What renowned Jefferson Airplane song of 1967 uses imagery found in the fantasy works of author Lewis Carroll?

"White Rabbit" is a psychedelic rock song written by Grace Slick and recorded by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane, with member Grace Slick on vocals, for their 1967 album "Surrealistic Pillow". It was released as a single and became the band's second top-10 success, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was recently ranked number 478 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

It's one of Grace Slick's earliest songs, and uses imagery found in the fantasy works of Lewis Carroll -1865's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and its 1871 sequel "Through the Looking-Glass"- such as changing size after taking pills or drinking an unknown liquid.

According to Slick, the song is about following your curiosity. The White Rabbit is your curiosity. For her and others in the 1960's, drugs were a part of mind expansion and social experimentation. With its enigmatic lyrics, "White Rabbit" became one of the first songs to sneak drug references past censors on the radio.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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29 Comments

Richard D. Boyle

I had barely started to read this question when the voice of Grace Slick and the lyrics of White Rabbit leaped into my head. Now I can’t get it out...and that’s OK.

Lora Austin

Great song! I met Grace Slick once in an art gallery displaying her work. She was fun and sure had interesting stories

George Oliver Prince

Still have the album

Richard G Schwartz

Go ask Alice when she's 10 feet tall.

Pat Wells

"One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small and the one that mother gives you don't do anything at all.."

Howard Groopman

A cinch for this old rock and roller. Interesting choices, too. among the wrong answers.

Thor Johnson

one of my favorite songs from that era

filmnut

I had the distinct pleasure of hearing this song sung, by her, long before it was pressed into vinyl.

lls

...very classic stuff!

Johnny Rock

One of these greatest psychedelic- era rock songs of the 1960's, if not the greatest!.

Stephen Forest

I think Lewis Carroll was sneaking in the drug references into his novels!. I had the pleasure of seeing Jefferson Airplane and the Doors at the Roundhouse in London on my b17th irthday in 1967.Thr Jefferson Airplane made heavy use of colorful oil-slide projection, where the oils bubble up from the heat of the projector. In contrast, the Doors were bathed in bright white light throughout their set because they were being filmed for a documentary. Quite a night

Cheryl McMeekin

Great question and answer, got it right.

Julie M Prentice

Pat Wells, because drugs weren't poison back then

rrb rb

You don’t see Grace Slick on stage or TV. And she likes it that way.

John W Shreve

George Oliver Prince, I have it on reel-to-reel.

Shirley Dutt

Love that song!

Warren Trimble

"Feed your Head!" That's what a lot of us here are doing.

paolabelle

Love the song.

John W Shreve

filmnut, Me too, with the Great Society, I think at the Longshoreman's Hall at Fisherman's Wharf. I worked across the street at a candy store.

filmnut

Johnny Rock, I am also one whom abhors run-on sentences. That first sentence could and can be reduced to three succinct sentences. I’ve never understood how people just keep popping in commas here and there as a point to take a breath and continue writing (or reading as the case may be).