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Back in the day, singers and songwriters had to hide their songs about drug use and disguise it as something else. They weren’t allowed to sing publicly about drugs. But in newer age music, are artists still doing this? I found 5 songs that are secretly about drugs that I had no idea that’s what they were talking about!
5 Songs That Are Secretly About Drugs: Follow Me- Uncle Kracker
I was actually informed by a friend that this song wasn’t about what I thought it was. I did some research and it turns out that this song is about drugs. Uncle Kracker stated “It takes on a couple of different meanings. I’ve heard some people think that I’m talking about drugs, or some people think I’m talking about cheating. I guess it’s kinda both. I would never want to say anything that would get myself in trouble, being married with a couple of kids. That song is like a dirty picture painted with a pretty brush.”
5 Songs That Are Secretly About Drugs: There She Goes- The LA’s
This song is an old song, but it has gained a reputation for being about the use of heroin. When asked about the rumor in 1995, the group’s bassist John Power replied, “I don’t know. Truth is, I don’t wanna know. Drugs and madness go hand in hand. People who you’ve known all your life… they’re steady, then they’re not. But you can’t ponder, ’cause it kills you, la.” But it does say in the lyrics ‘racing through my brain, pulsing through my vein, no one else can heal my pain.’
5 Songs That Are Secretly About Drugs: Semi-Charmed Life- Third Eye Blind
Okay, so this one is not so secret but it was news to me to find out this is about crystal meth! Yes, it does state it in the song but I never had noticed it until it was pointed out to me by a friend. The artist has stated on a show on HBO: “When I wrote ‘Semi-Charmed Life,’ the guitar riff was intended to have this sort of bright duh-nuhnuh-nunt, this shiny thing, because that was a feeling of speed. You know, it’s sort of a bright, shiny drug. And we all were sort of into hip hop, and so it has a hip-hop flow over it.”
5 Songs That Are Secretly About Drugs: Soul to Squeeze- Red Hot Chili Peppers
Some people may have known this one was about being an addict. He is singing about having a bad disease and his struggles with addiction. Lead singer Anthony Kiedis wrote this about his personal struggles with addiction, and other songs like Under the Bridge, Slow Cheetah, This is the place, This velvet glove and probably more.
5 Songs That Are Secretly About Drugs: Only Wanna Be With You- Hootie and the Blowfish
I thought for sure this song was a guy singing to a girl about wanting to be with her, well I was wrong! While a casual interpretation might peg the lady Darius Rucker is singing to as a stand-in for Crystal Meth, a deeper dive reveals that every noun in the song (“a man named Gray”, Bob Dylan, dolphins) acts as a proxy for the drug.
There are so many more songs from the 90’s up to now that are secretly about drugs, just listen to the lyrics and make your own decision what the song is about! If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll free 1-800-951-6135.
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