Two riders were approaching/
And the wind began to howl.
Two outcasts—the Joker and the Thief—are riding towards a castle and they hear a howl behind them in Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower”. They start bitching about how rich men drink all the wine and take the land and all were liars. They say we’ve both been through that, but things are going to change for us. And they approach a lightly guarded castle intending to change their fortunes.
This is probably the greatest cover of all-time. Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” was okay; Hendrix is transcendent. It sounds like a different song. This is highlighted by the guitar playing. The song has a great intro, great riffs and incredible solos.
The most impressive aspect is how Hendrix plays the riffs throughout while singing. It is so difficult to do both at the same time. It is not the same as playing rhythm guitar and singing at the same time. The Jimi Hendrix band also performs admirably in this song. They don’t get the credit they deserve. Jimi was just so amazing that it is easy to overlook his skilled bandmates.
This song is difficult to understand–even by Dylan standards, but I think the hint is in the following lines that finish the song:
Two riders were approaching/
And the wind began to howl.
If you put start the song with these two lines in mind, the song makes more sense.
All Along The Watchtower Lyrics
“There must be some kind of way outta here”,
Said the joker to the thief.
There’s too much confusion.
I can’t get no relief.
Business men, they drink my wine,
Plowmen dig my earth.
None will level on the line,
Nobody offered his word.
“No reason to get excited”,
The thief, he kindly spoke.
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke.
But, uh, but you and I, we’ve been through that,
And this is not our fate.
So let us stop talkin’ falsely now,
The hour’s getting late.
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too.
Well, uh, outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching,
And the wind began to howl.
