# Is the Song "Puff the Magic Dragon" about Drugs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2013, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443 "2013-06-20T07:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/41 "2013-06-21T07:11:34Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > He wouldn’t have devised a title that _could_ be teased into representing LSD by the same sort of person who thinks 28IF means Paul is dead, nor would he have made up a cock and bull story about his kid’s drawing in order to deny having done so. Come on. Lennon was _brutally_ open about his own failings, including his drug use. He would not have gone through life refusing to admit to a trivial thing like sneaking a drug reference into a song. I think the song was also inspired by the drawing. As well as an acid trip. I don’t know the reason that he would deny it, or how he forgot it, and I agree it seems somewhat unlikely. But the alternative (That one of the most LSD sounding songs of all time, which has the acronym LSD, is not related to LSD) seems far more unlikely to me. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/42 "2013-06-21T07:35:26Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I think the song was also inspired by the drawing. As well as an acid trip. I don’t know the reason that he would deny it, or how he forgot it, and I agree it seems somewhat unlikely. But the alternative (That one of the most LSD sounding songs of all time, which has the acronym LSD, is not related to LSD) seems far more unlikely to me. Meaningless coincidences happen all the time. It might well seem highly unlikely to you that a druggy-sounding song happens to have the initials LSD, but coincidence is _very_ common. Given the fact that the Beatles wrote a lot of songs that sound “druggy”, especially to people who are unfamiliar with the British tradition of [nonsense verse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonsense_verse) which is known to have been one of John Lennon’s biggest lyrical inspirations, and the fact that there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, I don’t have any problem in believing that the initials of the song are a meaningless coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/43 "2013-06-21T10:42:03Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > You know that’s a cover, right? Yes (Toyes-love the song). The absolute best cover of the song was done by Norman Nardini, a Pittsburgh native and very good friend. [Norman actually tried tracking down the original artists and couldn’t.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_Two_Joints#Nardini_cover_version) good times.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/44 "2013-06-21T10:43:50Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > .Bonus points: given the number of joints smoked based on this song, how many joints per day does Bradley smoke? Yes, there is a real number (based on the song). 🆒 What is the answer? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/45 "2013-06-21T12:47:52Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > How it is actually written on the LP is mostly irrelevant to how Lennon though when he wrote the song. [See for yourself.](http://www.hillarybost.com/lennons-lucy-in-the-sky-lyrics-up-for-auction/) Lennon himself wrote the title in all caps, and capitalized only the word Lucy in the lyrics. There’s no good reason to infer that he was _thinking_ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” when he wrote “LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS.” ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/46 "2013-06-21T14:12:51Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > [See for yourself.](http://www.hillarybost.com/lennons-lucy-in-the-sky-lyrics-up-for-auction/) Lennon himself wrote the title in all caps, and capitalized only the word Lucy in the lyrics. There’s no good reason to infer that he was _thinking_ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” when he wrote “LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS.” Alright, that’s pretty convincing evidence to me. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/47 "2013-06-21T14:14:50Z")
Next: Was Lola a man, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/48 "2013-06-21T22:46:08Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Next: Was Lola a man, or what? She was the Walrus. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/49 "2013-06-22T03:39:42Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > 🆒 What is the answer? I smoke two joints in the morning, I smoke two joints at night. I smoke two joints in the afternoon, It makes me feel all right. I smoke two joints in time of peace, And two in time of war. I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints, And then I smoke two more. It can only be considered a time of peace or a time of war given a time and place, so they are exlusive. Assuming the joints he smokes during peace or war are not otherwise covered by those he smokes at a given time of day, we have 4 joint smoking sessions per day. Morning, night, afternoon, and something about war/peace. 2 joints times those 4 sessions would be 8, but… he smokes two joints before he smokes two joints, and then he smokes two more. So, it is actually six joints he smokes per session. 6x4= 24. Bradley used to smoke a joint for every hour in the day. Not really, but that’s the math. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/50 "2013-06-22T03:52:10Z")
Well. I was following right up until . .i smoked two joints. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/51 "2013-06-22T15:41:45Z")
> [@Sam\_A.Robrin](#): > > She was the Walrus. Don’t be ridiculous. The Walrus was Paul. Unless you’re saying… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/52 "2013-06-22T16:46:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **mr. jp** : > > I know all this, I just still don’t really believe it. > > What is more unlikely: > > 1. John Lennon wrote the song while on LSD, to some degree inspired by the painting, figured out to make the acronym, and forgot he had this thought when he sobered up. > > 2. A song that is one of the most LSD-sounding songs of all time, and has the acronym LSD, isn’t related to LSD. Both of those are pretty unlikely. But you left off a third possibility that’s a lot more likely than either of them: The song has plenty to do with LSD, and was written by a couple of guys who may have been partaking while they wrote it and certainly had in the past and drew inspiration from their experiences, but the title is just a coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/53 "2013-06-22T17:19:17Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > I smoke two joints in the morning, > I smoke two joints at night. > I smoke two joints in the afternoon, > It makes me feel all right. > I smoke two joints in time of peace, > And two in time of war. > I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints, > And then I smoke two more. > > It can only be considered a time of peace or a time of war given a time and place, so they are exlusive. > > Assuming the joints he smokes during peace or war are not otherwise covered by those he smokes at a given time of day, we have 4 joint smoking sessions per day. > Morning, night, afternoon, and something about war/peace. > 2 joints times those 4 sessions would be 8, but… he smokes two joints before he smokes two joints, and then he smokes two more. > So, it is actually six joints he smokes per session. 6x4= 24. > Bradley used to smoke a joint for every hour in the day. > Not really, but that’s the math. That’s what you get for trying to anyze one of the most inane songs ever written. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/54 "2013-06-23T12:15:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Both of those are pretty unlikely. But you left off a third possibility that’s a lot more likely than either of them: The song has plenty to do with LSD, and was written by a couple of guys who may have been partaking while they wrote it and certainly had in the past and drew inspiration from their experiences, but the title is just a coincidence. Yeah, actually this is what I think now, after seeing the capitalization in the original lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/55 "2013-06-23T21:14:53Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Don’t be ridiculous. The Walrus was Paul. > > Unless you’re saying… :eek: Goo-goo-g’joob to you too! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/56 "2013-06-24T21:33:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The OP’s been answered; maybe someone knows **Sublime** ’s body of work. Is the song _Smoke Two Joints_ drug related? I **knew** you were going to say that! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/57 "2013-06-24T23:56:43Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > **Is the Song “Puff the Magic Dragon” about Drugs?** No, of course it **wasn’t.** Yes, of course it **is.** Forevermore. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/58 "2013-06-25T17:29:36Z")
OK. But what about [Master Jack](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN9bcuIK70s) ? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/59 "2013-06-28T22:23:29Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Don’t be ridiculous. The Walrus was Paul. > > Unless you’re saying… :eek: I don’t want to take this too do-re-mi fa, But the message was in “Obladi-Oblada”: Paul was Lola Obli-blada-Lola Goo goo goo joob Lola … ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443/60 "2013-07-07T16:39:08Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > So Peter doesn’t think it’s about pot. But maybe Lipton, who wrote the original poem (including the name “Puff”) does? From what I recall of what was probably the same interview, he said that at the time, they both were way too inexperienced with drugs to have written a song or poem about marijuana… they’d barely heard of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-song-puff-the-magic-dragon-about-drugs/661443.md?page=4)