# Chicago Lyric 25 or 6 to 4 Proven Drug Reference **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 24, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277 "2009-04-24T22:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/41 "2015-08-15T16:30:21Z")
> [@mgnull](#): > > … > it’s _kinda_ like maybe googling the meaning of Gimme Shelter and finding out that no, it’s not about vietnam and altimont because mick said it was about the barcelona bull runs and points to the lyric, > > Ooh, see the fire is sweepin’ > Our very street today > Burns like a red coal carpet > Mad bull lost it’s way \*Jagger said in a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone: “Well, it’s a very rough, very violent era. The Vietnam War. Violence on the screens, pillage and burning. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense. The thing about Vietnam was that it wasn’t like World War II, and it wasn’t like Korea, and it wasn’t like the Gulf War. It was a real nasty war, and people didn’t like it. People objected, and people didn’t want to fight it…” As for the song itself, he concluded, “That’s a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It’s apocalypse; the whole record’s like that.”[3] Similarly, on NPR in 2012: “It was a very moody piece about the world closing in on you a bit…When it was recorded, early '69 or something, it was a time of war and tension, so that’s reflected in this tune. It’s still wheeled out when big storms happen, as they did the other week [during Hurricane Sandy]. It’s been used a lot to evoke natural disaster.”[4]\* From Wiki. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/42 "2015-08-15T17:01:40Z")
> [@mgnull](#): > > zeppelin never admitted to the backward masking of “here’s to my sweet satan” either > > and I’d love not for it to be true, but when you reverse the track, there it is… No, it’s not, unless it is what you want to hear. Just like 25 or 6 to 4 isn’t about LSD, unless you really want it to be. Just like we landed on the moon, unless you really really want to believe we didn’t. Individuals can convince themselves anything is true despite the preponderance of evidence against their belief. So go on, keep insisting the birth certificate is false, and that the towers were a controlled explosion. And in another 3-4 years another **spookeebitch** will wander by and use that one other person out of dozens believes the falsehoods as proof that they are true. Maybe instead of “It’s Taking Longer Than We Thought” should change to “It’s a Losing Battle”. ---
**Author:** ![inscrutable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e4f/32.png) [@inscrutable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inscrutable)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/43 "2015-08-15T18:04:57Z")
I think it’s about writing a song while on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/44 "2015-08-15T18:30:13Z")
> [@mgnull](#): > > zeppelin never admitted to the backward masking of “here’s to my sweet satan” either > and I’d love not for it to be true, but when you reverse the track, there it is… No it isn’t…unless somebody already put it in your mind that it says that, and you listen really, _really_ hard and have a vivid imagination. You can listen to it [on this page.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairway_to_Heaven) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/45 "2015-08-15T20:51:19Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Welcome to the SDMB. > > Who, exactly, is “the mighty zep?” > [@Princhester](#): > > Led Zeppelin > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Thank you, but with respect, I was asking our new friend **mgnull**. 🙂 > [@mgnull](#): > > Princhester got it. It was nice to hear Don Henley even use the phrase on the Netflix documentery, although he said, “The Mighty Led Zeppelin” Led Zepplin, eh? Did they sing another song besides “Stairway to Heaven?” Huh. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/46 "2015-08-15T20:55:31Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > No, it’s not, unless it is what you want to hear. > > Just like 25 or 6 to 4 isn’t about LSD, unless you really want it to be. > > Just like we landed on the moon, unless you really really want to believe we didn’t. > > Individuals can convince themselves anything is true despite the preponderance of evidence against their belief. So go on, keep insisting the birth certificate is false, and that the towers were a controlled explosion. And in another 3-4 years another **spookeebitch** will wander by and use that one other person out of dozens believes the falsehoods as proof that they are true. > > Maybe instead of “It’s Taking Longer Than We Thought” should change to “It’s a Losing Battle”. What about “Puff the Magic Dragon?” That can still be about Mary Jay Wanna, right? C’mon, throw him a bone, here!!! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/47 "2015-08-15T22:51:08Z")
I’ll concede Puff, and throw in Afternoon Delight as another ‘subversive’ song. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/48 "2015-08-15T22:55:07Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > What about “Puff the Magic Dragon?” That can still be about Mary Jay Wanna, right? C’mon, throw him a bone, here!!! Everybody knows _Mary Jane’s Last Dance_ by Tom Petty is about pot, right? “Last dance with Mary Jane, One more time to kill the pain.” “It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone. I hit the last number and walked to the road.” ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/49 "2015-08-15T23:19:42Z")
_What in the world ever became of sweet Jane? She lost her sparkle, you know she isn’t the same Livin’ on reds, vitamin C, and cocaine, All a friend can say is “Ain’t it a shame?” Grateful Dead - Truckin_ It’s about vitamin abuse I think. And global warming. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/50 "2015-08-16T01:55:53Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Everybody knows _Mary Jane’s Last Dance_ by Tom Petty is about pot, right? > > “Last dance with Mary Jane, > One more time to kill the pain.” > > “It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone. > I hit the last number and walked to the road.” And here I thought it was about falling in love with Kim Bassinger’s corpse. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/51 "2015-08-16T02:44:10Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > And here I thought it was about falling in love with Kim Bassinger’s corpse. Me too ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/52 "2015-08-16T04:10:53Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > And here I thought it was about falling in love with Kim Bassinger’s corpse. Oh, my my, oh hell, yes! ---
**Author:** ![mgnull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@mgnull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mgnull)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/53 "2015-08-16T06:23:31Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Led Zepplin, eh? > > Did they sing another song besides “Stairway to Heaven?” > > Huh. nah. that was it crazy rep for such a one hit wonder band eh? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/54 "2015-08-16T10:44:06Z")
Heh. Your ideas about popular music may be full of crap, but yer all right. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/55 "2015-08-19T05:01:35Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Maybe instead of “It’s Taking Longer Than We Thought” should change to “It’s a Losing Battle”. I prefer ‘The problem is, ignorance fights back.’ ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/56 "2015-08-19T16:14:28Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > I prefer ‘The problem is, ignorance fights back.’ “And is better armed” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/57 "2015-08-19T20:29:20Z")
> [@mgnull](#): > > it was common knowledge that 25 or 6 to 4 meant dropping out on cid vs working a shift with 6 to 4 being a common shift schedule. It was “common knowledge” that Puff the Magic Dragon was about drugs. (It was about a young boy’s imagination.) It was “common knowledge” that the Vietnam War was being fought so that the U.S. could grab all the off-shore oil from Vietnam. (No such oil has ever been found.) It was “common knowledge” that rubbing butter on burns was a good thing. (Butter exacerbates the wound.) It was “common knowledge” that Posh was short for “Port Out, Starboard Home.” (It was never true.) Common knowledge is rather notoriously wrong very much of the time. That should be common knowledge. (6 to 4 was never a common shift schedule. Offices do not open at 6:00 and labor jobs starting at 6:00 run to either 2:30 (8 hours) or to 4:30 (10 hours). Lunch ran one half hour and I have never encountered a nine and a half hour day in any job.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/58 "2015-08-19T20:53:17Z")
Didn’t those garment workers that used those bolts of cloth that were exactly nine yards long work from 6 to 4? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/59 "2015-08-19T21:22:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Didn’t those garment workers that used those bolts of cloth that were exactly nine yards long work from 6 to 4? Only if they had 25 bolts of cloth and worked 6 to 4. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277/60 "2015-08-19T22:14:30Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Didn’t those garment workers that used those bolts of cloth that were exactly nine yards long work from 6 to 4? > [@Rick](#): > > Only if they had 25 bolts of cloth and worked 6 to 4. You’d need that much cloth and all that time to make a sturdy treadmill belt upon which to keep an airplane from taking off. Those things are heavy! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-lyric-25-or-6-to-4-proven-drug-reference/494277.md?page=4)