When people talk about Jimi Hendrix, they usually go straight for the pyrotechnics. They talk about the teeth-picking solos, the burning Stratocaster at Monterey, or the feedback-drenched "Star Spangled Banner." But honestly? If you want to understand the man behind the Marshall stacks, you have to listen to the quiet stuff. Specifically, you need to listen to May This Be Love.
It’s tucked away on Are You Experienced, his 1967 debut. It isn't a "Purple Haze" or a "Foxey Lady." It doesn't demand your attention with a crashing riff. Instead, it drifts in like a morning fog. Often called "Waterfall" in early studio logs, this track is basically a three-minute masterclass in Hendrix’s "gentle side."
The Olympic Studios Session
The song was recorded at Olympic Studios in London on April 3, 1967. This was a busy day for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. They were finishing up "Highway Chile" and starting "Are You Experienced?" (the title track). But in the middle of that chaos, they captured this.
Mitch Mitchell starts the song with these rolling, almost tribal drum fills. They aren’t aggressive; they feel more like a pulse. Then Hendrix enters with a guitar tone that sounds like liquid. There’s a lot of debate among gearheads about how he got that sound, but a lot of it comes down to his volume knob. By rolling back the volume on his guitar but keeping the amp hot, he found that "glassy" texture that defines the track.
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The session was engineered by the legendary Eddie Kramer. He and Jimi were like two kids in a sandbox with the stereo panning. If you listen with headphones, you’ll notice the guitar solo doesn’t just sit in the middle. It moves. It swirls around your head. At the time, this was radical.
What is the Waterfall?
Lyrically, the song is a bit of a mystery. Jimi sings: “Waterfall, nothing can harm me at all. My worries seem so very small, with my waterfall.” Some folks think it’s a drug song. In the late '60s, everything was interpreted through the lens of LSD. The "rainbow calling" and "misty breeze" certainly fit that vibe. But others, including those close to him, suggest a more personal root. Jimi had a notoriously difficult childhood in Seattle. His mother, Lucille, passed away when he was young, and his home life was often volatile.
Music was his sanctuary.
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When he sings about "daydreaming" being for "lazy-minded fools," he’s pushing back against the critics and the "straight" world that didn't understand him. To Jimi, the "Waterfall" wasn't just a place; it was a state of mind. It was the peace he found when he plugged in.
The Technical Magic Nobody Talks About
Most people miss how complicated the bass and drum interaction is here. Noel Redding usually gets a hard time for being a "frustrated guitar player" playing bass, but on May This Be Love, he stays out of the way. He provides a thumping, melodic anchor that lets Mitch Mitchell play those busy, jazz-inflected fills.
The solo is where the real "expert" stuff happens.
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- Scale Choice: Hendrix leans into the E and A major pentatonic scales.
- The Tone: It’s heavily processed with reverb and delay, which was expensive and difficult to do in 1967.
- The Vibe: It sounds "backwards," even though it isn't. He’s just playing with such a soft attack that the notes bloom rather than strike.
Musicologists like Dave Whitehill have noted that this "pastoral" setting was Hendrix’s way of showing he wasn't just a blues-shouter. He was a composer. He was painting pictures with sound.
Why It Still Hits Today
There is a reason why artists like Emmylou Harris and Roberta Flack have covered this song. It has a soul that transcends the "psychedelic rock" label. It’s a love song, but it isn't necessarily about a person. It’s about the feeling of being protected.
In a world that feels increasingly loud and chaotic, "May This Be Love" is a retreat. It’s a reminder that Hendrix’s true genius wasn't just in how fast he could play, but in how much space he was willing to leave between the notes.
Actionable Insights for Hendrix Fans
- Listen to the "West Coast Seattle Boy" version: If you think you know the song, go find the outtake on this box set. It’s an alternate mix that highlights different guitar layers and gives you a better look at how the track was constructed.
- Check the Stereo Pan: Seriously, put on a high-quality pair of headphones. Notice how the guitar solo "travels" from left to right. It’s one of the earliest and best examples of using the studio as an instrument itself.
- Explore the "Gentle Jimi" Playlist: If you love this vibe, move on to "Little Wing," "Drifting," and "One Rainy Wish." These tracks form the "soul-ballad" backbone of his discography that often gets overshadowed by "All Along the Watchtower."
- Try the Volume Roll-Off: If you’re a guitar player, try to replicate the tone by cranking a tube amp and then rolling your guitar’s volume back to 3 or 4. It cleans up the signal but keeps the sustain—that’s the secret sauce of the "Waterfall" sound.
The song proves that even the loudest man in rock and roll needed a place to hide every once in a while. And lucky for us, he left the door open.