Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll: These are the three things that co-exist in the world of rock music after the hard-living days of jazz and blues. The counter-culture revolution of the 1960s gave birth to some of the most popular rock bands and musicians of all time, and drugs dominated the music produced during that time. In these decades, popular music in drug culture has remained ever-changing in This is a list of the 15 most popular drug rock songs of the past decade.
White Rabbit from Jefferson Airplane, 1967.
White Rabbit captured the free spirit of the 1960s, in which drugs were valued as vessels for a deeper understanding of the world around us. The song alludes to Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland‘s escape through drugs, specifically acid.
Notable lyric: “One pill makes you bigger, and one small one makes you.”
Purple Grey by Jimi Hendrix, 1967.
Rolling Stone named it the #2 greatest guitar song of all time, and common theory says The song chronicles Hendrix’s use of marijuana and LSD. Interestingly, despite being a known witch user, Hendrix denied the interpretation, stating that he wrote it about a dream in which he was walking under the sea.
Notable lyric: “Covered in purple, all around. I don’t know if I’m up or down.”
Heroin by Velvet Underground, 1967.
The Velvet Underground was well known for its tendency to explore the seminal aspects of society, and did not try to explain the ghostly subject of their 1967 hit Heroin which combines violence and numbness with drug use.
Notable lyric: “cause when the sap starts to flow, then I really don’t care anymore.”
Jumpin’ Jack Flash from The Rolling Stones, 1968.
Guitarist Keith Richards and the rest of The Stones were no strangers to stage magic. Jumpin’ Jack Flash used a reference to the hero, and, according to front-man Mick Jagger, “a metaphor for getting out of all things sour.”
Notable lyric: “I’m jumpin’, jack flash, that’s gas! gas!”
Pusher by Steppenwolf, 1968.
Launched in the late 1960s in the landmark drug film Easy Rider, Hit Steppenwolf portrays a “pusher” or druggist, as a criminal after nothing but money.
Notable lyric: “Oh, but he’s a monster of an impulse. Good God, he’s not a natural man.”
Fire and Rain by James Taillour, 1969.
Written in part by a drug addict at the age of 20, Fire and Rain Taylor’s highs and lows follow her personal recovery from heroin addiction.
Notable lyric: “I’ve seen lonely times when I couldn’t find a friend…”
Casey Jones a The Grateful Dead , 1970 .
While loosely based on the 1902 character Ballad of Casey Jones, band front-man Jerry Garcia brings a different interpretation : “I’ve always thought that it’s a pretty good image of music that’s like cocaine.
Notable lyric: “Drive a big train on cocaine.”
Smell by Lynrd Skynrd, 1977.
Guitarist Gary Rossington, after being involved in an accident under the influence of drugs and alcohol, wrote to the band members What Smell to express the dangers of getting into drugs.
Notable lyric: “Too much cook… and too much smoke.”
Hotel California by Eagles, 1977.
Don Henley called it “our interpretation of high life in Los Angeles.” While the song carries with it a wide range of interpretations, there are noticeable hints of drugs scattered throughout.
Notable lyric: “The smell of warm worship rising through the air.”
Running Stand by U2, 1987.
From the popular band Joshua Tree’s album, this song paints a picture of the heroic plague that blew through the poor of Dublin, specifically Ballymun Flats, in the 1980s.
Notable lyric: “Suffer the cold needle, run to stand still.”
Mr. BrownstoneGuns n’ Rose, 1987
Singer Axl Rose preaches the power of heroin over the addict, and especially the experiences of the band members who started on Hollywood Boulevard. 80s rock albumappetite for destruction>. i>
Notable lyric: “Doing a little, but not doing a little, a little more and more.”
Under the Bridge by , 1992
Lead singer Anthony Kiedis openly admits to a fight with heroin, and Under the Bridge chronicles it. struggles as a drug addict in Los Angeles.
Notable lyric: “Under the bridge is the city where I drew blood.”
Morning Glory by Oasis, 1995.
Mestina gloria tackles the strong topic of cocaine addiction and its ramifications on the user. Along with singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher, she wrote the first song Blue.
Notable lyric: “all your dreams come true when you’re stuck with your razor mirror.”
The Semi-Beloved Life by the Third Eye of the Blind, 1997.
Despite its melodious and breezy sound, Semi-Charmed Life personifies an honest drug user in the world of crystal meth a>. Band member Stephen Jackson songs likened the “shiny and shiny” guitar riff to emotional speed.
Notable lyric: “Smiling in the pictures you want to remove, doing crystal meth, it’ll lift you up until you break.”
Black Balloon by The Goo Goo Dolls, 1998.
Black Balloon features a heroin-induced girl dying, and her lover trying to save her. Some believe that Bassist Robby Takac was married song inspiration, but this remains unconfirmed. Notable lyric: “A black baby takes it away and makes it fly. I almost fell into that hole in your life.”
Sources: Delete Bin
examiner.com
Alternative Reel
starsareblind.com
Song Facts
Lyrics Freak
