Codes and Lyrics

Depending on who you ask, this line from Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 hit “Purple Haze” is probably the most famous misunderstood lyric of all time. This is more than likely due in large part to the fact that Jimi Hendrix is widely considered to be the most popular of all ’60′s rockers. Dead or alive.

Because many people have heard the version “Excuse while I kiss this guy” in concert, they will swear up and down that this was the line in the recording. What people should do though is take the meaning on the song as a whole and see which verion makes more sense, ” Escuse me while I kiss the sky”, or “kiss this guy”.

It’s no secret at this point that because of the amount of references Jimi made to drugs in his songs, Purple Haze being no exception, “kiss the sky” makes more sense. That, and the fact that he said in an interview once that the song was inspired by a dream in which he was underwater. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t the type of artist who wrote extensively about or exuded sexuality in his songs and concerts. Maybe the people who hear “kiss this guy” when they hear the song wish that he had?