ted that it was released as a single. “See, that LP was in certain ways of thinking. ...They always take out the wrong ones. You find yourself almost running away. People, they don’t give me inspiration except bad inspiration, to write songs like “Crosstown Traffic,” ‘cause that’s the way they put themselves in front of me, the way they present themselves,” Hendrix said (Fairchild, “Electric Ladyland” 9). Despite Hendrix’ aversion to the commercialization of “Crosstown Traffic,” he must have been happy that his single of “All Along the Watchtower” was The Experience’s most popular U.S. single ever (Murray 51). “All Along the Watchtower” was written by Bob Dylan, about whom Hendrix said: “Sometimes I do a Dylan song and it seems to fit me so right that I figure maybe I wrote it. I felt like “Watchtower” was something I’d written but could never get together. I often feel that way about Dylan” (Fairchild, “Electric Ladyland 20). “All Along the Watchtower” is a protest song, pure and simple. During this period of the late 1960’s, music had become a popular medium for protest against the Vietnam War, the draft, and the government in general. Hendrix recorded “All Along the Watchtower” after a period in 1967 in which he wore a military jacket to all of is performances (Fairchild, “Electric Ladyland” 3). The military jacket represented both Hendrix’ support of soldiers in the then on-going Vietnam War, and served as a type of protest against the war. “Come On,” another cover, this time from Earl King, was included on Electric Ladyland and was inspired by five days of anti-Vietnam protesting and rioting in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention (Fairchild, “Electric Ladyland” 12-13). Despite those tracks, Electric Ladyland al...
