This morning we went on a drug run to Belgium. And before you start judging, I am talking about prescription drugs. Nothing illegal here. Some medication was not available anymore. Expected delivery around week 51. And although other brands should be exactly the same, they are not and were causing some side effects.
The pharmacy was able to arrange some, but it would take another week to get them. So yesterday we called a pharmacy just across the border (the pharmacy is even called The Border), and they had the prescription available. So we went on a little roadtrip. We also found out that medication is a lot cheaper in Belgium, about a 5th of the price in Holland.
When we crossed the border there was a heavily armed SWAT team. It seemed like they were preparing some action. Funny thing was there was a carnaval shop at the same parking lot, so it almost looked like a scene from Undercover.
But this drug run seemed like a good moment to share some songs about drugs. You cannot post so much music and ignore songs about drugs or created under the influence of them. And since I am not very political I stay away from any further discussion. Most songs can be seen as a warning anyway. In the end it is just a regular day and I am sharing some good music. Enjoy!
1. Doe Maar – Nederwiet (1981)
Hollands biggest band at that time. This song promotes their love for home grown Dutch weed. Funfact: today it is exactly 11 years ago that Natasja and I went to theit farewell concert in Arnhem. Still friends at that time. The recording below is from that night.
2. Jefferson Airplane – White Rabbit (1967)
Jefferson Airplane, the enduring rock band, emerged as one of the trailblazing acts in the realm of psychedelic rock. Their lead singer, Grace Slick, penned their most significant hit, “White Rabbit,” which was released in 1967 during the peak of the hippie culture. The song not only tells a tale but also immerses listeners in an LSD-induced journey reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Its enduring legacy is marked by the powerful crescendo in which Slick passionately proclaims, “Feed your head!”
3. Eric Clapton – Cocaine (1977)
The song’s lyrics address drug addiction, a subject Eric Clapton intimately understood. During its recording, he had overcome heroin but still battled cocaine and alcohol. His belief that he could control his addiction allowed him to sing about it objectively. Once Clapton got clean, making music sober proved challenging, but it prompted him to see the personal and relational damage caused by his addiction. This experience motivated him to help others, leading to the establishment of the Crossroads rehab center in Antigua in 1998.
4. Velvet Underground – Heroine (1967)
“Heroin” is a song by the Velvet Underground, released on their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. Written by Lou Reed in 1964, the song, which overtly depicts heroin abuse, is one of the band’s most celebrated compositions. Critic Mark Deming of Allmusic writes, “While ‘Heroin’ hardly endorses drug use, it doesn’t clearly condemn it, either, which made it all the more troubling in the eyes of many listeners.
5. The Beatles – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (1967)
The Beatles stand as one of the most iconic bands in musical history. During the late 1960s, they delved into the world of drugs, and their track “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is a subtle nod to an LSD experience. This psychedelic gem found its place on the 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” during the band’s peak exploration of psychedelic rock. Though John Lennon maintained it was innocently sparked by his young son’s drawing, the majority of people are skeptical of this explanation.
6. Guns N’ Roses – Mr. Brownstone (1987)
“Mr. Brownstone” is a song by the American rock band Guns N’ Roses, featured on their debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). Group guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin wrote the tune while they were sitting around Stradlin’s apartment complaining about their addictions to heroin, for which “Brownstone” is a slang term.
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge (1991)
Renowned for their laid-back surfer rock style, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ journey through the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1980s was marked by the harsh reality of drug addiction. “Under the Bridge,” penned by their frontman, Anthony Kiedis, emerged after he successfully kicked his addiction, while the rest of the band still struggled. The song encapsulates Kiedis’s sense of alienation and disconnection from his bandmates and friends as he left drug use behind. This compelling track, released in 1991, became a massive hit and remains arguably the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ most beloved and popular song.
8. Jimi Hendrix – Purple Haze (1967)
When The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded “Purple Haze” in early 1967, they were still a relatively obscure presence in the United States. However, both the song and Jimi Hendrix would go on to attain iconic status in American music history. While “Purple Haze” is renowned for its description of a legendary strain of marijuana and its mind-altering effects, Hendrix himself stated that he had originally intended it as a love song.
9. Rolling Stones – Dead Flowers (1972)
This list cannot be complete without The Stones. They release a new album this week. Not sure what the title is, but a good alternative title would be How the hell is it possible that we are still alive? I guess that if you listen to their complete works it would be easy to complete a top 25 with related songs. But who cares, the Stones are not my cup of tea anyway.
10. Doe Maar – Heroine (1983)
The tragic true story about Doe Maar’s drummer Rene van Collem. He joined the band when he was 19 but could not handle it and suffered from a heroin addiction. When he started stealing from the band and fans his time was over. Rene joined Doe Maar again for several farewell concerts. He is now clean and is coaching others to help them with addictions. Video below is again from the concert we attended.
BONUS TRACK
Lee Haslam – Music Is The Drug (2002)
Besides samples from the movie the 51st state, there are no lyrics. But the title says it all. Music Is The Drug. Best drug ever, I suspect as much addictive as what all those people I mentioned in the list above did. And if you are music collector like me it costs you some as well.