Drugs are nothing new in the lyrics of various albums, as they are part of the reality for many artists. But one theme has become recurrent in various musical styles, including among headbangers: marijuana use.
Rolling Stone magazine listed the best songs ever written about the passion for marijuana, ranging from Bob Marley in reggae, D'Angelo in R&B, and Lady Gaga in pop, but here we only list rock and metal songs, featuring Bob Dylan , Black Sabbath and The Beatles .
5th place: Tom Petty, “You Don't Know How It Feels” (1994)
With a distinctly country feel, Tom Petty sings about the sorrows of loneliness and unrequited love, but finds solace in marijuana to cope with these feelings. “But let me get to the point, let’s roll another joint / And turn the radio up loud, I’m too lonely to be proud,” he laments.
4th place: Neil Young, “Roll Another Number (for the Road)” (1975)
The darkest song on the list is by Neil Young, who was expressing recent grief after losing two friends from Crazy Horse , guitarist Danny Whitten and roadie Bruce Berry , to a drug overdose.
3rd place: Black Sabbath, “Sweet Leaf” (1971)
The coughing at the beginning of the track leaves no doubt about the theme. The track is part of the iconic 1971 album Master of Reality and contains a strong declaration of support for marijuana: “I can’t forget you or your surprise / You introduced me to my mind / And left me wanting you and your kind.”
2nd place: Bob Dylan, “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35” (1966)
The opening track of the album Blonde on Blonde , released in 1966, wasn't intended as an ode to marijuana use by the musician himself, who explains the verses with biblical passages, but it became an anthem for users nonetheless. The chorus says "Everybody must get stoned," which can be understood as "Everyone must get high" or "Everyone must be stoned."
1st place: The Beatles, “Got to Get You Into My Life” (1966)
Considered by many to be a romantic song due to its passionate lyrics, the song is actually about marijuana. In his autobiography Many Years From Now (via Rolling Stone ), Paul McCartney wrote: “When we started using marijuana, it was very uplifting for me. It didn’t seem to have many side effects, like alcohol or some other things, like pills, which I pretty much avoided. I kind of enjoyed marijuana. I didn’t have any difficulty with it and for me it was mind-expanding, literally, mind-expanding. So, 'Got to Get You Into My Life' is really a song about that, it’s not about one person, it’s actually about marijuana.”
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