Pop Song 405 of 500 'Hey Joe' Jimi Hendrix's version 1966

Pop Song 405 of 500 'Hey Joe' Jimi Hendrix's version 1966

"Hey Joe" is an American song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooting his unfaithful wife.

The authorship of the song has been contested, and different recordings have credited its writing to either Billy Roberts or Dino Valenti, or have listed it as a traditional song. "Hey Joe" was registered for copyright in the US in 1962 by Billy Roberts, a California-based folk musician. Scottish folk singer Len Partridge has claimed that he helped write the song with Roberts when they both performed in clubs in Edinburgh in 1956.[3] Roberts may have drawn inspiration for "Hey Joe" from three earlier works: the song "Baby, Please Don’t Go to Town" written by his girlfriend Niela Horn (later Miller), which uses a similar chord progression based on the circle of fifths; Carl Smith's 1953 US country hit "Hey Joe!" (written by Boudleaux Bryant), which shared the title and the "questioning" format; and the early 20th century traditional ballad "Little Sadie", which tells of a man on the run after he has shot his wife. Niela Horn Miller's song "Baby Don't Go to Town" was recorded as a demo tape in 1962, but was not released until 2009 when it appeared on her album Songs of Leaving.

Billy Roberts performed "Hey Joe" regularly in the late 1950s and early 1960s, without copyrighting it, and some other performers including Pete Seeger recognised that it had been developed from Niela Miller's song

Hey Joe
Where you going with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe
I said, where you going with that gun in your hand?
I'm going down to shoot my old lady
You know, I caught her messing around with another man
I'm going down to shoot my old lady
You know, I caught her messing around with another man
And that ain't too cool
Hey Joe
I heard you shot your woman down
You shot her down, now
Hey Joe
I heard you shot your old lady down
You shot her down to the ground
Yeah
Yes I did, I shot her
You know, I caught her messing around, messing around town
Yes I did, I shot her
You know, I caught my old lady messing around town
And I gave her the gun
I shot her!
Hey Joe (said now)
Where you going to run to now?
Where you going to run to?
Hey Joe (I said)
Where you going to run to now?
Where you, where you going to go?
Well, dig it
I'm going way down south
Way down to Mexico way
Alright
I'm going way down south
Way down where I can be free
There's no one going to find me
Ain't no hangman going to
He ain't gonna put a rope around me
You better believe it right now
I got to go now
Hey Joe
You better run on down
Goodbye everybody, ow!
Hey Joe, uh
Run on down