# Songs about or heavily featuring opiate drugs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515 "2008-04-08T21:36:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/1 "2008-04-08T21:36:26Z")
Why? Friggin’ because, that’s why! Don’t interrupt me while I’m shooting up! 😃 Velvet Underground - _Heroin_ Marcy Playground - _Poppies_ and _Opium_ Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - _Opium Tea_ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/2 "2008-04-08T21:56:21Z")
**Guns n’ Roses - Mr. Brownstone** \*\*Metallica - Master of Puppets \*\* (a bit more ambiguous but generally about being enslaved and powerless to a force - the lyrics seem to speak mostly to drug use…) Countless others - but those come to mind first…I suppose that Velvet Revolver song I’m Falling… ---
**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:** [April 8, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/3 "2008-04-08T22:08:27Z")
Rolling Stones - Sister Morphine Velvet Underground - Waiting for the Man Savoy Brown - Needle and Spoon ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/4 "2008-04-08T22:22:53Z")
I’ve read that Iggy Pop’s _Lust For Life_ is all about heroin use. Personally I can’t understand what he’s saying. People in the US nowadays most likely know that song, oddly enough, as the theme from those cruise ship commercials, which obviously don’t highlight the junkie aspect. ---
**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:** [April 8, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/5 "2008-04-08T22:30:46Z")
**Neil Young** - _The Needle and the Damage Done_ **Warren Zevon** - _Carmelita_ **Lynyrd Skynyrd** - _That Smell_ **Lynyrd Skynyrd** - _The Needle and the Spoon_ **Steppenwolf/Hoyt Axton** - _The Pusher_ **John Prine** - _Sam Stone_ ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/6 "2008-04-08T22:31:53Z")
I always liked Perfect Circle’s _Nurse_, which features the lines: She’s got everything I need, pharmacy keys. and Say hello to the rug’s topography. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/7 "2008-04-08T22:38:22Z")
U2 - _Running to Stand Still_ Nirvana - _passim_ ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/8 "2008-04-08T23:21:18Z")
While opiates are not specifically mentioned, Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” is about drugs. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/9 "2008-04-08T23:33:07Z")
Well shoot, marijuana and other hallucinogens aren’t opiates, so there goes half my list. Cindy’s Cryin’, Tom Paxton Codeine, Buffy St. Marie Time Out of Mind, Steely Dan Dead Flowers, The Rolling Stones Cold Blue Steel and Sweetfire, Joni Mitchell Treetop Flyer, David Crosby (?) Smuggler’s Blues, Glen Frey (?) Cause I got High, Afroman (?) Cure for Pain, Morphine ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/10 "2008-04-08T23:37:00Z")
There She Goes, by the Las. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/11 "2008-04-09T00:45:42Z")
_Comfortably Numb_ - Pink Floyd _My Sweet Prince_ - Placebo ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/12 "2008-04-09T01:44:28Z")
Cocaine by Eric Clapton. My kid loved this song. Took me forever to figure out what the “OK” song was though. “It’s OK, it’s OK, it’s OK…OK” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/13 "2008-04-09T01:45:56Z")
[QUOTE=Tom Tildrum] I’ve read that Iggy Pop’s _Lust For Life_ is all about heroin use. Personally I can’t understand what he’s saying. People in the US nowadays most likely know that song, oddly enough, as the theme from those cruise ship commercials, which obviously don’t highlight the junkie aspect. [/QUOTE] I know it as the theme from Trainspotting, a movie about junkies. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/14 "2008-04-09T01:48:09Z")
Skinny Puppy - Addiction Nine Inch Nails - Hurt Nirvana - In Bloom ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/15 "2008-04-09T02:13:14Z")
“(Don’t ride) the White Horse” by _I don’t know._ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/16 "2008-04-09T02:15:23Z")
\*\*The Jesus & Mary Chain \*\*- Some Candy Talking ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/17 "2008-04-09T02:29:32Z")
Fleetwood Mac _Gold Dust Woman_ Rolling Stones _Brown Sugar_ ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/18 "2008-04-09T02:51:28Z")
**"Morphine Song"** , by Ray Davies. He wrote it in the hospital after being shot in New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/19 "2008-04-09T03:01:54Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] “(Don’t ride) the White Horse” by _I don’t know._ 😛 [/QUOTE] by Laid Back I think that the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” is about heroine, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515/20 "2008-04-09T03:03:16Z")
**mswas** , you could have added so many more of Skinny Puppy’s songs…[Harsh Stone White](http://www.metrolyrics.com/harsh-stone-white-lyrics-skinny-puppy.html) or [Love in Vein](http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/skinnypuppy/lastrights.html#1), etc, etc… What is it about great talent and heroin overdoses? RIP Dwane. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-or-heavily-featuring-opiate-drugs/444515.md?page=2)