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"1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" (also known as "1983") is a song by English/American psychedelic rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience, featured on their 1968 third studio album Electric Ladyland. Often recognised as one of the most psychedelic songs written by Jimi Hendrix, "1983" is also the second longest song by the band, surpassed only by the fifteen-minute "Voodoo Chile." The song features Jimi Hendrix on multiple guitars, bass and vocals, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and Chris Wood on flute. Various sound effect overdubs were also added.

"1983" details a science fiction scenario of an apocalyptic war and the protagonist/Hendrix' desire to "take our last walk through the noise to the sea" with his female companion in order to escape the destruction.^[1] The song segues into "Moon, Turn the Tides...Gently Gently Away", which represents their descent together into the ocean depths.^[2] By some, "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" is considered Jimi Hendrix's most philosophical and political song. The lyric of the song talks about a man who awakes and says "hurray" from waking up from yesterday. His aim is to be a Merman. For Jimi, a Merman is somebody who walks away from war and oppression and does what the government had told him was against God and the king (meaning the president). Man has been told that he can't live underwater. He can't be against God (meaning the powers that be). Jimi tells us to walk straight into the sea. 1983, the number of a section in the Civil Rights Act of 1871, gives his dream meaning. 1983 isn't a year in this case. It envisions the freedom of man especially the minority man or woman. "Straight ahead" are words that also are voiced in the song "House Burning Down" which is said to refer to the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.^[3]. Jimi asks why we are burning down our own neighbourhoods.

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