Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil

Jefferson Airplane

About Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil

"The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane. Written by Paul Kantner, the song initially appeared as an RCA Victor single, and then subsequently as the first track of their third album, After Bathing at Baxter's, in a substantially remixed version. The title of the song refers to Winnie the Pooh as well as the folk singer Fred Neil. Parts of the lyric are taken from A. A. Milne's first book of children's poetry, When We Were Very Young. The first four lines of both the first and last verses are taken almost word-for-word from the poem "Spring Morning" in the book. Another source was the Milne poem "Halfway Down", the origin of the third verse's lines "Halfway down the stair / Is a stair where I sit". Neil was a big influence on Paul Kantner, as were Milne's books. Mojo described "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" as a "robust harmony-drenched anthem" that was central to After Bathing at Baxter's. Live versions of the song typically began with an extended feedback segment by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and included a bass guitar solo by Jack Casady after the second verse, often lasting several minutes. Both features are included in very abbreviated form on the studio recording. 


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If you were a bird and you lived very high,
You'd lean on the wind when the breeze came by,
You'd say to the wind as it took you away,
That's where I wanted to go today"
And I do know that I need to have you around
Love like a mountain springtime,
flashing through the rivers of my mind;
it's what I feel for you.
You and me go walking south
And we see all the world around us,
The colors blind my eyes and my mind to all but you,
And I do know that I need to have you around,
And I do, I do know that I need to have you around.
I have a house where I can go
When there's too many people around me;
I can sit and watch all the people
Down below goin' by me;
Halfway down the stair is a stair
Where I sit and think about you and me;
But I wonder will the sun still see all the people goin' by.
Will the moon still hang in the sky when I die,
When I die, when I'm high, when I die?
If you were a cloud and you sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air,
You'd see me here in the fields and say,
"Doesn't the sky look green today?"

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Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success. more »

6 fans

Written by: Paul Kantner

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Band Origin
"Ballard of You and Me and Pooneil" is by the American rock band, Jefferson Airplane. Jefferson Airplane was one of the pioneering bands of the psychedelic rock movement in the 1960's.
Album Release
The song was released on the band's 1967 album, "After Bathing at Baxter's." This album marked an important shift from the band's earlier folk rock sound to a more experimental approach.
Lead Singer
Grace Slick, one of the lead singers of Jefferson Airplane, features prominently on "Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil." Slick is renowned in rock history for her bold voice and charisma.
Song Title
The title of the song is a mashup of Winnie the Pooh and American folk icon, Neil Cassidy, who was a major figure in the Beat Generation and a close friend of some band members.
Lyrical Content
Lyrically, the song explores concepts of individuality, freedom, and the illusion of reality — common themes of the psychedelic counterculture of the time.
Live Performances
"Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" was frequently played in Jefferson Airplane's live performances, and is considered one of their classic songs.
Video Release
A music video was released for the song, which was unusual for the time. The video was filmed on top of a New York City building and included footage from their rooftop performance as well as shots of the band in San Francisco.
Music Style
Musically, the song mixes elements of psychedelic rock with a more traditional folk melody, creating a unique sound that was representative of Jefferson Airplane's artists style.
Chart Performance
Despite its popularity in live shows, "Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" did not perform as well on the charts as some of Jefferson Airplane's other songs. Nonetheless, it remains a fan favorite due to its innovative sound and lyrical depth.
Legacy
Today, the song is often cited as one of the best examples of Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic sound and countercultural philosophy.

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