 " Eight Miles High " is a song by the American rock band the Byrds , written by Gene Clark , Jim McGuinn ( a.k.a. Roger McGuinn ) , and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14 , 1966 ( see 1966 in music ) . Musically influenced by Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane , " Eight Miles High " , along with its McGuinn and Crosby @-@ penned B @-@ side " Why " , was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelic rock , raga rock , and psychedelic pop . Accordingly , critics often cite " Eight Miles High " as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song , as well as a classic of the counterculture era . 
