Iron Butterfly’s 1968 hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is a simple, somewhat nonsensical, and exhausting tune. Clocking in at just over 17 minutes, it has just one verse and chorus, with only nine lines of lyrics for the whole song. The vast majority of the track consists of longwinded guitar, drum, and organ solos. Yet, the song’s catchy, hypnotic bass line and mysterious title have made it both a signature anthem of the psychedelic era and Iron Butterfly’s only hit single. The article How...
