Re: [Harp-L] Re: "My Friend" (was: Gus)

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Randy wrote:
<Wow, I  was going to ask if anybody knew "My Friend." A guitar player I 
<was  working  with showed me the chords to that and I play it just 
<about every day on the  guitar to warm up. I vaguely remember it on one 
<of his Experience albums (I  think).  I just wasn't aware of it having 
<a harp on it. What album was this on?

The album is "Cry of Love".

I remember hearing "My Friend" for the first time and thinking that 
these lyrics are utterly bleak and lonely:

"You know that it's not easy
'Specially when your only friend
Walks, talks, looks and acts like you
And you do just the same as him"

Lyrics meant a lot to Hendrix--Dylan was one of his gods--and I think we 
can safely assume that he was telling his audience exactly how he felt. 
 The lyrics to "Castles Made of Sand," which is supposed to be 
Hendrix's favorite of his own compositions, tell a similar story of 
loneliness and disappointment.

A lot of people think wealth and fame solve all your problems.  But if 
you don't get your problems under control before you get to be wealthy 
and famous, wealth and fame can easily make your problems much, much 
worse.  Felt lonely before you were famous?  Imagine how lonely you feel 
once you can't take anyone's interest in you at face value.

In the very interesting documentary "A Film About Jimi Hendrix," Mitch 
Mitchell said emphatically that Hendrix was not in any way a naive man. 
 But it's hard not to conclude that fame didn't deliver everything he 
expected.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com
harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
Latest mp3s always at http://broadjam.com/rhunter