How Would You Feel?

Words and music by Jimi Hendrix.
Recorded: Dimensional Sound Studios, New York, July/August 1967
Producer: Ed Chalpin Engineer: Unknown
Guitar, Vocals: Jimi Hendrix Drums: Curtis Knight
Notes: How would you feel was recorded in 1967 with Jimi's old group from 1965, The Jimi Hendrix Sound, and was therefore not authorized as an Experience-song.
The song is about racism. LYRICS [spoken:]
This is a song that asks a question,
and if you listen, I think you will get the message.

If you walked into a restaurant,
you were hungry,
and you had the money to get yourself something to eat.
Ye-eah.

And someone told you to go 'round to the back door and get it,
Even though he wasn't gonna give it to you free.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, tell me, how, yeah, oh,
ah, how would you feel, oh, yeah,
if you were me, oh, yeah,
how would you feel, think 'bout it now.

You take your little children by the hand,
and you wanna guide them and protect then on their very first day at school.
O yeah.
Now I just wanna ask you a question;
Do you think that all the little children should be punished
for the sins of all the older fools?

Yeah, yeah, tell me, how, yeah, oh,
ah, how would you feel, oh, yeah.
If you were me, yeah, oh.
Ah, how would you feel, think about it now.

You walk to the ?
and you stand in a place called the bus stop.
And a bus pulls up, and a man opens up the door.
He may, hah, look at you funny, but he takes the money.
And then he says:
Hey! You ain't one of us. Sit in the back of the bus!

Yeah, yeah, tell me, how, yeah, oh,
ah, how would you feel, yea, oh.
If you were me, yeah, oh.
Ah, how would you feel, oh, yeah!

You pick up the morning paper,
and you read about people fighting and dying somewhere in a foreign land.
Oh yeah.
Right here people are fighting and dying,
and all they're trying to do is get equal rights, as the constitution claims.

Now tell me, how, yeah, oh,
ah, how would you feel, oh, yeah.
If you were me, yeah, oh.
Ah, how would you feel, think about it now.
And tell me; how would you feel?

If all your little children
were trying to get into school,
to get an education,
so that they can find a great place in this wonderful nation.

If you went downtown, and people waited on you there,
and they decided to ..?.., didn't want to.
And everywhere you looked around, and all you could see were cagin' peoples eyes,
then you tryin' to ?!,
and trying to get together and live happily in happy families
in this wonderful nation.

Now tell me, how, yeah, oh,
ah, how would you feel, oh, yeah.
If you were me, yeah, oh.
Ah, how would you feel, think about it now.
And tell me; how would you feel?

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