Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition, 1968

 
 

(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in)

I woke up this mornin' with the sundown shinin' in
I found my mind in a brown paper bag but then
I tripped on a cloud and fell-a eight miles high
I tore my mind on a jagged sky
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in)

I pushed my soul in a deep dark hole and then I followed it in
I watched myself crawlin' out as I was a-crawlin' in
I got up so tight I couldn't unwind
I saw so much I broke my mind
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

(Yeah, yeah, oh-yeah, what condition my condition was in)

Someone painted "April Fool" in big black
letters on a "Dead End" sign
I had my foot on the gas as I left the road and blew out my mind
Eight miles outta Memphis and I got no spare
Eight miles straight up downtown somewhere
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

I said I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

Yeah yeah oh-yeah

 
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Formed in 1967, The First Edition consisted mostly of ex-band members from the New Christy Minstrels. With the addition of Kenny Rogers, the band recorded their monster hit, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In). The song was written by outlaw country singer Mickey Newbury, and was intended as a warning about the dangers of LSD. Being one of the first smash pop-psychedelic hits made the song notable, but The First Edition recorded mostly Country songs, making Just Dropped In even more unusual. The weird sounding intro has nothing to do with synthesizers, by the way - a guitar riff was simply recorded, and then played backwards.

This was the first record I ever bought. Seeing the Reprise logo on the top left brings back vivid memories of carefully taking the vinyl disk out of its paper sleeve, and snapping in the bright yellow adapter to make it fit the turntable. I'm sure this "45" cost me less than a dollar, but I'm pretty sure I had no idea what LSD was all about - I just thought the song was groovy...

After this 1968 release, The First Edition were re-named Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (and yes, he's the Kenny Rogers who went to country super-stardom with The Gambler and Coward of the County). As a band, the First Edition had a few more hits, but nothing to compare to Kenny Rogers' solo career in 1975.

I just wish I had kept that record!