white rabbit

there are so many pieces of music and so many musicians who could be described as iconic in terms of the sixties’ experience but one that stands high above the rest for me is the song “white rabbit” by jefferson airplane. this is music from a glorious mixed up cultural foment that could have, should have, and would have produced so much more change if it hadn’t been appropriated so quickly by the mainstream.

here are the lyrics to white rabbit - sung by the inimitable grace slick . . . .

one pill makes you larger
and one pill makes you small
and the ones that mother gives you
don't do anything at all
go ask alice
when she's ten feet tall

and if you go chasing rabbits
snd you know you're going to fall
tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
has given you the call
recall alice
when she was just small

when men on the chessboard
get up and tell you where to go
and you've just had some kind of mushroom
and your mind is moving low
go ask alice
i think she'll know

when logic and proportion
have fallen sloppy dead
and the white knight is talking backwards
and the red queen's "off with her head!"
remember what the door knob said:
"feed your head
feed your head"

here’s a video made using the original studio performance appropriately coupled with scenes from walt disney’s children’s movie “alice in wonderland”.



readers whose birth dates back to a certain era will recall the smother’s brothers television show. the next version of white rabbit hails from that very program and actually tacks on a version of “somebody to love” all sung over a lovely “psychedelic” backdrop.



finally, here’s the band sharing a very worthy version at woodstock in 1969.


feed your head . . . .