"Dolly Dagger" is a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix. On October 9, 1971, it was released on the posthumous album '' Rainbow Bridge'', followed by a single on October 23. Backed with a multi-tracked studio solo rendition of the " Star Spangled Banner", the single peaked at number 74 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streamin ...

, making it the last Hendrix single to appear on the main ''Billboard'' chart.

Lyrics

Biographers consider the song to be written about Hendrix's girlfriend Devon Wilson, with the song's name referencing her "concurrent relationship with

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

". The lyrics "she drinks her blood from a jagged edge" refer to a "party where Mick Jagger cut his finger, Wilson elbowed her way in to suck the blood off as Hendrix watched".

Performances and releases

The '' Rainbow Bridge'' album was used to fulfill manager

Michael Jeffery Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, (12 December 1937 – 18 December 2020) was a senior Australian Army officer and vice-regal representative. He was the 28th governor of Western Australia from 1993 to 2000, and the 24th governor-general o ...

's obligation to give Reprise Records a soundtrack album for the film '' Rainbow Bridge''. Although labeled "Original Soundtrack", the album did not feature any music performed in the original film. However, most of the tracks on the album were used as incidental music for the film. In 2020, the songs Hendrix performed during the filming were released on the two-CD set '' Live in Maui'', including "Dolly Dagger", which opened the second set. Between July and September 1970, Hendrix occasionally played "Dolly Dagger" during

The Cry of Love Tour The Cry of Love Tour was a 1970 concert tour by American rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix. It began on April 25, 1970, at the Forum in Inglewood, California, and ended on September 6, 1970, at the Love & Peace Festival in Fehmarn, West ...

. A version recorded at the

Isle of Wight Festival 1970 The Isle of Wight Festival 1970 was a music festival held between 26 and 31 August 1970 at Afton Down, an area on the western side of the Isle of Wight in England. It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the islan ...

was included on '' Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight'' album and DVD. In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, Sean Westergaard noted that "much of the new material was under-rehearsed for a live setting, giving some of the newer songs like 'Dolly Dagger' more of a jam feel".

References

External links

Jimi Hendrix: "Dolly Dagger" on Vevo
(full song)
"Dolly Dagger": Behind the Scenes on Vevo
(Audio engineer

Eddie Kramer Edwin H. Kramer (born 19 April 1942) is a British recording producer and engineer. He has collaborated with several artists now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin ...

and others provide commentary on the recording) * {{authority control 1971 songs 1971 singles Jimi Hendrix songs Songs written by Jimi Hendrix Songs released posthumously Reprise Records singles Song recordings produced by Eddie Kramer Song recordings produced by Jimi Hendrix