I recently rediscovered the folk singer John Martyn and his signature song Solid air. John Martyn wrote Solid air for his friend and peer Nick Drake, who was suffering from severe depression at the time. Drake smoked a lot of hash, „an unbelievable amount“ according to his arranger Robert Kirby.
The term „solid air“ might easily refer to the blue swirls of dense smoke of hash that Drake was inhaling, staying in the haze of a smoke filled room or being so sensitised by the psychedelic components of the hash that he would feel even the pressure of air on the body.
As Nick Drake was also very withdrawn, living with his parents and exhibiting “the first signs of psychosis“, I imagine that „solid air“ might also refer to Drake’s state of isolation, the air literally neither flowing easily inside of him nor with other people. And that John Martyn is expressing his solidarity to Nick Drake „And I can be your friend/I can follow you anywhere/Even through solid air“.
These are just my musings about „Solid air“. John Martyn himself said that the song „was done right with very clear motives… It has got a very simple message, but you’ll have to work that one out for yourself.”
„Solid air
You’ve been taking your time
And you’ve been living on solid air
You’ve been walking the line
And you’ve been living on solid air
Don’t know what’s going ’round inside
And I can tell you that it’s hard to hide
When you’re living on solid air
And you’ve been painting the blues
And you’ve been looking through solid air
You’ve been seeing it through
And you’ve been looking through solid air
Don’t know what’s going ’round in your mind
And I can tell you don’t like what you find
When you’re moving through solid air, solid air
I know you, I love you
And I can be your friend
I can follow you anywhere
Even through solid air
You’ve been stoning it cold
You’ve been living on solid air
You’ve been finding it cold
You’ve been living on solid air
I don’t know what’s going on inside
I can tell you that it’s hard to hide
When you’re living on solid air, solid air
You’ve been getting too deep
You’ve been living on solid air
You’ve been missing your sleep
you’ve been moving through solid air
I don’t know what’s going on in your mind
But I know you don’t like what you find
When you’re moving through solid air, solid air
I know you, I love you
I will be your friend
I will follow you anywhere
Even through solid air
You’ve been walking your line
You’ve been walking on solid air
You’ve been taking your time
‘Cause you’ve been walking on solid air
Don’t know what’s going on inside
But I can tell you that it’s hard to hide
When you’re living on solid air, solid air
You’ve been painting the blues
You’ve been living on solid air
And you’ve been seeing it through
And you’ve been looking through solid air
I don’t know what’s going in your mind
But I can tell you don’t like what you find
When you’re living through solid air, solid air
I know you, I love you
And I can be your friend
I can follow you anywhere
Even through solid air
Icy blue solid air
Blue solid air“