Getting High on Music — Song Lyrics About Drugs

Getting High on Music — Song Lyrics About Drugs

Drugs were a part of music culture long before rock and roll was even an embryo.  But as that embryo began growing up and experimenting with drugs, it began writing music and lyrics about them, and became closely associated with them in the public’s mind.  Sex, drugs and rock and roll—weren’t they what a musician’s life was all about?  Some rockers didn’t mince words when they wrote about drugs, while others left their lyrics open to interpretation.  Here’s a sampling of songs with lyrics describing the seductive—and destructive—power of drugs:

“Cocaine” by Eric Clapton

An obvious lyric, right?  Not quite.  Originally written and recorded by J.J. Cale in 1975, the song was hugely popularized by Eric Clapton’s cover version.  But Clapton stresses that the lyrics, “If you wanna get down, down on the ground,” are very anti-cocaine and describe its ravages.  To emphasize that point, Clapton later added the lyrics, “that dirty cocaine,” during his concerts.

“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane

This song’s music sounds trippy.  Its lyrics sound trippy.  Its vocals sound trippy.  And for a good reason:  it’s about LSD.  A Jefferson Airplane classic, its psychedelic lyrics and music were written by singer Grace Slick.  The song equates an acid trip to the hallucinatory imagery of author Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.”  When Slick sings the lyrics, “Feed your head,” she’s not exactly encouraging listeners to go to the library.

“Dancing on Glass” by Motley Crue

When it comes to drugs, Motley Crue—particularly bassist and recovering heroin addict, Nikki Sixx—aren’t shy about writing lyrics about them, or admitting they used them.  Sixx’s lyrics, “Valentine’s in London, found me in the trash,” refer to an incident in which he immediately OD’d after allowing a seedy London drug dealer to shoot him up.  The panicked dealer thought Sixx was dead, and threw him into a dumpster.  Sixx miraculously revived on Valentine’s Day, surrounded by trash.  Not exactly the same as receiving flowers and candy.

“Mr. Brownstone” by Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses is another band whose members used their bodies as chemistry labs, and lived to write lyrics and music about it.  In the song lyrics, “We’ve been dancing with Mr. Brownstone,” “brownstone” is slang for heroin.  According to guitarist Slash, he and co-guitarist Izzy Straddlin came up with the lyrics while they were complaining about being heroin addicts, and scribbled the words on a grocery bag.  He said the lyrics described a typical day in the two guitarists’ lives, at the time.

“The Needle and the Damage Done” by Neil Young

The sorrowfully sung lyrics of this classic made it a renowned anti-heroin song.  The lyrics, “I’ve seen the needle and the damage done…every junkie’s like a settin’ sun,” were about the heroin use of Young’s guitarist, Danny Whitten, who overdosed several months after the song’s release.  Young’s comment about the song lyrics was, “I am not a preacher, but drugs killed a lot of great men.”

Who knows how many amazing unsung songs and lyrics those men still had in them?

Watch the video related to music songs

loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise. Follow me at twitter.com . Video Produced by Curve Productions of Halifax, www.curveproductionsinc.com. … ” …

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You can read the music lyrics of these amazing musicians at Lyrics Bay. You can also check out the latest lyrics of the new generation of musicians.

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18 Responses to “Getting High on Music — Song Lyrics About Drugs”

  1. pravisca272yui says:

    There is no border in music.

  2. XhorRotane says:

    Absolument génial! Belle manière de commencer l’année!

  3. Kodak Moment says:

    Ooh Ooh I know If you are into alternative/rock, you should totally get Mute Math they are so awsome!

  4. sakura-xx says:

    OK WELL I HAD TO COMMENT UR AVY ITS SO KOOL I WANT IT I LOVE IT LOL

    OK WELL THERES A FEW

    peanut butter jelly time i have listned to it like 24/7

    lean like a cholo

    oh and Low

    lol

  5. BlueSoySauce says:

    HARDSTYLE!!!!!!
    im gonna say:

    1-Control the mind by Zanza Labz
    because that was the 1st hardstyle song that i heard.

    2-Angel by The Nasty Boyz
    The smooth flow of it and hard knock bass is great

    3-People Wont Like This by Citizen
    makes me want to learn jumpstyle

    4-Life Beyond Earth by Headhunterz & Wildstylez: Project 1
    1st Hardstyle album that i bought

    5-Scrap Attack by Headhunterz
    The bass line keeps you moving

  6. KarlFabulousMe says:

    I like this! its sick! lol!

  7. coicoucoicou says:

    Here are the best jazz musicians out today and some Cd's you should check out

    Dave Holland Quintet – Features the best trombonist out today Robin Eubanks and one of the best Sax players – Chris Potter

    Any Album But Prime Directive
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Prime-Directive_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ3370057

    Not for Nothin'
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Not-For-Nothin_W0QQprZ3467114QQtgZinfo

    and
    Critical Mass
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Critical-Mass_W0QQprZ55136944QQtgZinfo

    are outstanding…. the live album is also amazing, but it gets very out at times….

    Joshua Redman – Amazing Sax player who hasn't forgotten his roots while he's progressed… very funky at times as well

    Try: Elastic
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Elastic-ECD_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ3483980
    and Momentum
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Momentum_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ45894912
    - Brian Blade plays on these albums and he is best drummer out today in my opinion.

    Roy Hargrove and the RH Factor – Roy is one of the top trumpet players around and his band experimenting with new sounds and musical fusions while at the same time making it accessible!

    Try Hard groove
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Hard-Groove_W0QQprZ3505524QQtgZinfo

    and
    Strength
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Strength-EP_W0QQprZ30891039QQtgZinfo

    If you don't have any Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, you should get some immediately

    Look for Flektones albums with Jeff Coffin
    like:
    Left of Cool
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Left-Of-Cool_W0QQprZ3278379QQtgZinfo

    and
    Live at the Quick
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Live-At-The-Quick_W0QQprZ3476625QQtgZinfo

    Here's some Jeff Coffin Stuff
    http://compassrecords.com/artist.php?id=45

    Other Great Flecktone's Albums

    Live Art
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Live-Art_W0QQprZ3221786QQtgZinfo
    The Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
    http://product.half.ebay.com/Flight-Of-The-Cosmic-Hippo_W0QQprZ3094056QQtgZinfo

    I personally think Winton Marsalis is a great teacher, defender and promoter of jazz AND a good trumpet player… but I feel that he never really "says anything" when he plays…he never plays an idea that has much meaning…

    I'd also check out

    Gerry Bergonzi
    John Swana
    Terence Blanchard
    Chris Potter
    Robin Eubanks
    Wyclef Jordan (bone player for Marsalis)

  8. silentbutdeadly003 says:

    all you gotta do is stand by the person you care about

  9. himynameischuck1 says:

    respect from Korea

  10. hougasify says:

    converted this video to a ring-tone on Tube 2 Tone

  11. felipepantanal says:

    Maravilhoso! Somos um só povo, um só planeta! Isso é possível! Eu acredito!

    Wonderful! We’re like one people, one planet! This is possible! I believe it!

    Felipe, Pantanal, Brasil.

  12. cordelia_chase says:

    Here's a Top 100 list to get you started…
    http://www.kickassclassical.com/most-popular-classical-top-100.html

  13. K.K says:

    For amazon free music songs, as you know, Amazon offers some free music songs for you. You can search "free amazon music" by Google.
    Here is summary links for free amazon music songs:
    http://www.tophotdeal.com/amazon-discount-finder/2009/05/free-music-songs-from-amazon/
    There are more than 847 free music songs.

    For other places to download free music songs, here are links:
    http://www.mp3raid.com
    http://www.sideload.com

  14. MsVision11 says:

    Brought tears to my eyes and a big smile in my heart….many many thanks

  15. Jessica T says:

    well I'm a 17 year old boy and i love garth brooks as an artist hes got some great songs convoy is good daisy-halfway to hazard
    holler back -the lost trailers
    another great artist is alan jackson there's trace adkins get your game on,songs about me, fightin words, swing
    theirs alabama you pretty much do just gotta find a station and stat listening or you can check the billboards top 100 country list
    http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=Hot+Country+Songs here is the link to a list of 10 songs so start with some of those people and songs and work your way through if you usyou-tubebe there will be links to other good songs almost constantly sthat'sts a good place to start i think :) though for starting with country music i thinyou'dud want to start with garth brooks

  16. rubalcavamoll says:

    We just had this stream on to a 50in plama from watch-free-movies-online(.) co (.) uk great film

  17. not dead yet says:

    Some awesome songs that are only guitar are:
    Eruption-VanHalen
    Cathedral-VanHalen
    Cliffs Of Dover-Eric Johnson
    Suicide and Redemption-Metallica
    The ecstacy of gold-Metallica
    I dont really know of any songs that are only Vocals…Hope I helped!

  18. Remy says:

    In the book and the movie it says he listens to Debussy and that Clair de Lune was his favorite. It's Bella's favorite too.

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