Proof Through the Night: Jimi at Woodstock 40 Years Later

Forty years ago today, Jimi Hendrix closed the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival at sunrise with a set that included his epic version of Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” It’s probably the most inspired choice cover tune in rock history.

It would be easy to dismiss Hendrix’s version as an overdriven freakshow flight of fancy, but the passion that comes through in his playing is unmistakable. Equally hard to miss are the sonic references to the Vietnam War – once he hits that amazing note a minute in, it sounds more like a full-blown air raid than a guitar solo. (And before you dismiss Jimi as a Commi, note that he spent a year as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, though he did get booted.)

Bob Dylan, who Jimi idolized, hears deeply personal things in “Star-Spangled Banner” as spoken by Jeff Bridges’ character in Dylan’s unusual but fascinating 2003 film Masked and Anonymous:

“Playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” through two lousy speakers to a half a million people in the mud? Oooh, what a cry that was. Cry forlorn. Man, it was a desperate cry of freedom up there with that screaming guitar… Now what was that all about, huh? Revolution? I don’t think so. You could hear tears, in every note he played, sayin’, love me. Love me. I’m not a traitor – I’m a native son! He took the glorious anthem, he dropped drug bombs on it. You could hear that cry around the world, saying, Hey! I’m an American citizen. He was calling out to his forefathers, the Pilgrims, the Pilgrims!”


If you think watching Jimi do his thing is surreal, here he is talking about it with Dick Cavett.