An Iron Butterfly Also Could Die

Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt signed with Iron Butterfly in 1970, after 1969, year in which they for me define my life and change practically my destiny, was the same year of the Man on the Moon, of great imagination and social hope.

Yesterday, “Rhino”, who in 1971, formed Captain Beyond also passed sensibly away, and today in this new year of 2012, I am listening that very special psychedelic rock, with a sweet taste, and somehow its lyrics, which until this day I can't decode well but strangely they make a lot sense to me when I hear them; “ In a Dagga Da Vida Baby”, who can understand what they really mean, some screams just show off from the afterlife at any time while the melody continues; they appear voices that are from the mere twilight zone?

Besides that almost sacred rhythms define life itself to me, as the some makes me feel as if I am kissing and embracing the an eternity. Those sounds at some point always create very deep return of the same sensations, and so inside myself I sense a unique combination of stupor and amusement that fulfills my soul back to those years, the very last years of the decade of the 60s. It is in many ways a time traveling capsule. 

The 60s,a decade when many things, perhaps the best and worst things began to be seemed as possible, and somewhat this song really anticipated all that spirit, and much of what we are starting to experience over now in this brave and new world order.

I remember when I put the the special and abridged edition in that old machine; I only saw one big black vinyl sector of the 45 RPM disc, because the side had only one song that took exactly, 17:02 minutes of pure glory and was commercially reduce for consume to a mere 2:25 minutes or other more comprehensive and expensive versions that took 4:00 minutes an some more seconds. I went to the galleries of  "Jirón de la Unión" in downtown Lima in the cabinets of the record store "Héctor Rocca" and expend several hours listening to the song.  After many saving, in the firs months of the 70 at last I bought it, and then I listening together with the noise of the electric motor and the friction of the plastic with the needled or pinhead of my record player, at that moment, I was beamed up to the stars, and so  I also started to move my head heavily in unrestricted way but like a pendulum, back an forth and from one side to the other, as if I would have a big stone inside my head. It was a great ontological experience altogether!

By moving my head, I imagined all sort of geometric figures, full of colors mixed with feelings of happiness and sadness, I thought that this world was un-granular, that it was only conformed by layers of fabrics threated by different levels of energy and types of indescribable vibrations; and so I pretended that I could travel as if I were in a ship that I would have imagined somehow fabricated by the same notes of this song.  Because this song's notes sounded so harmonic with each beat of my heart, that all my being went throughout with it as traveling forever and ever without not knowing where to go or where to stop.  Well, until I heard my mom screaming, "Johnny, it is time that you turn off that apparatus!" 

Besides those almost sacred rhythms describe the ritual of life itself and make you feel as if you were kissing and embracing an eternity.  


If you pay attention to your feelings while listening to those sounds, at some point you could create, very deep inside yourself, the same combination of stupor and amusement that fulfilled my soul back in those years, at least, I do. I feel those same sensation that I felt over those very last years of the decade of the 60s.

The 60s, a decade when many things, perhaps the best and worst things began to seem possible for a lot of people in the world, and somewhat Iron Butterfly with this song really anticipated all that spring's spirit, and much of what we are just starting to experience over this brave, rare and new world order.

Now, time and again in which without also too much knowing, I have suddenly learned that an Iron Butterfly also could die.  Larry has left me as he is poised to play and fly to other and higher levels of transmigrated energy. Now he is indeed the "Captain Beyond" himself right now, no doubt about that though dude.  

Therefore, Let us continue learning, it is just an invitation, once and for all, the real meaning of this life by singing “In a Dagga Da Vida” as we should become a good Iron butterfly too, and get off of our larvae and fly to better worlds, at least for 17 or so minutes. So tight your lips and below find the lyrics of the song.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby,

don't you know that I love you?

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, honey,

don't you know that I'll always be true?

Oh, won't you come with me

and take my hand?

Oh, won't you come with me

and walk this land?

Please take my hand!

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby,

don't you know that I love you?

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, honey,

don't you know that I'll always be true?

Oh, won't you come with me

and take my hand?

Oh, won't you come with me

and walk this land?

Please take my hand!

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, baby,

don't you know that I love you?

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, honey,

don't you know that I'll always be true?

Oh, won't you come with me

and take my hand?

Oh, won't you come with me

and walk this land?

Please take my hand!and walk this land?

Please take my hand!

Last Rev. by John M. Kennedy on 1/6/2012