# What songs from the 60s really are about acid trips or drugs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2015, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042 "2015-07-24T11:47:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/41 "2015-07-25T01:39:06Z")
“Snowblind Friend” by Steppenwolf. Actually, both “The Pusher” and “Snowblind Friend” were written by Hoyt Axton but recorded by Steppenwolf. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/42 "2015-07-25T02:00:08Z")
There’s the Randy Newman song, _Mama Told Me Not To Come_… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/43 "2015-07-25T02:11:56Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > There’s the Randy Newman song, _Mama Told Me Not To Come_… You ever hear Wilson Pickett’s 1972 cover of that? It’s wild! He’s not whiny like Randy, he’s _completely pissed off_ with all those damn degenerates! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBPW8HJ8ifo) If this thread just turns out to be a list of all the drug-related songs of the 60s…it’s going to be very very long. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/44 "2015-07-25T03:11:19Z")
Three Dog Night did _Mama Told Me_ in 66 Then you have _One Toke Over the Line_ in 70, even was performed on Lawrence Welk. I have no idea how anybody thought it was a spiritual song. Not sure it’s from the 60’s, I think it’s older than that _Wildwood Weed_ ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/45 "2015-07-25T03:32:38Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Three Dog Night did _Mama Told Me_ in 66 > > Then you have _One Toke Over the Line_ in 70, even was performed on Lawrence Welk. I have no idea how anybody thought it was a spiritual song. > > Not sure it’s from the 60’s, I think it’s older than that _Wildwood Weed_ The first thing I thought of when I saw this thread was _One Toke Over the Line_ being performed on Lwrence Welk. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/46 "2015-07-25T03:35:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sahirrnee;18546842/QUOTE] Three Dog Night did _Mama Told Me_ in 66 No, that was Eric Burdon who performed Randy Newman’s song in '66. Three Dog Night didn’t even form until '67, and they covered Newman’s tune in '70. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/47 "2015-07-25T03:44:19Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/48 "2015-07-25T05:04:25Z")
The Open Mind - Magic Potion ---
**Author:** ![Apex\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/49 "2015-07-25T05:16:55Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > People continue to insist that the 1992 song **smoke two joints in the morning** has something to do with drug use, but that’s been effectively proven incorrect. Sorry to nitpick, but the song is called **Smoke Two Joints** and the Sublime version was a cover. It was originally by The Toyes and was released in 1983. > **[Smoke Two Joints](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_Two_Joints)** > > "Smoke Two Joints" is a song originally written by The Toyes, who performed it in traditional Reggae style and released it in 1983. According to The Toyes, "one fine fall day on a small island" of Oahu in Hawaii, two of the band members, Mawg and Sky, were sitting under a large banyan tree on Kuhio Beach, "tokin' on some sweet bud & jammin' on a rootsy reggae funky town" when they conceived the song "Smoke Two Joints." > It was featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 American comedy-thriller fi... ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/50 "2015-07-25T05:55:19Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > There’s the Randy Newman song, _Mama Told Me Not To Come_… > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > You ever hear Wilson Pickett’s 1972 cover of that? It’s wild! He’s not whiny like Randy, he’s _completely pissed off_ with all those damn degenerates! > > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VBPW8HJ8ifo](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VBPW8HJ8ifo) To tell you the truth, I’ve never heard Newman do it; just Three Dog Night. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/51 "2015-07-25T12:18:05Z")
> [@Apex\_Rogers](#): > > Sorry to nitpick, but the song is called **Smoke Two Joints** and the Sublime version was a cover. It was originally by The Toyes and was released in 1983. > > [Smoke Two Joints - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_Two_Joints) Ahhh, but the _best_ cover was done by Pittsburgh’s own Norman Nardini, the Guinea with the skinny. > **[Smoke Two Joints](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_Two_Joints#Nardini_cover_version)** > > "Smoke Two Joints" is a song originally written by The Toyes, who performed it in traditional Reggae style and released it in 1983. According to The Toyes, "one fine fall day on a small island" of Oahu in Hawaii, two of the band members, Mawg and Sky, were sitting under a large banyan tree on Kuhio Beach, "tokin' on some sweet bud & jammin' on a rootsy reggae funky town" when they conceived the song "Smoke Two Joints." > It was featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 American comedy-thriller fi... Norman!!! ---
**Author:** ![TennisMenace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@TennisMenace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TennisMenace)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/52 "2015-07-25T12:31:36Z")
Well, coming in late, I see the three I was going to cite have been taken: 1. Lucy in the Sky- I see there is some debate though 2. White Rabbit- no debate 3. Cocaine- title gives it away How about Sugar, Sugar by the Archie’s? :smack: ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/53 "2015-07-25T17:03:27Z")
Another one in the “well, duh” catagory: Arlo Guthrie’s [Coming into Los Angeles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM-aImSaUYs). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/54 "2015-07-25T17:51:32Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Then you have _One Toke Over the Line_ in 70, even was performed on Lawrence Welk. I have no idea how anybody thought it was a spiritual song. The “anybody” is question was Welk himself, who apparently had no familiarity with the current pop culture and its vocabulary. The how is multiple references to “Sweet Jesus” and “Sweet Mary.” In Welkthink: \>Mentions Biblical characters? Must be a gospel song. \>The rest of the lyrics don’t make sense? Must be a modern one. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/55 "2015-07-25T17:54:01Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > The “anybody” is question was Welk himself, who apparently had no familiarity with the current pop culture and its vocabulary. The how is multiple references to “Sweet Jesus” and “Sweet Mary.” > > In Welkthink: > > \>Mentions Biblical characters? Must be a gospel song. > > \>The rest of the lyrics don’t make sense? Must be a modern one. And what did he think a “toke” was? A token of the love of God? ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/56 "2015-07-25T18:48:56Z")
The Charlatans - Codeine ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/57 "2015-07-25T19:00:10Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > I would venture [The Pusher](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XqyGoE2Q4Y) by Steppenwolf qualifies. > [@Chefguy](#): > > Probably “Magic Carpet Ride”, as well. And don’t forget their answer to Nixon and Operation Intercept “Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam” A lot of groups played around with the drug theme in their music but Steppenwolf and Kay were one of the very few to be straight in your face about it. And at a time when it really wasn't done. But he did play both sides slightly; from the same record "Snow Blind Friend". Put him down as pro weed, neutral to leery most other recreational drugs. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OMxCi3ljWEg/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeA4AC6AKKAgwIABABGHIgZCg2MA8=&rs=AOn4CLA-1nx1YmDUNtIwGYEE1ARbgJdvAQ "Snowblind Friend - Steppenwolf") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMxCi3ljWEg) ---
**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:** [July 25, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/58 "2015-07-25T20:22:52Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > And don’t forget their answer to Nixon and Operation Intercept > “Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam” Nitpick: this song is from 1968, predating the Nixon presidency and Operation Intercept. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/59 "2015-07-25T22:39:12Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Listen to “Something happened to me yesterday.” from Between the Buttons by the Stones. That’s my best example. It also is the first solo vocal turn by Keith Richards. Good one – recorded in 1966, released in January 1967. In addition to the sung lyrics (“it’s really rather trippy,” etc.), someone says “What kind of drug _is_ this?”. Listen carefully for it. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/60 "2015-07-26T00:40:47Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Nitpick: this song is from 1968, predating the Nixon presidency and Operation Intercept. Possible sub-nitpick ----- I’m remembering it on a later tour (and possibly a live album?) being dedicated to Nixon and the shutting down of the border. OK – I was close – not Nixon per se. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VI9snH4Y9rA/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeA4AC6AKKAgwIABABGEEgTShyMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCmXl92j8goquAoUSHaodVkldD6fg "Don't Step On The Grass Sam - Steppenwolf") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI9snH4Y9rA) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042.md?page=4)