Hey Joe

The WORDS of this song seem misogynistic. He shoots his lady, gets no condemnation from Jimi, and he even says "shoot her one more time"!

BUT

Thhe music and the back-up singers tell the real story. Listen to the slow pace, the low rumbles, and then the fantastic solo after "I gave her the gun, I shot her". The music tells us about the gravity, the tragedy of the situation. The regret and guilt.

Notice the back up singers in the first verse sing "Ooo ooo", and in the second verse and onwards, repeatedly sing "Hey Joe". That's his conscience, and his girlfriend: he's remembering his girlfriend: he's haunted by her and what he did to her.

Then comes "Hey Joe, where you going to run to now?" There's the kicker: he can run from the law, but he can't run from his conscience, her ghost.

Listen to also to the building drums throughout the song. They also tell of the tragedy, building towards his frenzied, but ultimately fruitless escape.

Listen also to the way the lyrics are sung: hesitatingly, then with false machismo, then there's little wordless vocalisations during the solo after he shoots her that in effect says "OMG, what have I done?!".

Song interpretation involves more than just the lyrics.

I think everyone has really good theories. I Believe that Joe is a guy who is tied down by everything, especially the government and the only way he can be free is by running away. So the lyrics mean, That the "woman" is the problems and hes going to shoot "her". and then he can run away to be free.

1. the song is a cover
2. it is written and recorded originally by Billy Roberts in 1961
3. 1961 = it isnt about vietnam
4. the song is about some guy who shot his wife and is on the run from the law

This is not about Vietnam....it was an old blues song, remade by Hendrix and countless others. Matter of fact, a group called "The Leaves" released a version of it about 6 months before the Jimi Hendrix Experience did. It is a typical story-telling old blues song. It is very literal....a guy kills his wife beause he caught her cheating on him and is running from the law.

I thought this song was about a guy (Joe) who found his wife cheating on him with another man and so he shot her when he refers to shooting his "old lady" down he is refering to his wife Not very nice lyrics or meaning And what is this crap about a hidden message about Vietnam?

I really am not sure what a blues song about regretting killing your "woman" (either wife of girlfriend) has to do with a lot of the stuff people are mentioning. Basically it's the story of Joe.. he shoots his old lady down and runs off to Mexico, but he does regret doing it..

You are reading WAY to far into this song. There is no way that its about Vietnam.

No metaphors i've heard so far make any sense. Especiallly since it was written before the war. Anyone who thinks this is about vietnam is completely delusional and should shut up.

If 'I shot my old lady' means shooting down an idea, or going to war then you can interpret it to mean absolutely anything you want because that makes no freakin sense.

my gosh- that's quite violent and morbid! (still a good song- jimi is the undisputed guitar champion of the world- he plays with his teeth in this song!!

this song is about a dude who goes to shot his cheating wife