Keef Hartley Band – You Say You’re Together Now

Keef Hartleyn viimeiseksi julkaisuksi jääneeltä Seventy-Second Brave -albulmita löytyy bändin basistin, Gary Thainin, säveltämä ja laulama upea You Say You’re Together Now.

Bändin hajottua Thain siirtyi Uriah Heepin riveihin ja soitti kaikilla Heepin kultakauden levyillä.

Thain kuitenkin kuoli 1975 heroiinin yliannostukseen 27-vuotiaana, kuinkas muutenkaan.

You Say You’re Together Now kertoo hänen omista kamppailuistaan aineiden kanssa.

Humble Pie – 30 Days in the Hole

Taitaa kertoa kaverista, joka joutui 30 päiväksi vankilaan huumeiden käytöstä.

”Roll my tape
Ooh, ooh, ooh

Thirty days,
Anyone doin’ that one?
I’m doin’ that one

30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole

All right all right all right all right, yeah

Chicago Green, talkin’ ’bout Black Lebanese
A dirty room and a silver coke spoon
Give me my release, come on
Black Nepalese, it’s got you weak in your knees
Sneeze some dust that you got buzzed on
You know it’s hard to believe

30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
That’s what they give you
30 days in the hole
I know

Newcastle Brown, I’m tellin’ you, it can sure smack you down
Take a greasy whore and a rollin’ dance floor
It’s got your head spinnin’ round
If you live on the road, well there’s a new highway code
You take the urban noise with some dirt with poison
It’s gonna lessen your load

30 days in the hole
That’s what they give you now
30 days in the hole
Oh, yeah
30 days in the hole
All right, all right
30 days in the hole

What you doin’ boy?
You here for 30 days
Get, get, get your long hair cut
And cut out your ways

Black Nepalese, it got you weak in your knees
Gonna sneeze some dust that you got busted on
You know it’s so hard to please
Newcastle Brown can sure smack you down
You take a greasy whore and a rollin’ dance floor
You know you’re jailhouse-bound

30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
Oh, yeah
30 days in the hole
30 days, 30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole”

James Brown – Public Enemy No. 1, Pt. 1

Vuonna 1972 James Brown ensin julkaisi singlenä King Heroin -kappaleen ja muutaman kuukauden kuluttua jatkoi aiheesta tällä kaksiosaisessa Public Enemy -biisillä.

”You know, this is James Brown

I’m such a lover of people
because people did so much for me
I’m a lover of humanity, all of mankind
and I feel that He who has been successful
should look out for his fellow brother,
I feel that is my role, that is my job

I know when i was a kid,
see I was going to be a preacher, huh, ay
maybe I am, but I feel like I’m a teacher, somewhat,
because i’ve been able to experience things that most, the poor,
or a lot of other people have never been able to, even the rich.

So I’ll start by preaching right here,
because I want to preach to you one more time about heroin.

I talked once before, now I want to preach.
i want to start by saying
I heard heroin talking one more time and said

From where I came, nobody knows
I come from the land where the poppy seed grows
a whole nation gathered to plot my destruction
because I’m a breeder of crime and wholesale corruption
…you say, I’m pure and then undilluatable
and once I’m in your blood I make it pursuitable

now only they say sing it on son,
sing it on son, she says i’ve lost my son, he’s gone away
sing it on son, you might save a life

I said madam, lookie here,
I say, on the record and make all men
that date to use it will wallow in sin
driven then to commit a world of crime
…captive their will and destroy their mind
they changed their lives and destroyed the meek
misuser of fools and made the strong men weak.

I know!!
wait a minute,
lookie here,
they take gold from the rich and made them poor
take young foolish maden and made her a whore.
look at that!

and then I heard, about that time,
I heard a man in the corner,
he was sitting down with his head down low,
I noticed him when he first walk in

and he was addicted to drugs and he said I feel it,
and brother I want to getup and testify
so everybody started screamin and hollerin and crying
I saw a little tears coming from my eye, because I know I felt it
and this brother got up and said, let me have it!
I want to tell you everything! Talk to a man that knows!

he said, some will sell me and some will buy
for a state of affection and they cause high
but regardless of the position, and reason of use
you control my addition, and I give nothing but abuse

he said let me tell you about heroin,
and the full cause of torment
for its pleasures and pain
it will take all of your money and poison your brain

lord, I started singing, mmmmm
the place started rocking a little bit
I heard someone tapping their foot, and they said sing on brother
I started humming a little in the back ground
and then that brother said wait a minute

he said, beware of the sharp needle brother
it’ll make you sick
annoint angels and won’t let you kick
it’ll make you hustle, steal, borrow and beg
I’m still talking about that bad thing, king heroin
when you want to look for a vein in your arm or your leg

…I felt so bad I didn’t know what to do.

he said, more more precious than diamonds, more treasured than gold
more potent than whiskey, more gathered than wine
it’ll just give you discomfort, and no peace of mind

and when you come out the nod you’ll always be aware,
you shot every drop into your heart
and its full of fear

now you must rush out and hit another sting
praise me, as I oh heroin the king

but he said be quick my friend, get off your knees!
oh yeah!!! get off your knees.
you’re up tight and accept no pleas”

John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band – John Sinclair

John Sinclair oli runoilija ja kirjailija, joka tuomittiin kymmeneksi vuodeksi vankilaan kahden marihuana-sätkän vuoksi. John Lennon kirjoitti hänestä laulun ja vaati hänen vapauttamistaan. Mikä pian tapahtuikin.

”It ain’t fair, John Sinclair
In the stir for breathing air
Won’t you care for John Sinclair?
In the stir for breathing air
Let him be, set him free
Let him be like you and me

They gave him ten for two
What else can the judges do?
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta set him free

If he’d been a soldier man
Shooting gooks in Vietnam
If he was the CIA
Selling dope and making hay
He’d be free, they’d let him be
Breathing air, like you and me

They gave him ten for two
What else can the judges do?
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta set him free

They gave him ten for two
They got Ali Otis too.
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta set him free

Was he jailed for what he done?
Or representing everyone
Free John now, if we can
From the clutches of the man
Let him be, lift the lid
Bring him to his wife and kids

They gave him ten for two
What else can the bastards do?
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta,
Gotta, gotta, gotta set him free”

Blue Öyster Cult – Then Came the Last Days of May

Blue Öyster Cultin debyyttialbumilla on muutamakin huumeisiin viittaava kappale. Then Came the Last Days of May kertoo tarinan kaveruksista, jotka ovat menossa ostamaan huumeita, mutta jotain meneekin lopussa totaalisen pieleen.

”Parched land, no desert sand
The sun is just a little dot
And a little bit of water goes a long way
’cause it’s hot (it’s hot)
Three good buddies of mine were laughin’ and smokin’
In the back of a rented Ford
They couldn’t know they weren’t going too far

Each one with the money in his pocket
To go out and buy himself a brand new car
But they all held the money they had
Money they hoped would take them very far

Sky’s bright, the traffic light
Now and then a truck
And they hadn’t seen a cop around all day (what luck)
They brought everything they needed
Bags and scales to weigh the stuff
The driver said, ”The border’s just over the bluff”

Wasn’t until the car suddenly stopped
In the middle of a cold and barren plain
And the other guy turned and spilled
Three boys blood did they know a trap had been laid?

They’re OK the last days of May
But I’ll be breathin’ dry air
I’m leaving soon
The others are already there (all there)
Wouldn’t be interested in coming along
Instead of staying here?
It’s said the West is nice this time of year”

Sly and the Family Stone – (You Caught Me) Smilin

Sly and the Family Stonen 1972 singlena julkaistu biisi kuvaa tilannetta, jossa biisin kertoja on pilvessä tai tripillä ja tämä huomaa kaverinsa havainneen olevansa tripillä. Hmmm… hankalasti selitetty, mutta sanat kertonevat paremmin:

”You caught me smilin’ – again
You caught me smilin’ – again

Hangin’ loose,
’Cause you ain’t used to seein’ me turned on.

You caught me smilin’ – again
You caught me smilin’ – again

I’ll be gone,
And it won’t take you long to climb a tree about me.

You caught me smilin’ – again
You caught me smilin’ – again

I ain’t down
I’ll be around to carry on

You caught me smilin’ – again
You caught me smilin’ – again

In my pain
I’ll be sane to take your hand.”

Petri & Pettersson Brass – Päättömällä pollella

”kun mä kuljin polle vierelläin
monta kummaa ihmettä näin”

Biisihän on suomennos American hitistä ”Horse without a Name”. Suomennoksen on tehnyt Jukka Virtanen ja hän kommentoi sitä näin: ”Siinä kerrotaan heroiinista: polle viittaa hepoon. Siihen aikaan ei oikein voinut suoraan laulaa huumeista. Alkuperäisteksti oli ihan sekopäinen, mutta onhan tämä suomennoskin aika pimeä. Se on silti monen lempilauluja tuotannostani.”

Curtis Mayfield- Freddie’s Dead

Tässä lauletaan aivan hemmetinmoisen liikuttavasti hyväksikäytetyn pikkunistin kuolemasta. Upea biisi.

”Freddie’s dead
That’s what I said
Let the rap a plan
Said he’d see him home
But his hope was a rope
And he should’ve known
It’s hard to understand
That there’s love in this man
I’m sure all would agree
That his misery was his
Woman and things
Now Freddie’s dead
That’s what I said

Everybody’s misused him
Ripped him up and abused him
Another junkie plan
Pushing dope for the man
A terrible blow
But that’s how it goes
A Freddie’s on the corner now
If you want to be a junkie, wow
Remember Freddie’s dead”

T. Rex – Telegram Sam

Telegram Sam viitannee Marc Bolanin manageriin, joka esitteli Bolanin ja kokaiinin toisillee.

”Telegram Sam
Telegram Sam
You are my main man
Golden nose slim
Golden nose slim
I knows where you ’bin
Purple Pie Pete
Purple Pie Pete
Your lips are like lightening
Girls melt in the heat, yeah”

Eagles – Witchy Woman

Tämä Eaglesin debyyttialbumin raita kertoo naisesta, joka heroiiniaddikti.

”She held me spellbound in the night
dancing shadows and firelight
crazy laughter in another
room and she drove herself to madness
with a silver spoon
woo hoo witchy woman see how high she flies
woo hoo witchy woman she got the moon in her eye”