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.
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.
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.”
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.
Maybe.
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