# 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:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/101 "2015-08-02T11:43:46Z")
Incidentally, John Lennon has always insisted that Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds has nothing to do with LSD. He says that it was prompted by his son Julian coming back from school with a picture of his schoolmate Lucy, in the sky, with diamonds. Lucy is Lucy O’Donnell, who is dead. John has said the lyrics were inspired by Alice In Wonderlad. It is, of course, a wonderful coincidence that the initials spell LSD. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/102 "2015-08-02T21:51:00Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > … > **bordelond** - I think EVERYONE in the world knows the rumor about “Puff the Magic Dragon”, but the three members of PP&M have steadfastly maintained for about 50 years now that this is NOT a drug song, that it’s about the loss of childhood innocence. I think this is one we just have to accept that. I never believed that rumor. Sure, I heard it. And sure, “puff, the magic drag… on” sounds like a drug reference. But that’s pretty much the only thing about the song that sounds anything like drugs. It really sounds more like an ode to the loss of childhood innocence. I’d have been shocked if they said otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/103 "2015-08-03T05:25:33Z")
I just recalled a line from the Grateful Dead’s 1967 song “That’s It for the Other One”— Spanish lady come to me, she lays on me this rose. It rainbow spirals round and round, It trembles and explodes It left a smoking crater of my mind, I like to blow away. But **the heat came round and busted me For smiling on a cloudy day** In the last line above that is a very subtle reference, but potheads would understand it easily. Cf. the dialogue in Jimi Hendrix’s 1968 song “Rainy Day, Dream Away”: —(cough) Hey man, take a look out the window ‘n’ see what’s happ’nin’. —Hey man, it’s rainin’. It’s rainin’ outside, man. —Aw, don’t worry ‘bout that. We’ll get into somethin’ real nice, you know. Sit back and groove on a rainy day. —Yeah, (sound of toking on a joint then speaking with breath held) yeah, I see what you mean, brother, lay back and groove. Also Bob Marley’s song “Got to have \*kaya \*now, for the rain is falling.” ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/104 "2015-08-03T06:58:44Z")
I’m certain that “Panama Red” is just a song about a southwesterner drifter who was always welcome when he came to town. Because he always satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/105 "2015-08-03T18:54:45Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > There’s the Randy Newman song, _Mama Told Me Not To Come_… Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Dodgecity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cab0a1/32.png) [@Dodgecity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dodgecity)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042/106 "2015-08-03T19:25:49Z")
Don’t Bogart Me Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Roll another one Just like the other one You’ve been hanging on to it And I sure would like a hit Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Roll another one Just like the other one That one’s just about burnt to the end So come on and be a real friend Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-songs-from-the-60s-really-are-about-acid-trips-or-drugs/726042.md?page=5)