All Mixed Up 04.20.09: Because I Got High
Posted by Tom Santoro on 04.20.2009
It's 4.20, so I take the obvious road this week and discuss how marijuana has weaved itself into music. Plus stories about famous musician's drug arrests and my play list of 20 songs with marijuana references. Oh, yeah kids, just say no!
Since the advent of rock and roll, music and marijuana have gone together like peanut butter and jelly. You just cannot have one without the other. Maybe because it is illegal it helps with a musician's reputation of a being a rebel. Maybe it helps with legions of loyal fans who think they have this one thing in common. Maybe it helps enhance musical talents or abilities. Whatever the reason, marijuana will always be a part of music.
Throughout music history, there have been movements and musical styles that helped pot become more accepted in the main stream. Bands like the Grateful Dead epitomized the Hippie Movement. They had a loyal following called the Dead Heads, who always seemed stoned. The peace and love of the 60s made drug usage spike after years of civil obedience.
While the Dead Heads were poster children for drug usage, other more notable 60s acts wrote songs about pot. On the 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan released one of his most famous songs, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35". The memorable line "everybody must get stoned" got the song banned from radio stations despite the song's popularity.
The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" was written by Paul McCartney as a subtle ode to pot. Most people thought it was just another silly love song. Even weirder is the controversy surrounding the Peter, Paul and Mary song "Puff the Magic Dragon". Most parents of the 60s to the 80s though it was about a dragon, but some people suggest it is about smoking pot. Despite years of denial from the writers, Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow, the public continues to think this song is not as innocent as it portrays itself.
Into the 70s, reggae burst upon the world scene. In centered around a Jamaican, named Bob Marley, heard of him? Through his music, Jamaica somehow became the weed capitol of the world and Marley was its ambassador. Through songs like "Kaya" and "I Shot the Sheriff", Marley showed his propensity to light up. Today, Jamaica comes with the stereotype of being stoned all the time and most images of Marley usually have a pot leaf alongside it.
In the late 70s and 80s, pot took a back seat to cocaine and heroin as the USA's drug of choice. It did not go away; it just was not at the forefront like coke was. But all gave way in the 90s though when rap started becoming more accepted as a genre.
Acts like Snoop Doggy Dogg (later Snoop Dogg),, Redman and Cypress Hill all became closely associated with marijuana. Most of their songs have it as the subject esp. Redman and Cypress Hill. Dr. Dre even released a whole album entitled The Chronic. Dumb middle class white kids like myself did not know that chronic was another term for pot for a long time after its release (remember the internet was not easily accessible in 1992). Neither did their parents who bought the album for them. There are hundreds of songs by rap artists about weed. How they smoke it, how they sell it, how they love it; it is part of the culture of the streets.
The association for all acts of all genres does not come without consequences. A large amount of musicians has been busted for possession. Such luminaries as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, James Brown, David Lee Roth and Whitney Houston all have been arrested.
Most of arrests were for minor infractions and paid by fines and community service, but some caused some serious problems. For instance, The United States Government tried to use John Lennon's arrest in London in 1968 for possession to deport Lennon. The theory was that the U.S. though Lennon was a danger because of his vocal stances against the Vietnam War. They could use the arrest to quell the protests.
Paul McCartney's arrest in Tokyo in 1975 almost got him 7 years in jail. McCartney was held for drug smuggling and the Japanese government wanted to make an example of him. After 10 days, he was deported and banned from the country, until 1990 when he returned for concert.
Some non-Beatles arrests include, Willie Nelson who was pulled over in Texas. He was facing hard time until the search of his car was deemed illegal. Since the arrest, Nelson has comically been associated with the drug. Toby Keith even wrote a song about it (I'll Never Smoke With Willie Again."
James Brown's memorable mug shot was as a result of a 1998 arrest. Whitney Houston got on a plane in Hawaii with 15 grams in her luggage. David Lee Roth got caught when he bought a dime bag from an undercover police informant in Central Park, NYC.
The moral of the story is that pot is referenced and used in all musical genres. Metal, Rap, folk, country, rock, punk all share an association with the drug. While you may be busted just like your heroes remember, you will do time and they will pay a small fine. So kids just say no!
That being said, here is my play list of songs about pot.
1. Bob Dylan "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"
2. Bob Marley "Kaya"
3. Tom Petty "You Don't Know How it Feels"
4. Black Sabbath "Sweet Leaf"
5. Rick James "Mary Jane"
6. Louis Armstrong "Muggles"
7. The Beatles "Got to Get You Into My Life"
8. Sublime/Toyes "Smoke Two Joints"
9. Weezer "Hashpipe"
10. Shel Silverstein "I Got Stoned and Missed It"
11. Dash Rip Rock "Let's Go Smoke Some Pot"
12. Cypress Hill "Hits From Da Bong"
13. Toby Keith "I'll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again"
14. Musical Youth "Pass the Dutchie"
15. Grateful Dead "High Time"
16. The Luniz "I Got Five On It"
17. Cypress Hill/Sonic Youth "I Love You Mary Jane"
