Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
This is a cross-university blog project between the University of South Carolina - Upstate and Clemson University for the Fall 2007 semester.
Blog Archive
-
▼
2007
(14)
-
▼
October
(14)
- Welcome!
- Christopher S.(60), Amy T.(21), Brittany W.(31),Ma...
- David R.(60), Elizabeth H.(69), Tucker S.(21), Mik...
- Rachel R.(60), Nicholas G.(69), Nicole S.(21), Rya...
- Megan M.(60), Adam G.(69), Jake M.(21), Michael J....
- Evan L.(60), Thomas G.(69), Andrew W.(21), Amanda ...
- Lauren J.(60), Wade M.(60), Jackie H.(21), Scott H...
- Michael I.(60),Laura G.(69),Christopher J.(69),Tay...
- James H.(60), Soleighta F.(69), Chris G.(21), Tyle...
- Audrey G.(60), Joshua T.(60), Woody N.(69), Chriss...
- Tyler G.(60), Stephanie C.(69), Daniel P.(69), Cha...
- Joshua C.(60), Brittany E.(60), Gregory S.(69), Je...
- Elle B. (60), Andrew B. (69), Steven V. (69), Chri...
- Rafael A. (60), Matthew W. (60), Kevin C. (69), Je...
-
▼
October
(14)
25 comments:
"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
Dear Group,
My name is Brock Bass and I am a freshman at Clemson University. I am majoring in Engineering. I thought that the song “White Rabbit” was a good representation of the social culture of the 1960’s. The song uses “Alice in Wonderland” to help describe the culture. The song talks about taking pills to grow smaller and larger. Then the song goes on to say that, “the ones mother gives you don’t do anything at all”. I think this is talking about the different drugs that were used in the 1960’s. I think the quote about the pill given by the mother is an anti-authoritative statement. It is saying the pills my mom gives me are useless, but my drugs make me feel like I’m in wonderland. The song “White Rabbit” shows how drugs were used to alter people’s minds, and perhaps help them get away from the Vietnam War and other troubles of the 1960’s.
Talk to ya’ll later,
Brock B.
Dear Group,
My name is Hether Vess. I am a freshmen at USC-Upstate and I am majoring in Pre-Med/Biology. The song "White Rabbit" is such a good example of the 60's culture. It alludes so much to Alice in the Wonderland which leaves some in the clouds because I myself have never read or seen the movie. It does however also remind me in the line " One pill makes you larger" of the Chinese supplying their troops with Opium so that they would feel larger and invincible in battle. This whole song focuses on the reoccuring drug use during the sixties. It shows the many types of drugs in the first two lines and also alludes to the mushrooms which is infamous today. It seems as if they use the analogy to Alice because that's what it seemed like to be on the drugs and lose yourself into a different world. When you do a little research on the song, it seems to be one of the biggest hits of the times because it alluded to drugs and even passed censorship. It also was on the top 500 greatest songs in 2004. The song explains how the experimentation with drugs and how that expanded the mind.
Peace for now,
Heather
Hello Group!
My name is Kayla Truax and I am a freshman at Clemson University! I am majoring in Secondary Education with a History concentration. I think the song "White Rabbit" is very representative of the "hippie" era of the 1960's, during the Vietnam War. The illustration of the different pills is very striking because people were always looking for some way to escape the horrors of war, both on the home front and the war front. This could possibly be why there was so much experimentation with drugs and the like during this time. "And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall" leaves me feeling as those this is representative of the goverment of the 1960's and the public's view of it. Many people thought that the Vietnam war was a mistake and that the United States had no right to intervene in a problem that was not their own. Like Alice, people wanted to escape from everyday opression that they found in the war era. "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane describes one way people achieved that, no matter how positive or negative it may seem.
More to come later!,
Kayla T
Dear Group,
My name is Chris Schell. I am a freshman at Clemson University. I am majoring in engineering. As weird as the lyrics to the song the “White Rabbit” are I believe it provide a good example of what the culture in the 1960’s was like. It is most definitely talking about the drug use in this time of history. I think that the song is trying to convey that drugs are good by relating them to “Alice in Wonderland” which is a children’s movie. So by relating the drugs to a children’s movie it portrays that drugs aren’t harmful and that they are use to relax and have a fun time. It also speaks to the audience that the drugs will make you happy as if you were in a children’s movie. I believe that the song would influence a lot of people because they were in a time of stress and depression which might provoke the average person to be curious to try these drugs in order to relax or to be happy. Peace,
Chris
Hey everyone, my name is Jennifer and i am a freshman at USC-Upstate majoring in Nursing. This song "White Rabbit" really does relate to how life was in the 60's. It is definitely talking about drugs, and how they were used. If you have ever seen the movie Alice in Wonderland, you can relate very well. This song relates to doing drugs. I feel that is relates to how the people felt in the 60's, and what they did to "lose themselves" and not worry about what was really going on. The writer of this song did a lot of drugs, and related the drug use, like mushrooms, the smoking caterpillar, pills, etc to children's books like Alice in Wonderland because the images were so out there, and helped her get a trip. So in conclusion, we can all see that the point of this song is telling us how the drug use and experiments in the 60's really was.
Talk to yall later!<3
Jennifer S, (35)
Hey group! My name is Maggie Funderburk and I am a senior at Boiling Springs High School, and I am dual enrolled at USC-Upstate. I plan on being a pharmacy major after I graduate. "White Rabbit" very clearly represents life in the sixties. Many people began experimenting with drugs to get away from all of the issues they were faced with in th 60's. I think the men on the chessboard symbolizes the Vietnam War. It shows that the soldiers were also using drugs to escape the everyday horrors that they faced on the war front. "Alice in Wonderland" is about Alice escaping to her own world, and people in the 60's felt that they could escape to their own world too, through the use of drugs.
We'll talk later,
Maggie
Hey group,
I’m Amy and I am a sophomore at Clemson University and majoring in Animal and Veterinary Science. This is definitely an interesting song and represents the sixties well. It clearly relates more to the hippie movement and the drugs that surrounded it. I decided to look the song up on projectplaylist.com to listen to it and hopefully get more of an understanding of the song and it has a very slow tempo which suggests being mellow and on drugs as well. The fact that it is related to Alice in Wonderland is another drug reference because if you have seen the movie or read the book it has plenty of drug references and it is rumored that the author, Lewis Carroll, was on drugs while he wrote the book. Besides the drugs, some other lines seem to relate to the 1960’s. For example, the lines “When men on the chessboard / Get up and tell you where to go” seems to be a reference to the government drafting soldiers into the Vietnam war despite whether they wanted to or not.
Talk to ya’ll later!
Amy T. (21)
Hey group,
So it definitely seems that we are all in agreement with the idea that this song is about drug use. I like Jennifer’s idea that this song relates to peoples feelings in the sixties and that drugs were a way for them to “lose themselves” and get away from the problems and changes that were occurring during this time period. Also, Kayla T.’s comment about the line, “And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know your going to fall,” and how it refers to the government intervening in the Vietnam War even if it wasn’t their place is definitely something I wouldn’t have thought of. That comment helped me see how much this song really is talking about all the issues of the sixties and not just the drug usage, because when you first read the lyrics of the song it just sounds like an acid trip but actually it has a much deeper meaning relating to the people of the sixties and their lives.
Talk to ya'll later.
Amy T. (21)
Dear Group,
After reading the comments posted by everyone, I felt like I gained a better understanding of the meaning and purpose of the song “White Rabbit”. I read two comments that really gave me a new perspective on the song. In Chris Schell’s comment he discussed how the song could have influenced curious non-drug users to experiment with drugs. They may have listened to the song and wanted the ability to be free of their problems. Drugs then could be viewed as an escape from the world around them. I never thought about how much influence this song could have on non-drug users. I also liked Heather V.’s comment. She brought up the fact that Chinese troops were given Opium to make them feel invincible. I wasn’t familiar with this and thought it was a good point because it shows just how much drugs can alter your mind. Taking drugs during the 1960’s became a way to get away from all the confusion going on all around the world. As I thought about the song and read the group’s comments I saw that there are many underlying meanings in the song. The song “White Rabbit” isn’t just a song about drugs, it cleverly brings up issues going on during the 1960’s.
Talk to ya’ll soon,
Brock B.
Hey Again, Group!
Everyone had some really good comments on the song that helped me understand it a little better. It always helps to have another point of view to compare with! I really liked Chris Schell's explanation of the drugs being portrayed as harmless in the song because they were compared to Disney's version of "Alice In Wonderland." I had thought of the drugs being made as an enticing escape, but never really considered them being made out to be harmless. Maggie F's comment pointed out to me the symbolism of the chessboard. Originally, I pictured the government to be the ones "chasing rabbits" in Vietnam, but I hadn't thought of the importance of the chessboard. After reading everyone's comments, and especially Brock B's second one, I read the poem several times again before I posted this second blog. Something else stood out to me that I don't think anyone had touched on. "When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead, And the White Knight is talking backwards, And the Red Queen's "off with her head!" to me is another portrayal of the government in the time. During the Vietnam War, nothing seemed to make sense, hence the comparison to logic and proportion being dead. The White Knight could symbolize or represent a leader, such as the President, and how people thought he was leading them in the wrong direction. The Red Queen can be representative of someone, probably an organized group, trying place blame for the Vietnam War; a specific group that could apply here are the hippies the song talks about. This is just some more insight I had, and maybe someone else can expand on it.
Until Next Time! <3
Kayla T (21)
Dear Group,
My Name is Kevin and I am an engineering major at Clemson University. I really felt like I learned a lot by what a number of the group members said about “white rabbit.” I especially found Brock’s interpretation helpful. I knew that the author was referring to drug abuse in this time, but I didn’t interpret all aspects as well he did. The idea that he came up with about mother’s not being able to give what drugs can was particularly interesting to me. I also liked Chris’s interpretation of the song. He said that the author was trying to relate the song to Alice in Wonderland to show that they are simply for fun and relaxation, just as the story of Alice in Wonderland was for fun and relaxation. These interpretations are similar to mine, however I was did not initially think the author made drugs seem so acceptable by society.
Kevin
Dear Group,
Hey it’s Chris Schell again. First of all I would like to say I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments because they each afford a slightly different meaning of what the song meant to them. One of the comments that I liked and that made me thinks of the song from a different point of view was Amy talking about the lines in the song “When men on the chessboard / Get up and tell you where to go”. I totally agree that it seems to be a reference to the government in how they would draft people weather they wanted to or not. So Jefferson Airplane probably was against the government making people sign up for the draft when because this was the United State the land of the free and he felt that the government was wrong. Another comment that helped me get another understanding of the song was Heather V. comment about the Chinese taking Opium so that they will feel invincible and would not care if they died. All the comment were great and can’t wait to read the next set of them. Talk to yall later.
Chris
Hello Group!,
It seems like through each others' interpretations we have come to have a better understanding of thise song through all it's symbolism and representation. I know that I can personally say that everyone's comments have helped me understand the meaning better, because I miss things sometimes. I really liked the Chris S' and Amy's discussion of the chessboard. Originally I had thought of the chessboard as representing the battlefield (literally), in the sense that every move has to be thought through. In war, every consequence of the next move must also be considered. But, the draft thing seems to fit better than my original thoughts.
I searched the internet for a while, and I found this picture of a button that I'm pretty sure came from around this time. (here's the link http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Historical%20Page/bringinghero1.JPG ) It's a pin that says "I am bringing a hero home. R U?" I think this is very representative of this time era because that was what a lot of the so-called "hippies" advocated for. They wanted their friends and family to come home from the war that shouldn't have involved the US. This song relates to that group as well, talking about the drugs and those being the people's escape from all the animosity and hostilities.
Well, I think that covers it, group! I've really enjoyed hearing everyone's thoughts and views. Best of luck to all in the future!
Bye!,
Kayla T (21)
Dear Group,
I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s opinions and thoughts on “White Rabbit”. The comments by our group have opened my mind and brought up great points about the song. I liked Kayla T.’s second comment where she brought up the lyrics, “When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead…off with her head”. She interpreted this as a statement about the confusion of the Vietnam War and the government. This was different from my initial thought of the lyrics. I thought it was talking more about the affects of drugs and how it caused the mind to alter reality. After reading Kayla T.’s comment I think the lyrics are talking about the government and the decisions it was making. I also like Chris S.’s second comment about Jefferson Airplane’s perspective on the war. When reading the lyrics of “White Rabbit”, it is clear that Jefferson Airplane is against the war. Just like Chris S. commented, they were against people being drafted to Vietnam because it seemed to go against the idea of freedom and choice. I found a picture of a protest sign that was made by a student at LSU. Here is the link to the picture, (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/special/exhibits/redstick/protest.jpg). The sign says “Dead: 48,700 American Soldiers, 4 American Students, Why?” I thought this was a great representation of the social environment during the Vietnam War. The sign is asking for what purpose have 48,700 American Soldiers died? It also brings up the Kent State shooting, where 4 students were shot by National Guardsmen at a protest. This simple sign really puts the war and loss of lives into perspective. This correlates with “White Rabbit” and its anti-war message. After seeing this sign I really understood why people like Jefferson Airplane were against the war and how it affected so many people. I want to say thanks to all the group members for your comments and hope you enjoyed this experience as well.
Best Wishes,
Brock B.
Dear Group,
Hey everyone it has been fun read each other’s comments and putting together what the song “White Rabbit” means. Over the past week we have been expanding on each other’s ideas and I know it has helped me understand this song better. I think that Kayla T. comment about the lyrics “When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead…off with her head” representing the confusion of the Vietnam War and the government as being an accurate and makes sense to me. I like Amy’s comment that also goes off Kayla T. comment but I think these comment focusing on the government is the overall objective in the song. I found I picture (link is http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/05/conscription6106_narrowweb__300x305,0.jpg) that I think goes with this song. The picture is of people protesting the Vietnam War which I think is one of the main themes of this song.
Hey again. I enjoyed reading everyone's comments. It really helped me get a better understanding and see different insights of the song. I really liked Kayla's interpretation and the way she related the public's opinion of the government to the lyrics in the song. I also like the fact that Chris pointed out that "Alice in Wonderland" is a children's movie, and by relating drug use to a children's movie would give many people the impression that using drugs are harmless. I enjoyed the comments, and I'll talk to you guys later.
Maggie F.
This has been a great experience for me, and I've enjoyed reading everyone's interpretations and viewing their opinions. I liked Kayla's second comment on "When logic and proportion...with her head!" and relating the Red Queen to the hippies. Originally, I thought that "White Rabbit" was mainly about drug use, but now I see that it adresses many more issues of the 1960's. I found a picture (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/king.papers/interactive/gallery.mlk5/02.protest.march.gi.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/king.papers/interactive/gallery.mlk5/content.1.2.html&h=305&w=500&sz=26&hl=en&start=81&um=1&tbnid=dMxV6klRQRsobM:&tbnh=79&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Danti-Vietnam%26start%3D80%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4WZPA_enUS235US236%26sa%3DN) of MLK Jr. protesting the Vietnam War with a pedatircian named Dr. Spock, and a child is carrying a sign that states,"Children are not born to burn." I thought this picture well represented feelings towards Vietnam throughout the 1960's. This has been fun, and I've enjoyed reading all of your comments. Best of luck in everything!
Dear Group,
I have enjoyed reading everyones opinion on this song. It has been good to get a lot of different perspectives. I liked what Chris said about how the song is making the point that the government is making people work like men on a chessboard and telling them what to do. I had this idea as well and it is reassuring to know that others interpreted it similarly. I also like what Brock brought up with the fact that Chinese troops were given opium to feel invincible. This could really help develop another meaning to the song. It would be cruel to use drugs in a way to manipulate a mind into fighting so this suggest that the government is abusing it as well.
The link I am showing is of marijuana in medicinal form. http://www.thefreshscent.com/wp-content/post_imgs/0507/tfs_mm_hollywoodog.jpg This can relate to the song in that is also supports drugs in a use that is not bad. The depiction of the marijuana in a bottle shows that it can be used for good purposes, just as the author suggested in the song.
Hey Group,
I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments about the lyrics to this song and how they represent the sixties. All the comments have made me see the song from different perspectives. I especially enjoyed Kayla’s idea that the White Knight symbolizes a leader such as the President leading the group in the wrong direction. I also agree with Chris when he says that this song clearly shows that Jefferson Airplane was against the draft and the war.
The picture I found that I think connects with the song is a flyer for Woodstock. The link is http://american.edu/bgriff/H207web/about207/woodstocklarge.jpg?\ . The main tag of this flyer is, “3 days of peace and music,” which I think relates to them using music as an escape from the war and other troubles of the 1960s. This is similar to the way this song speaks about drugs and the way people used them as an escape.
Its been fun!
Amy T. (21)
Hello Group,
A little late but better than never. My name is Heather again. I completely agree with what almost everyone says in their comments. The song is displaying a wide range of drug use throughout. It seems as if everyone knew the main jist of the lyrics which is good because it does allow for a better understanding for the group. By expressing the many different ideas, it allows for a deeper thought of all the group members. I completely understand where Brock is coming from and the points he makes. The main goal is what we have reached I think and that was to decipher this poem. See ya later... Heather
Dear Group,
My last and final comment. I have taken a look through the many websites you hae posted and they are all very good. I typed in Vietnam drug use and you wouldn't believe all of the websites it brings up. I really have enjoyed reading the different comments and opening my mind to the new ideas you have put forth. The website that I found focuses on the use of marijuana. The title of the article is Decriminalization of Marijuana historically results in increased drug use by children. The website is http://www.aznarcoticofficer.org/decriminalization.html and it explores how drug use was at an all time high. This correlates with the song very well in exploring how even a simple children's movie can be turned into something so bad. Hope you have enjoyed the experience as much as I have and sorry for being so late. Thanks again and hope your journey leads you on the right path to accomplish whatever it is in life,
Heather
HEy everyone! Its me Jennifer again. I totally agree with everyone, and i'm glad we all agree that this song pretty much sums up what life was like in the 60's, and especially dealing with the drug use. I agree with Brock when he talks about the Vietnam War. I do believe, like i said it was a way for them to lose themselves, and get away from all of the troubles they were going through. Just like Amy, i also looked the song up on the internet, to get a more jist of the song. I also read a lot about the Alice and Wonderland, and since i have seen the movie plenty of times, it gives me a good image on what it was really like!
Talk to yall again soon!
Jenn(35)
Its me agaiin! Better late then never. Okay so i totally agree and am very glad to see everyone's pictures and websites relating to our song. They are very interesting!!! I went to google, and typed in drug's in the 60's and you can only imagine what came up..I was surprised to see that a lot of websites on Mushrooms came up. I am very surprised by that, because i had no idea. And of course marijuana was a major deal..http://www.loti.com/then_now/sixties_drugs.htm..
Is a great website to go and check out. This really caught my eye that the slogan on the page said "Sex, Drugs, and Rock-and-Roll"
This relates to our song perfectly..Drugs..
Drugs were obviously used a lot in the sixties, and i was glad to read that we all agreed on that.
I have really enjoyed this college to college blog and reading everyone's opinion. Hopefully we can do it again soon!
Talk to yall later!
Jenn(35)
Post a Comment