Undun by The Guess Who

Album: Canned Wheat Packed By The Guess Who (1969)

Charted: 22

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Songfacts®:

Randy Bachman wrote this. He got the idea after hearing the Bob Dylan song "Ballad In Plain D" on the radio. It was a very long song, and just as Bachman was about to turn off the radio, Dylan sang the line "She came undone."
The lyrics are about a girl Bachman saw at a party who went into a coma after dropping acid.
Bachman wrote this after learning some chords from Canadian Jazz guitarist Lenny Breau.
Bachman has said this is his favorite Guess Who song.
This was released as the B-side of "Laughing." It got radio play when some disc jockeys flipped the single and played this instead, which prompted the record company to release it as an A-side 4 months later.
Quentin Tarantino used this in his movie Jackie Brown. It is used in the scene where Bridget Fonda and Robert DeNiro have a fight while this plays in the background.
Bachman was influenced by an obscure Kenny Rankin song called "Soft Guitar." >>
Suggestion credit:
Barry Kesten - Bellmore, United States
Burton Cummings learned to play the flute for this song. In his old band The Deverons he played saxophone. Randy Bachman encouraged him to play the flute for some of their songs, to give them a spacier feel. Right after Randy wrote Undun, The Guess Who played a YAMAHA music store opening where they had a flute in the display case. Burton learned from the dealer that the fingering for the flute was the same as a sax (except for C), and a classic was born. >>
Suggestion credit:
Richard - Lansing, MI

Comments: 19

Victoria from Renton, U.s.a.The Guess Who got cheated out of many Grammy's and other awards in their native Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom...Worldwide. It is really sad on a lot of levels. They should be in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Everywhere). The talents that GOD Gifted Them With was Not Truly Recognized! They have a place in Heart and Mind FOREVER!!!
Rock On Guys (together or not).
Peace Out
Mike Strong from Harmony FlRandy Bachman had a video on youtube in which he shows how to play the chords for this song. In that video, he said although Lenny Breau was his teacher, he actually learned the chords from Mickey Baker Guitar instruction books.
John Cavaquinho from UsaNO! It is not about Diane Linkletter. She died after the song was released. "Too many people, not enough brains".
Barry Mclarry from Los AngelesGreat song with very sad and haunting lyrics about a young girl who experiences many disappointments in her life and “climbs a mountain far too high” (takes drugs?) to try and cope with her troubles but finds out “she couldn’t fly” and by then it was “too late, she’s gone too far”

The Guess Who wrote and performed many really good songs and Undun is one of their best IMO.
Steefe from Suburb Of DcI agree with Wayne (from PA) about the connection with the song Undun and the tragedy of Ms. Linkletter.
Seventhmist from 7th HeavenIs the title how you spell "undone" if you're high?
William Ken from NashvilleThere is a MUCH BETTER VERSION than the one listed here....check it out
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 16th 1969, the Guess Who performed "Undun" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
Just under two months later on October 12th, 1969 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #78; and on November 23rd, 1969 it peaked at #22 {for 1 week} and spent 10 weeks on the Top 100...
In their native Canada it reached #21 on the RPM 100 Singles chart, while the flip-side, "Laughing", peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on September 6th, 1969 {#10 on the Top 100}...
Between 1965 and 1974 the Canadian quintet had twenty-one songs enter the Top 100 chart; six made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "American Woman" for 3 weeks on May 3rd, 1970.
Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaA sad subject matter, but beautifully sung. . .

Here's a proposed smnooth jazz cover of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_gxQt-bhik&feature=player_embedded
Cindy from North Hollywood, Ca"Undun" was a treasure I kept wrapped in tissue as an escape route from 1969.
Guy from Benson, NcFolks, the sax flute and clarinet have SIMILAR fingerings.If you can play one then learning the others is pretty easy. The blowing techniques are pretty different, especially on the flute because you have no resistance for your air stream.
Jorge from Bronx, NyUp to this day i like the jazzy sound to this song,,and knowing the meaning,to it makes you wonder,How come i didn't guess that myself,lol
Megan from Toronto, OnWait, the saxophone and the flute have the same fingering??? So...I've been able to play the saxophone for years, without even knowing it? Damn.
Claire from Miller's, MdThe first time I heard this song was in an antique store with my dad in Westminster, MD. From that day on this has been my fav song by The Guess Who.
Oldpink from New Castle, InWonderful song, sung perfectly by Burton.
Great lyrics, too.
Roy from Granbania, MaI think the Guess Who is a pretty underrated group. Many of their songs got airplay on classic rock radio when I was younger, and I soon grew accustomed to their music (especially while riding in a car).
Wayne from Erie, PaI had always assumed the songwriter was referring to Art Linkletter's unfortunate daughter who, in the late 1960s, dropped acid, found a mountain that was far too high (a high-rise) and, believing she could fly, leaped to her death. This was a news item about six months before the appearance of the song. Coincidence, I guess. "Too many churches, not enough truth.." Eloquent, Randy.
Jezebel from Lincoln, Molol.........
Warrinder from A Town, CanadaThe line was "she was easily undone."

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