feel and sound sad as if Jimi pities Joe’s position.  A choir-like sound is heard in the background of the song singing soft oohs-and ahhs, harmonizing throughout the song.  The intensity of the song escalates midway through leading up to Hendrix’s solo when Mitchell plays a sort of drum roll on the snare and Hendrix screams “I shot her!”   This suggests a lack of remorse from the Joe character who got caught up in his emotions and acted based on how he felt, disregarding the law.  This happened very often in the sixties as many people came out of the state of complacency and went against the rules to follow their desires.  We saw this in the Electric Kool Aid Acid tests where Ken Kesey broke the law and like Joe, fled to Mexico. 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience made Hey Joe famous as theirs was the only version that made the top forty charts.