Saturday, March 22, 2008

Suzy M. (11), Spencer C. (11), Jessica S. (26), Margaret L. (50), Brenna K. (60), Kyle M. (60), Cherika H. (2), Andrea R. (2), Shanice J. (4)

26 comments:

JShoe said...

"White Rabbit"
Jefferson Airplane (1967)

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
And 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 dormouse said:
Feed Your Head
FEED your head

Suzy said...
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Suzy said...

This song seems very postmodern to me. More what you CAN do as opposed to what you SHOULD do. I never understood as a child why my parents didn’t want me reading Alice and the Rabbit Hole, now I suppose they didn’t really want to have to explain to me what a shisha was for. The difference in culture between the time that the books were written and the time that this interpretation was given is huge to me.

The message seems clear, “Do drugs and don’t worry about it,” but I see a few underlying political messages. “When men on the chessboard/Get up and tell you where to go” has to be a direct shot at the draft. The second verse makes me think of hippies protesting in Washington, bold on acid. It’s all about how drugs make you a different person and its clear how different the opinions were then. Now we all think drugs are bad, back then they were just “liberating.” We usually think of “the man” as using propaganda, but this just makes mind enhancing drugs seem overly user friendly. I think the last verse is pretty much just making fun of parents telling their kids off about drugs, while nice little Grace Slick lets them know that they can just laugh it off with some good ole shrooms. Who cares what mom and dad think, as long as you can feel good.

The more I think about it, the more intense this song seems. Now we think of psychotropic substances as more of a get-away more than a pick up. I think that thinking about this has just given me a new opinion on the Jeffrey MacDonald trial.

Spencer said...

Hey, my name is Spencer Coombs and I am a freshman at Clemson. When I finished reading the lyrics to this song it was obvious to me that Jefferson Airplane had referred to the story Alice in Wonderland throughout the entire song. I believe that one very strong message given by this song is that life is an amazing adventure if you do what you are not supposed to. This displays the rebellious nature of people in the 1960s. Just as Alice rebelled and followed the rabbit down the hole, everyone else should also rebel and act on impulse. No one wants to take the safe, harmless pills given to them by their mother, “Go ask Alice”. They want to take the dangerous, fun pills that make you tall or small. This song is also telling people to make decisions for themselves and not to be swayed by others. When the “white knight is talking backwards”, or you do not understand what is going on, you should step back and look at things from your own perspective and decide things for yourself. For these reasons I believe this song is about not letting yourself be controlled by others.

Anonymous said...

Hey Everyone!

My name is Jessica and I am a freshman at Clemson University. I had never heard of the song “White Rabbit”, so I immediately pulled it up on YouTube and listened to it. I would definitely recommend doing this if you have not heard the song. Reading the lyrics with the music in the background helps to understand the feeling and mood behind the song. The song is very slow, and during the video I watched, it was obvious the members of Jefferson Airplane were drug users themselves. The song is full of drug references and shows how common drug use was during the 60’s. The song references Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland. In the book, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in Wonderland. The “rabbit hole” signifies Alice doing drugs, and the “Wonderland” refers to her experience on drugs. During this time, many people did drugs to escape the realities of the Vietnam War. When they say, “One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small”, I believe they are referring to the different ways drugs can make you feel. It also goes along with the Alice in Wonderland story. In the last two lines,” Feed your head, FEED your head”, Jefferson Airplane is telling their listeners to go do drugs themselves.

Until next time,
Jessica S. (26)

Anonymous said...

Hello group,

Hi, my name is Brenna Kiffmeyer and I’m also a freshman at Clemson University. Just like Jessica, the first thing that I did before even reading the lyrics was to find the song on YouTube. The mood and rhythm of the song was not at all what I expected it to be, but after reading and analyzing the lyrics I decided that it is well fitting and the meaning of the song was better defined. It is obvious to me that the reason drugs were so common and widely used at this time was because they were used to escape both personal problems and those that were larger, like the war. No one thought at all about the negative effects of drug use because they were so focused on numbing the world around them. For example, in the song it refers to the point “When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead” and then later continues to repeat the phrase “Feed your head”. This emphasizes the desire to get lost in a different world, like Alice in Wonderland. The pictures on the right side of the page were also helpful in deciphering the meaning behind Jefferson Airplane’s lyrics.

-Brenna K.

Anonymous said...

Hey Group!
My name is Margaret Lowery and I am a freshman at Clemson. Before today, I had not heard this song, so also I pulled it up on YouTube. After watching the video, listening and reading the lyrics it is very obvious to me that this song is about drug use in the 1960’s. Anyone who knows anything about the story of Alice in Wonderland knows that throughout this song, Jefferson Airplane is referring to that story. Like Alice in the story, it seems to me that at this time, people used drugs in order to escape reality because it was fun. The lyrics in this song are sending a message that you shouldn’t follow what you know you should do or what is right or what people (the men on the chessboard telling one to go to war) but that you should do what you want to do. You should take the pills you want to take because even Alice knows that the ones that your mother gives you don’t do anything, it’s the other pills that make you small or make you tall. You should do things for yourself, not because you are told to but make decisions on your own. This song is saying to “Feed your head” with what you want and what you decide.

Until next time,
Margaret L. (50)

Anonymous said...

Hello group my name is Shanice Jones and I am a sophomore at USC Upstate. I have never hear of this song before and it makes me think about drugs. It is like it is taking the Alice in Wonderland movie and making it as to tell people to do drugs. It was like it was saying hey it is okay to do drugs she did it. I really would not recommend my child to listen to something like this because it made a child's cartoon seem so negative. It is telling you how you would look at things if you were on some type of drug. This is song is really trying to encourage people to go do drugs it is okay. It is like one of those cigarette commercials when they are trying to advertise them to have people buy them. Little kids love Alice in Wonderland and when hearing this song they would think it is okay to just go do drugs when it really is not okay to do that.

Shanice J. (4)

Anonymous said...

Hey group,
My name is Kyle M. and I am a freshman at Clemson. I had not heard this song in while but I do like it. I think it is a very interesting and symbolic song that is very representative of the “counterculture” movement during the time period. The allusions that are made in the song to Alice in Wonderland help make it very symbolic as well. The idea of taking pills and other drugs and being entertained by their affects on your mind’s perception of reality was a very mundane during this time and though drugs have a negative connotation in today’s world there are still people who enjoy the mind altering affects of drugs. The line, “And you've just had some kind of mushroom, And your mind is moving low,” is very representative of the way the artists were affected by their drugs. The title, “White Rabbit” comes from the allusions to Alice in Wonderland which is a central theme to the whole song. The last two lines of the song sum up the whole song, “Feed your head.”
-Kyle M (60)

cshenry said...

Hey my name is Cherika and I am a freshman at USC Up State. This song seems to be referring to Alice in Wonder Land and getting blaze. It seems as if they're comparing getting blaze to Alice. I think the song was written to persuade the listener/reader to believe that when you get blaze or high unordinary things happen and if you don’t believe so ask Alice she’s knows. There saying when you do drugs you enter into a new world where anything is possible where nothing even matter at all. Getting high takes you on a fairy tale journey and you should try it. Everyone should because remember what the dormouse said Feed Your Head FEED your head.

Anonymous said...

Hey Again!

I really enjoyed reading everyone else’s comments on the song. Overall, we all had the same general idea of what the song meant. I think we can all agree that the song refers to Alice in Wonderland and drugs! I definitely agree with Suzy when she says that the lines “When men on the chessboard/Get up and tell you where to go” is referring to the draft. When people were drafted, they had no choice on whether or not they wanted to enter the war. I thought it was very interesting how Shanice compared the songs to tobacco ads we see today. I really like the comment Kyle made about how drugs have a different reputation today than they did in the 60’s. It made me realize how drugs were more accepted back then, and reanalyze the song.

Until next time,
Jessica S. (26)

Anonymous said...

Hey Yall!

At first I wasn’t so sure about this project, but I’ve enjoyed reading everyone else’s comments. I think that there are a good number of us who are thankful for YouTube for having older songs available to listen to! We have all seem to come to the conclusion that this song makes obvious references to Alice in Wonderland and drugs. Shanice, you made a good point about cigarette commercials. I hadn’t thought about that. Kyle, you also made a few good points. First of all, I hadn’t even thought through the title of the song yet, but I would agree and say that even the title refers to the story of Alice. Also, I like how you mention the difference of perception of drugs over time. Isn’t it odd to think that something that was accepted and so popular at one time is now looked down upon? It’s weird how time changes.

Until Sunday,
Margaret L. (50)

Anonymous said...

Hey everyone!

I have really enjoyed reading all of your thoughts and comments. After reading all the posts it is without a doubt clear that we all have the same idea about the meaning of this song. It was interesting to read about everyone’s different reactions and comparisons that were made to that general time period. Cherika, I like how you compared Alice entering her Wonderland to someone using drugs and entering their own world where anything is possible. Some of the things that Suzy brought up about the underlying political references were interesting points that I hadn’t thought about prior to reading her blog. I have enjoyed talking with you all so far.

-Brenna

cshenry said...

I loved what everybody had to say about the song. I especially love how Suzy analyze the song by connecting it to things that were going on during that time like the draft and how now drugs are to be thought of as something bad but then they were just liberating. I most definitely agree with Jessica listening to the music and reading the lyrics at the same time really do help you understand the feeling and mood behind the song. When you first listen to the song she’s singing in a mellow voice as if she’s high and it’s got her felling relax. Then when it gets towards the end she sings louder and louder. When she reaches the last two lines Feed Your Head FEED your head it’s like she’s screaming it. It seems at this point she’s really starting to feel her high so she tells you to Feed Your Head FEED your head because you got to try this you need to feel this sensation.

Cherika H.

Spencer said...

Hey group, obviously everybody agrees on the fact that the song “White Rabbit” is about using drugs and Jefferson Airplane’s reference to Alice in Wonderland to describe drug use in the 1960s. I have always had trouble interpreting poems and songs especially with this kind of music. The artists use so much symbolism and so many metaphors, I always feel like what I think they are saying is wrong. Therefore, it was a relief to me to see that most of our first posts were along the same lines. I really like Jessica’s analysis thoughts on Alice in Wonderland and how the “rabbit hole” signifies her drug use and the “Wonderland” is her experience while on drugs. Also, I agree with Suzy’s reference to the “men on the chessboard” ordering you where to go. This was one of those moments when I was completely lost with what the artist was trying to say, but now I completely agree that this is referring to the draft for the Vietnam War.

Spencer said...
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Suzy said...
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Suzy said...

Hey guys, I'm back, even if I am running a little late. I agree that "feed your head" is about a drug trip, but I don't think that was all. Alot of the "counterculture" considered doing psychotropic substances just fun. They saw it as a way to see other worlds and expand their minds, becoming wiser, better people in the process. It's about learning, as off as that seems. "The war" as my father calls it was a big part of this song from what everyone says. The qoutes that I said before about making fun of parents for ecouraging their kids to be "normal" are the same. Don't be like mom and dad in Small Town, USA. Expand your mind and be your own person.

Mmm... shrooms... brain food. Who would ever think.

-Suzy M

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Hey group!
Just like Spencer, I also have a hard time trusting my judgment and interpretation of poems and songs so it was comforting to see that all of our first and second responses were along the same lines. Jessica, I really like your analysis of Alice in Wonderland. I hadn’t thought that The “rabbit hole” could signify Alice doing drugs, and the “Wonderland” could be referring to her experience while on drugs. I also like Suzy’s comments on why people used drugs in those days. I didn’t realize that they did so in order to expand other worlds and see things in a different light. I had only thought that the reason they used drugs was to escape reality and all that was going on with the war. Great thought!
The following is a link to a picture. The picture is of the lead sings of Jefferson Airplane performing. The reason I picked this to share with the rest of you is because as soon as I saw it I felt that it is a fair representation of the song “White Rabbit” and the time that it was recorded. The background is psychedelic; it’s not clear or distinct. The background of this picture describes what I think about and imagine when I consider the 1960’s, hippies, etc. The fact this picture is of Jefferson Airplane is an added bonus.
I’ve enjoyed hearing what everyone has to say. This blog is a neat way to interact with others and read what you interpret this song to be. Have a great rest of the semester everyone!
Margaret L. (50)

http://www.altmanphoto.com/JeffersonAirplane.jpeg

Anonymous said...

Hey again!

I have really enjoyed this blog project and hearing what all of you have had to say about Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”. Just like Spencer and Margaret, I also have difficulty reading and interpreting song lyrics and poems. It has helped me so much to discuss this in a group and get feedback from everyone. We all seem to have come to a consensus on what the song is about. It was also interesting that several people pointed out lines in the song with concealed meanings. Many of us have mentioned something at some point during this project about the line feed your head, FEED your head. I believe this is the most powerful line in the song and pretty much sums up the meaning of the entire song. Thank you everyone for your help. It was great talking with you all.

-Brenna K.

Spencer said...

I feel like after discussing this song with all you that I have a much better grasp on what life was like back in the 60s. Many of our society’s thoughts and morals about drug use have changed since then, and most of your ideas have helped me understand why they used to accept using drug as a daily activity. I agree with Suzy that they used to do drugs in an attempt to see the world from different perspectives and try to become better people. I also really enjoyed Cherika’s second comment about how the lead singer’s tone changes as the song continues. I did a little bit of research about this song and found a lot of interesting information that helped me understand why the group chose their lyrics and sound. I found a video on you tube that matches up the song with sections of the video Alice in Wonderland. Its pretty cool and if you would like to watch it the web address is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LdwGUXoXyA.

Anonymous said...

Hey Everyone!

Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment. I found it very interesting how we all had our own interpretations of the song, and what the different lyrics mean. I really like what Suzy said about how the song is really about the war. I agree that it tells children not to follow the crowd. I also like how she said that when people do drugs, they wanted to “become wiser” and “better people in the process”. Their whole purpose was not just to experience a high. Cherika made a great point of how Jefferson Airplane changes their tone towards the end. I listened to it again, and I agree that it sounds like they are screaming by the end of the song. I believe this really shows how strongly they felt about the message they were trying to convey. They were very passionate about trying to make people think for themselves and not believe everything they are told. The picture I chose was taken at Woodstock in 1969. It is of Jefferson Airplane, and they are getting ready to perform. I think the picture does a great job at representing the lifestyle that Jefferson Airplane promotes. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the semester!!

http://jeffersonairplane.com/concert8.html

Thanks for everything,
Jessica Stinson (26)

Anonymous said...

Hey Group,
This was a tough song to interpret without a little background knowledge of not only the time period but also the movie that it alluded to. When Suzy originally broke down the song for all of us she set our group out in the right direction. The whole reference to the draft that Jessica readdressed was a surprise to me. I never thought of that. This link is to a picture of one of Jefferson Airplane’s album covers. I think this is a great representation of what their general thought process was like about the music they made. It looks like they were caught up in their own wonderland.
-Kyle M. (60)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/hu/thumb/0/0c/JeffersonAirplane-30SecondsOverWinterland(album-cover).jpg/250px-JeffersonAirplane-30SecondsOverWinterland(album-cover).jpg

Anonymous said...

Hey Group,
Sorry I'm late(having computer problems). My name is Andrea Reece and I am a nursing major at Upstate.
I actually find this song a little disturbing. It seems to be focused on drugs as a way out of oppression and war. Which, it is always great to have an outlet, but i think there are more constructive ones than "lets all do drugs and forget whats going on". I mean, for one thing, it is an important time in history. When your grandkids come and ask you what happened during the war, what are you gonna tell them? I don't remember... alot of drugs? What kind of role model does that make you?
It seems like the people who wrote this song were spoiled brats who decided to not have jobs or go to war or fight for anything really...they were just there being unproductive members of society.
Also, i believe these people had way too much time on their hands to be writing about Alice in Wonderland.
I think Suzy makes the best points of anyone i read. She really seems to have sat down and thought about what to say before she did.
This song, most obviously, reminds me of alice in wonderland, but also of "Walk this Way" in the reference to a kids story.
Andrea