# Captain Jack and Other Drug References **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300 "2003-02-02T14:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/61 "2003-02-05T05:00:58Z")
_Everybody Must Get Stoned_ by Bob Dylan? Or was he referring to public executions on the order of Saint Stephen? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/62 "2003-02-05T06:06:52Z")
**Sam Stone** - by John Prine \*Sam Stone Came home To his wife and family, After serving in the conflict overseas And the time that he served, Had shattered all his nerve, And left a little shrapnel in his knee. But the morphine eased the pain, And the grass grew round his brain, And gave him all the confidence he lacked - With a purple heart, and a monkey on his back… There’s a hole in daddy’s arm, Where all the money goes…\* **That Smell** - Lynyrd Skynyrd ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/63 "2003-02-05T18:19:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Well ya remembered Janis’s version pretty good …but SHE didn’t write the song! This would have been a good point, if you were able to follow up with Kristofferson’s lyrics, and show they fit with the “joint” interpretation rather than with the harmonica interpretation. But they don’t. [From here](http://www.coquetshack.com/lyrics/Lyrics_M/Me_and_Bobby_McGee_0210.htm), > [@](#): > > I took my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna, > And was blowing sad while Bobby sang the blues. > With them windshield wipers slappin’ time, > And Bobby clappin’ hands, > We finally sang up every song that driver knew. and while he may be “an admitted heroin junkie from back then”, he’s also a musician. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/64 "2003-02-05T18:30:35Z")
While I don’t have a site…yeah I know, Kris’s girlfriend (Bobby)died in Arizona IIRC, of a heroin overdose, before he and Janet started hanging out. Harpoon is slang for syringe and Kris is very good at subtlety when he feels like it. If I’m mistaken, then that’s cool too. I’d like to believe he was sweet and innocent once. That this was simply a little diddy… enough…uncle already…😉 ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/65 "2003-02-05T22:22:50Z")
## t-keela How 'bout this one…“Snortin whiskey…” next line please, “Drinkin’ cocaine!” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/66 "2003-02-07T17:46:29Z")
Billy Joel, in _We Didn’t Start the Fire_: “AIDS, **crack** , Bernie Goetz…” In _Los Angelinos_" “With the **Mexican reefer** …” In _I’ve Loved These Days_: “With fine **cocaine** …” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/67 "2003-02-07T17:47:55Z")
Oh, and Billy Joel’s song _Laura_, off of _The Nylon Curtain_, is about drug abuse. “Laura calls me, when she needs a good fix…” ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/68 "2003-02-07T18:59:30Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* \*\ ***Sam Stone** - by John Prine Damn, I was hoping to beat Sam to the punch with that one :D., so I will add “Waiting for My Man” by the Velvet Underground. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/69 "2003-02-08T06:35:27Z")
A goodly number of Alice in Chains songs are about drugs, for example: From “Junkhead”, > [@](#): > > A new friend turned me on to an old favorite > nothing better than a dealer who’s high > be high, convince them to buy > > What’s my drug of choice? > Well what have you got? > I don’t go broke > And I do it a lot From “Godsmack”, > [@](#): > > What in God’s name have you done? > Stick your arm for some real fun There are others by AIC, but even many of the songs that aren’t about drug use depict the mind set of a junkie. Also, don’t forget the heroin reference in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, > [@](#): > > And I forget just why I taste > Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile Taste is another name for injecting under the skin but not IV, also called skin popping. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/70 "2003-02-08T12:56:50Z")
_Sugar Town_ by **Nancy Sinatra** is one of the more subtle ones, as is her and **Lee Hazlewood’s** _Some Velvet Morning_, and possibly the other two songs in the trilogy - _Summer Wine_ and _Sand_ (they’re at least about being intoxicated). I can’t remember if it’s an urban legend or not, but I remember people always used to say that the phrase ‘Ride the snake …’ in _The End_ by **The Doors** referred to an acid trip. ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/71 "2003-02-08T13:23:25Z")
Why are people listing Velvet Underground songs? If you listen to their first two albums you’ll find about as many songs about drugs as songs NOT about drugs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/72 "2003-02-09T08:05:34Z")
I believe the song: “We’re gonna lay around the shanty, momma And put a good buzz on” might just have something to do with pot. And then there’s “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix. Not sure what drug produced the haze … does it matter? And the Doobie Brothers … I’m sure they were up to something … Sunshine Superman by Donavan … LSD Mellow Yellow by Donavan … not sure what drug he was talking about here, pot probably White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane There are a lot of other songs which have a druggy feel to them without referencing drugs in any identifiable way, such as Tuesday Afternoon by the Moody Blues, but that’s another thread … ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/73 "2003-02-09T09:06:41Z")
Well I’ll be damned. I guess I was wrong then! ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/74 "2003-02-09T10:12:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dryga\_Yes \* > \*\*Why are people listing Velvet Underground songs? If you listen to their first two albums you’ll find about as many songs about drugs as songs NOT about drugs. 🙂 \*\* Just in case anyone’s interested in testing this theory: _Sunday Morning_ - Amphetamine (paranoia from staying up all night) _Waiting For The Man_ - Heroin: Reed’s first experience with the drug _Femme Fatale_ - About Edie Sedgwick, who died of an overdose _Venus In Furs_ - Nup - about Sado Masochism _Run, Run, Run_ - cocaine _All Tomorrow’s Parties_ - not directly, but what was happening at the parties?!? _Heroin_ - you can guess… _There She Goes Again_ - No (nasty girlfriend song) _I’ll Be Your Mirror_ - No _Black Angel’s Death Song_ - Could be … lots of things mentioned in the lyrics which could mean anything _European Son_ - Hinted at, but very indirectly - drug lifestyle, rather than drugs _White Light/White Heat_ - An ode to methamphetamine _The Gift_ - Nope - a short story for Lou’s college girlfriend _Lady Godiva’s Operation_ - A sex change operation gone wrong, but no drugs _Here She Comes Now_ - Again, dirty sex, not drugs _I Heard Her Call My Name_ - Meth again _Sister Ray_ - And even more meth Also the other songs of the time: _Guess I’m Falling In Love_ - Quotes Dylan’s line "I Got My Fever In My Pocket\*, and seems to be about drugs in some way _Stephanie Says_ - Not in the song, but inspired by a girl whose heart exploded after taking too much speed _Temptation Inside Your Heart_ - Nope _Hey, Mr Rain_ - Hard to say _There Is No Reason_ and _I’m Not Too Sorry_ and - I don’t think so _It’s Alright (The Way That You Live)_ - maybe _Prominent Men_ - Nope _Sweet Sister Ray_ - Almost certainly I think that’s most of the Cale Velvets covered. Stats: Songs with a drug link: 13 Songs with no drug link: 10 Uncertain: 3 I think I’ve messed up my tally… Hmmm. Hard to be scientific about these things 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/75 "2003-02-09T11:54:34Z")
For my money, there’s not a more chilling drug song than Steely Dan’s [Time Out Of Mind](http://www.steelydan.com/lyrgaucho.html#track5) . It’s not the most familiar of tunes–doesn’t get much airplay–but I believe it was a minor hit. Remember that–as **Joey P** noted earlier in this thread–‘chasing the dragon’ refers to heroin use. The upbeat vibe and the positive, almost religious tone the narrator takes in describing the experience is appalling and great. It’s made all the more poignant when you consider that this song was recorded during Walter Becker’s nadir of smack use. Of course, that’s one of the things that make Steely D great–the contrast between the truly f\*cked-up worlds they often describe vs the shiny slick packages in which they’re delivered. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300/76 "2003-02-10T04:47:05Z")
Proud Mary…“I pumped a lot of pain, down in New Orleans” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/captain-jack-and-other-drug-references/152300.md?page=3)