SEASON 291 : Drugs
I have no idea how this one will go, but it’s a major music theme we haven't done yet.
The popular music of the past 50 years has been heavily influenced by drugs. Many of the songs we love were written by musicians who were on drugs at the time, and may have found their inspiration in their altered state of mind. And many of the musicians we have loved were gone far too soon due to drugs. As music fans, our lives have been touched by the drug use of musicians we never met.
So this week, I want to hear:
• Songs about drugs
• Songs about the damage done by drugs
• Songs that use drugs as a metaphor for something else, like “I Want a New Drug”
• If you know any songs about medicinal drugs, those are okay, too. The only one I can think of offhand is Allan Sherman’s “Headaches” (“aspirin commercials give me headaches”). In fact, here’s a first line any of you J.J. Cale fans is welcome to expand on: “If you want to grow hair, on a head that is bare, Rogaine”.
What I don’t want to hear this week:
• Songs that aren’t about drugs, but the musician was on drugs when it was written. That would be way too easy. It would allow you just about any song from 1967 into the ‘80s.
• Songs where the drug is alcohol. We did that theme already, and will probably do it again.
There’s a long-standing myth that “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is about LSD. It was started by the same people who thought “OPD” meant that Paul was “officially pronounced dead”, and it’s not true. But if you insist on doing this song, I won’t ban it. Please try digging deeper, though. By the way, McCartney has said that "Got to Get You Into My Life" was a love song to marijuana.
As chance would have it, Sean (ukuleledaddy) did a podcast about drug songs just a week ago, so you can use that to give you some song ideas. I’ve posted the link. And with TCK’s encyclopedic knowledge of reggae, there just might be a song or two about weed he can suggest.
The Songs Stuck in My Head – Feeling High
It’s possible that drugs may be a triggering subject for someone. If this is the case for you, and you don’t feel you can bring yourself to do even an anti-drug song, please send me a PM and I’ll consider adding a secondary theme.
Rules:
• The video must be a new video recorded for this Season.
• The video must say that it is for the 291st Season of the Ukulele.
• Multitracking is okay, overdubs are okay. But I'm most interested in seeing you perform a song on the ukulele.
• Original songs are always welcome.
• Videos must be posted to this thread. But not before midnight tonight, Hawaiian time. (And remember, Season 290 still has a day to go.)
• The contest ends at midnight Hawaiian time on Sunday night, September 17.
• NO MORE THAN THREE VIDEOS!
• Winners will be chosen randomly. I usually give t-shirts as prizes.
PLAYLIST
I have no idea how this one will go, but it’s a major music theme we haven't done yet.
The popular music of the past 50 years has been heavily influenced by drugs. Many of the songs we love were written by musicians who were on drugs at the time, and may have found their inspiration in their altered state of mind. And many of the musicians we have loved were gone far too soon due to drugs. As music fans, our lives have been touched by the drug use of musicians we never met.
So this week, I want to hear:
• Songs about drugs
• Songs about the damage done by drugs
• Songs that use drugs as a metaphor for something else, like “I Want a New Drug”
• If you know any songs about medicinal drugs, those are okay, too. The only one I can think of offhand is Allan Sherman’s “Headaches” (“aspirin commercials give me headaches”). In fact, here’s a first line any of you J.J. Cale fans is welcome to expand on: “If you want to grow hair, on a head that is bare, Rogaine”.
What I don’t want to hear this week:
• Songs that aren’t about drugs, but the musician was on drugs when it was written. That would be way too easy. It would allow you just about any song from 1967 into the ‘80s.
• Songs where the drug is alcohol. We did that theme already, and will probably do it again.
There’s a long-standing myth that “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is about LSD. It was started by the same people who thought “OPD” meant that Paul was “officially pronounced dead”, and it’s not true. But if you insist on doing this song, I won’t ban it. Please try digging deeper, though. By the way, McCartney has said that "Got to Get You Into My Life" was a love song to marijuana.
As chance would have it, Sean (ukuleledaddy) did a podcast about drug songs just a week ago, so you can use that to give you some song ideas. I’ve posted the link. And with TCK’s encyclopedic knowledge of reggae, there just might be a song or two about weed he can suggest.
The Songs Stuck in My Head – Feeling High
It’s possible that drugs may be a triggering subject for someone. If this is the case for you, and you don’t feel you can bring yourself to do even an anti-drug song, please send me a PM and I’ll consider adding a secondary theme.
Rules:
• The video must be a new video recorded for this Season.
• The video must say that it is for the 291st Season of the Ukulele.
• Multitracking is okay, overdubs are okay. But I'm most interested in seeing you perform a song on the ukulele.
• Original songs are always welcome.
• Videos must be posted to this thread. But not before midnight tonight, Hawaiian time. (And remember, Season 290 still has a day to go.)
• The contest ends at midnight Hawaiian time on Sunday night, September 17.
• NO MORE THAN THREE VIDEOS!
• Winners will be chosen randomly. I usually give t-shirts as prizes.
PLAYLIST
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