Jimi Hendrix's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" was much more than just his interpretation of the song; it represented his interpretation of an era and the radical changes taking place in America. His version of "The Star Spangled Banner" was masterful and perfectly summed up the time and his feelings about it through the use of the electric guitar. Many considered his version to be unorthodox and radical, and his version of the song was radical for many reasons; it was a blending of war, conflict, patriotism, and feelings of fear and optimism translated beautifully into a perfect musical interpretation of the times and changes during that era. Although many Americans approved of Hendrix’s version of the song, many did not. Many Americans felt it was appalling and that he had disgracefully butchered the song. Other things that defined this song as a radical one, whether they liked or disliked it, included the fact that this was a new way of thinking about and perceiving something old and contemporary (the song being played on an electric guitar accompanied with overwhelming distortion). Another thing which was equally as radical as the never-before-heard style of play was the fact that this distorted song was being played by a black man. These factors combined to make one of the most memorable and symbolic moments in rock history from, arguably, the greatest guitar player of all time. One thing that Jimi did that really shock most of the audience was that before he started playing he told the audience "Here's a song we were all brainwashed with." He starte normally, playing through the melody twice at a normal volume and then broke into a grand song. When he sang the words " And the rockets' red glare," he used the a bar on the guitar to simulate the noise of rockets going off that departed from the melody and overwhelmed the song for a brief period before he would return to the song's melody and continue. He used this same technique with "the bombs bursting in air," only the sounds he made were that of bombs, rather than rockets. When he started into the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock, the symbolism he wanted to convey began as soon as he did. Jimi’s body language als0 said many things. Simply smiles at the beginning and a peace sign were what he did before the song and then proceeded to make history. The smile at the beginning of the song is the only one seen on his face throughout the song. Compared to his normal, flamboyant stage presence, his mood seemed somber while playing this song. His seemed to perfectly capture the feelings of Americans as the Vietnam War had seemed to drag on. He began the song happy and as it went on, he became more serious and developed a more solemn tone. Jimi Hendrix's memorable rendition of the star spangled banner was that he secured his place in history as an icon and pioneer of the era, not just in a musical sense but in a sense that his actions on the national stage led to direct and indirect change in America.