Third Week in the Chelsea

Album: Bark (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen wrote this song, which is about the band's stay in New York City's Chelsea Hotel. Bassist Jack Casady recalled to Uncut magazine: "That's the story of us all spending three weeks in the Chelsea Hotel, and coming to grips with the weight of all those years there'd been, and how we had all been at it non-stop since 1965. I mean, every day."
  • The Chelsea Hotel has been immortalized in several other songs over the years. They include Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2," where the Canadian describes meeting a famous singer in one its elevators that led to a sexual encounter and Bob Dylan's "Sara" in which he reveals that he was, "Stayin' up for days in the Chelsea Hotel writin' 'Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands' for you."
  • Will Scarlett, formerly of Jefferson Airplane spin-off Hot Tuna, guested on harmonica.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Billy Gould of Faith No More

Billy Gould of Faith No MoreSongwriter Interviews

Faith No More's bassist, Billy Gould, chats to us about his two new experimental projects, The Talking Book and House of Hayduk, and also shares some stories from the FNM days.

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.