The only Jefferson Airplane song about drugs, according to Grace Slick
The San Francisco Bay Area was synonymous with two things during the counterculture boom of the 1960s: music and drugs. With the advent of psychedelics like LSD and depressants like cannabis becoming much more widespread, hippies soon realised the artistic potential that these drugs brought. Of course, these influences would soon permeate through to the musical mainstream, with bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones having their own flirts with the mind-bending world of psychedelia. For the most part, though, it was Bay Area psych bands like Jefferson Airplane who were flying the flag for this cultural rebellion.
Jefferson Airplane are undoubtedly among the most iconic groups of the 1960s. Pioneering the genre of psychedelic rock, the band created a wealth of incredible material over their relatively short tenure. First formed in 1965, the band is best remembered for the material they recorded after bringing the endlessly talented vocalist Grace Slick on board in 1966. From that point on, the Airplane rarely made any filler tracks, records like Surrealistic Pillow particularly flawless. Yet, aside from their fantastic body of work and legendary live appearances, Jefferson Airplane were perhaps best known for their penchant for psychedelic substances.
This fact should probably come as no surprise. Look at their album artwork, look at their clothes, listen to their lyrics – those hippies were as high as it is possible to get. So much so that multiple members of the group, including original drummer Jerry Peloquin, left the band as a result of their incessant drug use. Do you know how many drugs you have to do before a hippie says, ‘woah guys, let’s calm down a bit’? So, yes, Jefferson Airplane’s reputation for taking drugs is pretty justifiable.
Nevertheless, it seems as though vocalist Grace Slick grew to resent that notion. In a 1983 interview, Slick reflected upon the peace and love era of Jefferson Airplane. “We were talking about something that was going on at the time,” she shared, “We liked it. We had a good time, but we were not saying ‘why don’t you guys all go out and take drugs?’”. So far, so good, but then the vocalist felt the need to add the contentious statement, “The only song that talked about drugs, as far as Jefferson Starship or Airplane, was mine and it was called ‘White Rabbit’”.
If you are reading this article, it is likely you are already aware of ‘White Rabbit’, which should be hailed among the greatest rock songs of all time. With lyrics concerning magic mushrooms and Alice In Wonderland, culminating in the final defiant cry of “Feed your head”, there is certainly no doubt that the track is about an acid trip.
While ‘White Rabbit’ might be the most popular and obvious example of LSD influence in Airplane’s music, it is far from being the only example. The entirety of Surrealistic Pillow is awash with acid influences; just look at the song titles: ‘Embryonic Journey’, ‘How Do You Feel’, ‘3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds’ – what else would these songs be about?
So why would Slick try to claim that Jefferson Airplane were not overly influenced by drugs? Well, it is worth remembering that this interview occurred in 1983, at a time in which she was beginning to turn her back on her countercultural beginnings. Two years later would see the release of her horrendous song, ‘We Built This City’, so it’s probable that she was attempting to move away from her drug-induced beginnings to endear herself more to the pop charts – something she would later regret.
