One of the most indulgent rock songs ever. It is 17:05 minutes long and has a grand total of only 30 different words in this song. You might think it has a deep, mystical meaning, but it’s really a translation error.
The title was supposed to be “In The Garden Of Eden.” Someone had written “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” possibly while stoned, on a demo copy. A record company executive saw it and decided to use it as the title.
This was written by Doug Ingle, Iron Butterfly’s vocalist, and keyboard player. His father was a church organist, which influenced the drawn-out organ riffs in this song. When he wrote the song, Doug Ingle didn’t intend for it to be over 17 minutes long, but that’s how it played out. The single was edited down to 2:52, shaving over 14 minutes off the song!
This song reached #30 in the Billboard 100 in 1968.
So… light up some incense (or whatever you want), hang up some beads and turn up In A Gadda Da Vida full blast.
From Songfacts
As for the meaning of the song, it’s just a guy affirming his love for his special girl.
Ron Bushy’s drum solo is not as long as people think; it only runs about 2 1/2 minutes, from 6:30 to a little past 9 minutes. Doug Ingle’s organ solo immediately follows.
The band’s original guitar player quit before this was recorded. He was replaced by Eric Braun, who had only played the guitar for three months.
The title loosely translates as “In The Garden Of Life.”
This was the first hit song that could be classified as “heavy metal.” The phrase was introduced that year in the Steppenwolf song “Born To Be Wild.”
Iron Butterfly would have performed this at Woodstock, but they didn’t make it because they were stuck at the airport.
Hip-hop artist Nas has two different songs that sample “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” The first is “Thief’s Theme” from his 2003 double album Street’s Disciple. The second is the title track of his 2006 album Hip-Hop is Dead. >>
Danny Weiss of Iron Butterfly was recommended to Al Kooper by David Crosby (of Crosby, Stills, & Nash), right when Kooper was forming Blood Sweat & Tears. As given in Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, “I loved the guitarist, introduced myself, and explained this concept to him. He thought it was a good idea, but insisted that he was committed to the band he was in. His name was Danny Weiss, and his band was Iron Butterfly. He left soon after we met anyway, and joined the great but doomed band Rhinoceros.”
The recording that is heard on the album was done as soundcheck filler for engineer Don Casale while the band waited for the arrival of producer Jim Hilton. However, after the rehearsal was completed it was agreed that the performance was of sufficient quality that another take wasn’t needed.
The song was used in The Simpsons episode “Bart Sells His Soul,” where Bart switches a hymn out for this song and convinces the Reverend Lovejoy it is penned by I. Ron Butterfly. The whole 17-minute version is played by the First Church of Springfield’s exhausted church organist.
In A Gadda Da Vida
In-a-gadda-da-vida honey,
Don’tcha know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida baby,
Don’tcha know that I’ll always be true?
Oh won’tcha come with me,
And take my hand?
Oh won’tcha come with me,
And walk this land?
Please take my hand…
Let me tell ya now.
In-a-gadda-da-vida honey,
Don’tcha know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida baby,
Don’tcha know that I’ll always be true?
Oh won’tcha come with me,
And take my hand?
Oh won’tcha come with me,
And walk this land?
Please take my hand…
Let me tell ya.
Two,three,four!
In-a-gadda-da-vida honey,
Don’tcha know that I love you?
In-a-gadda-da-vida baby,
Don’tcha know that I’ll always be true?
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Great post, Max. Every time I have a CRS moment, (can’t remember sh… never mind), all I can think is I need to shake out some in a gadda da vida lyrics, to make some room.
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I listened to this son everyday like everyone else, till I discovered the Cream, Led Zeppelin and Bib Brother and the Holding Company and then I put in in my oven and melted it, because I never wanted to listen to it again.
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Yea this song is a 2 or 3 times a year event for me…no more.
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definitely an intrinsic part of the ’60s music scene, if not necessarily one of the best. 17″ edited down to less than 3″ for the single -man, K-tel would be envious of that!
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LOL… I have recommended this to some bands who need to add length to their set.
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I pretty much played the grooves off this album, or at least the “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” side. The other side was pretty mediocre hard rock. I remember the liner notes said that guitarist Eric Brann was only 15 years old…
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He only had been playing for 3 months which is crazy… I have to say it’s lived on.
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This song just creeps me out. It was played in an episode of Supernatural in the first season. Every time I hear it, now, I think of that bloody scene.
Shame they didn’t make Woodstock. I don’t think Joni Mitchell did either…for nearly the same reason.
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I don’t remember the sixties but with this one I feel like I’m there.
The Simpson episode with this is great. Bart switches the organ music at church with this one.
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It would be neat if someone could make a psychedelic video that lasted as long as the song. Listening and watching together would be a trip if someone was tripping lol
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It would work that is for sure. It just keeps on going but sticks in your head
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I agree that the album is pretty weak, but the song is great, especially The Simpson’s’ scene.
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Yea I love the Simpson scene and that entire episode.
I didn’t witness the 60s but this song makes me feel like I did
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Yeah, think the Simpson’s version is the definitive one…
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Slayer also covered this song
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I will check it out
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Good post -I am one of the few people that I know of that actually likes the entire album!
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That is cool…I heard it many years ago… I don’t remember the sixties but with this…I feel like I’m there.
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That band photo is epic. So much style and so much weed.
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Oh the good ole days lol. I love those older band photos.
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Each time I listen to this song, it makes me wonder what type of acid trip was the writer on when it was written? It’s very crafty and sort of reminds me of Sunshine of Your Love.
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It had to be a long trip!
It’s one of those songs that define their era.
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It had to have been a long trip. The very definition of their era. There will never be music like that, and it’s very disheartening.
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I wasn’t aware of it when it first came out, but heard it for the first time during a totally boring family holiday (probably in the late 70s, maybe later) in a rented holiday chalet, blissfully on my own for a few hours. It was played on the radio and wow – I adored it so much when I got home I shot out and bought it! I must get the album on CD as these days I tend to play it on youtube when I want to listen to it. That said, I listen to stuff on youtube more than I do even when I have CDs of the stuff! Do you do that?
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Yes I do listen to music on Youtube a lot. It’s an easy way of accessing it and plus you get to see the band doing it… or at least lip-syncing it.
The song hooks me right in. I was born in the sixties so I don’t remember them. Certain songs make me feel as if I’m there… if that makes sense. This one is one of them and Itchycoo Park by the Small Faces.
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I heard this song played last last year with a new version of Iron Butterfly at a South Florida Hippiefest . The drum solo in this tune is legendary.
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Yes I do like the drum solo…and Ringo said he was influenced by this solo to play the one he did on Abbey Road.
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