# What is the best drug song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633 "2005-02-24T02:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/101 "2005-02-25T14:44:45Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > **Cindy’s Cryin’** by Tom Paxton Also **Hooker** by Paxton Well, I rise at 4 in the afternoon. I take a match and a kitchen spoon. I wrap my arm in an old necktie And I find religion on the very first try. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/102 "2005-02-25T14:56:30Z")
**Bitches’ Brew** by Miles Davis. Instrumental, but the intent is unmistakable. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/103 "2005-02-25T15:11:35Z")
Two by The Moody Blues… Legend of a Mind (Timothy Leary’s Dead) Nights in White Satin ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/104 "2005-02-25T15:26:02Z")
**Motorhead** , by Motorhead: _Sunrise, wrong side of another day, Sky high and six thousand miles away, Don’t know how long I’ve been awake, Wound up in an amazing state, Can’t get enough, And you know it’s righteous stuff, Goes up like prices at Christmas, Motorhead, you can call me Motorhead, alright_ **Junkhead** , by Alice in Chains: _Hey, what’s my drug of choice? Well, what have you got? I don’t go broke And I do it a lot_ **Waiting for the Man** , The Velvet Underground: _He’s never early, he’s always late First thing you learn is that you always gotta wait_ And I love love love, **The Pusher** , by Steppenwolf: _You know I’ve smoked a lot of grass O’ Lord, I’ve popped a lot of pills But I never touched nothin’ That my spirit could kill You know, I’ve seen a lot of people walkin’ 'round With tombstones in their eyes But the pusher don’t care Ah, if you live or if you die_ ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/105 "2005-02-25T17:37:44Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > Despite the often-quoted line about Sweet Jane, the song’s about life on the road, not drugs in particular. > > “Ain’t it a shame?” Snips from **Truckin’** 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? … also - Sittin’ and starin’ out of the hotel window. Got a tip they’re gonna kick the door in again I’d like to get some sleep before I travel, But if you got a warrant, I guess you’re gonna come in… Busted, down on bourbon street, set up, like a bowlin’ pin. Knocked down, it get’s to wearin’ thin. they just won’t let you be, oh no. ```auto True; not a song about drugs *per se*, but with enough drug content to qualify, no? And - maybe the ultimate drug song.... "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is." ``` ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/106 "2005-02-25T18:32:19Z")
I’m rather partial to “Waiting around to die” by Townes Van Zandt. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/107 "2005-02-25T18:53:54Z")
> [@meek](#): > > Everybody must get stoned - Bob Dylan I assume you mean _Rainy Day Women #12 & 35_? ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/108 "2005-02-25T19:06:31Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > I assume you mean _Rainy Day Women #12 & 35_? Yeah - That’s it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/109 "2005-02-25T20:55:32Z")
I second White Rabbit, and coming in second is pretty much any song by Steely Dan, if you include alcohol as a drug. ---
**Author:** ![IUchem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@IUchem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUchem)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/110 "2005-02-25T23:44:41Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > How about a song by, **The Grateful Dead**? > I choose Casey Jones. How about every song by the Grateful Dead? Might as well include every song by Phish, too!! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/111 "2005-02-26T00:30:05Z")
> [@IUchem](#): > > How about every song by the Grateful Dead? > > Might as well include every song by Phish, too!! 🆒 This comment pisses me off a little bit. I tried to think of a snarky reply but couldn’t come up with enough vitriol. I’ll just leave it at this: Your comment showed a great deal of ignorance about the music of both of these bands. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/112 "2005-02-26T01:21:44Z")
So many good ones have already been mentioned, but I’ll add a few that have yet to be mentioned… **L.S.D.** - The Pretty Things **Get Higher** - Black Grape **Junker’s Blues** - Champion Jack Dupree **Little White Pills** - The Meat Purveyors **Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue** - The Ramones ---
**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 26, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/113 "2005-02-26T01:35:46Z")
There Goes the Neighborhood - Sheryl Crow Take Ecstacy with Me - Magnetic Fields Scooby Snacks - Fun Lovin’ Criminals How come nobody has mentioned Huey Lewis’ I want a New Drug? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/114 "2005-02-26T02:23:51Z")
Oh yeah, forgot **Smack Jack** by Nina Hagen. “It’s a shorrrrrrrrrrrrrt term solution…” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/115 "2005-02-26T02:45:54Z")
The President’s Council on Psychedelic Fitness off of Basic Blues Magoos always makes me want to drop acid with the ghost of LBJ. Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher” has gotten a couple mentions (the long version on Early Steppenwolf’s best), but no one’s yet mentioned “Don’t Step on the Grass Sam.” And what about In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida and Incense and Peppermints? Great drug songs all! ---
**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:** [February 26, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/116 "2005-02-26T02:57:27Z")
\*drops in for another hit off this thread **Smuggler’s Bules** by Glen Frey **Treetop Flyer** by Stephen Stills **Candyman** by Bruce Cockburn **Kid Charlemagne** by Steely Dan Anyone got some brownies or something? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/117 "2005-02-26T04:57:56Z")
A lot of David Peel’s stuff: [http://gemm.com/gemm\_http/mall/peel/peelhome.html](http://gemm.com/gemm_http/mall/peel/peelhome.html) New Riders of the Purple Sage - Panama Red (Album) [http://www.nrps.net/music/#panamared](http://www.nrps.net/music/#panamared) Merle Haggard - Okie from Muskogee, White Line Fever, etc. Sly and the Family Stone - Want to Take You Higher, (many others) [http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00050.htm](http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00050.htm) ---
**Author:** ![dearissues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@dearissues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dearissues)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/118 "2005-02-26T10:42:39Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Well for sheer impact (though not lyrical style, I’m afraid), I’d have to nominate “God Smack” by Alice in Chains. > > Gave us a band name and a morbid prediction about the writer all at once. Same band, but I’d nominate “Junkhead” rather than “God Smack”. ---
**Author:** ![dearissues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@dearissues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dearissues)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/119 "2005-02-26T10:57:24Z")
Buckcherry - “Lit up” Afroman - “Colt 45” ---
**Author:** ![wampeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@wampeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wampeter)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633/120 "2005-02-26T13:20:09Z")
“Brain Stew” by Green Day And if Velvet Underground’s “Waiting for the Man” has been mentioned, then why not Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man”… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-drug-song/291633.md?page=7)