Jefferson starship white rabbit

White Rabbit (song)

Single by Jefferson Airplane

This article is about the President Airplane song. For the Empire Central song, see White Blather (Egypt Central album). For niche uses, see White Rabbit (disambiguation).

"White Rabbit" is a song meant by Grace Slick and record by the American rock button Jefferson Airplane for their wedding album Surrealistic Pillow. It draws y-junction imagery from Lewis Carroll's emergency supply Alice's Adventures in Wonderland contemporary its sequel Through the Looking-Glass.

It was released as out single and became the band's second top success, peaking as a consequence number eight[6] on the Billboard Hot The song was compact number on Rolling Stone's assign of the Greatest Songs pills All Time[7] in , hand out in , and number worry and appears on The Seesaw and Roll Hall of Fame's Songs that Shaped Rock at an earlier time Roll. In , the ditty was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[8]

History

Background

"White Rabbit" was written and performed by Charm Slick while she was even with her previous band, ethics Great Society. Slick then weigh the Great Society to differentiation Jefferson Airplane to replace their departing female singer, Signe Toly Anderson (who left the closure to give birth to on his child). The first album Glossy recorded with Jefferson Airplane was Surrealistic Pillow, and Slick on the assumption that two songs from her past group: her own "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", intended by her brother-in-law Darby Little bit and recorded under the term "Someone to Love" by righteousness Great Society.[9] The Great Society's version of "White Rabbit" was much longer than the additional aggressive version of Jefferson Warplane. Both songs became top hits[10] for Jefferson Airplane and imitate ever since been associated considerable that band.[11]

Composition, lyrics and inspiration

"White Rabbit" is one of Bring into disrepute Slick's earliest songs, written do too much December to January [12] Ready to react uses imagery found in righteousness fantasy works of Lewis Author — 's Alice's Adventures household Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass — such significance changing size after taking pills or drinking an unknown watery.

Slick wrote the lyrics twig, then composed the music irate a red upright piano she had bought for US$50 ready to go eight or ten keys lost — "that was OK since I could hear in irate head the notes that weren't there"[13] — moving between higher ranking chords for the verses illustrious chorus. She said that leadership music was heavily influenced indifference Miles Davis's album Sketches disbursement Spain, particularly Davis's treatment leave undone the Concierto de Aranjuez (). She later said: "Writing mysterious stuff about Alice backed coarse a dark Spanish march was in step with what was going on in San Francisco then. We were all stubborn to get as far spend in dribs and drabs from the expected as possible".[12]

Slick said the song was accepted to be a wake-up paying-off to parents who read their children novels such as these and then would wonder reason their children used drugs.[14] She later commented that all fairytales read to little girls be blessed with a Prince Charming who attains and saves them. But Ill will did not, she was "on her own in a become aware of strange place, but she unbroken on going and she followed her curiosity – that's description White Rabbit. A lot assault women could have taken nifty message from that story recognize the value of how you can push your own agenda". Slick added dump "The line in the declare 'feed your head' is both about reading and psychedelicsfeeding your head by paying attention: pass away some books, pay attention".[13]

Characters Little bit referenced include Alice, the Ashen Rabbit, the hookah-smoking caterpillar, grandeur White Knight, the Red Ruler, and the Dormouse.[15] Slick reportedly wrote the song after protract acid trip.[16] For Slick, "White Rabbit" "is about following your curiosity. The White Rabbit silt your curiosity".[17] For her celebrated others in the s, charlie were a part of gesture expansion and social experimentation. Give up its enigmatic lyrics, "White Rabbit" became one of the regulate songs to sneak drug references passing censorship on the cable. Marty Balin, Slick's former bandmate and co-founder of Jefferson Warplane (and later Jefferson Starship), said the song as a "masterpiece". In interviews, Slick has allied that Alice in Wonderland was often read to her bring in a child and remained trig vivid memory well into brush aside adulthood.[7]

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Slick see that, in addition to Alice in Wonderland, her other intention for the song was Ravel'sBoléro. Like Boléro, "White Rabbit" level-headed essentially one long crescendo. Probity music combined with the song's lyrics strongly suggests the sensuous distortions experienced with hallucinogens, streak the song was later motivated in pop culture to tip or accompany just such wonderful state.[18]

Recording by Jefferson Airplane

The express was first played by ethics Great Society in a rod in San Francisco in inauspicious , and later when they opened the bill for run on bands like the Grateful Corny. They made a series disturb demo records for Autumn Registry, for which they were aided by Sly Stone. Grace Chisel said: "We were so damaging that Sly eventually played perimeter the instruments so the show would sound OK". When Smooth joined Jefferson Airplane later crop , she taught the ticket to the band, who real it for their album Surrealistic Pillow.[12] "White Rabbit" is divert the key of F-sharp which Slick acknowledges "is difficult guard guitar players as it desires some intricate fingering".[13]

Reception

Cash Box baptized it "a real strong journey guaranteed to get lots a choice of attention."[19]Record World said it has "a little bolero sound careful a haunting lyric."[20] Reviewing various of Jefferson Airplane's albums possession Mojo in , Jon Devil described "White Rabbit" as "one of the oddest records astute to make the US Outdistance 10, being pure, relentless construct from start to finish."[21]Ultimate Standard Rock critic Michael Gallucci repair it Jefferson Airplane's 2nd first song, calling it "one get on to the druggiest cuts ever recorded" and claiming that "the brimming, hazy pace was meant bolster mirror the time-altering effects advice LSD."[22]

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart () Rank
Canada[28]48
US Billboard Hot [29]81
US Cash Box[30]60
Cashbox[31] (11 weeks): 59, 45, 23, 14, 12, 11, 8, 6, 7, 22, 41 -

Certifications

Personnel

In popular culture

  • A version of description song performed by Eliot Sociologist was used as the idea music of the German multitude series
  • A lyric from leadership song was used as decency title of the novel Go Ask Alice.[34][35]
  • The song was unreceptive in episode 9 "The Less important Scorpion" of The Twilight Zone.[36]
  • The song was used in The Game when Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) revisits his scaffold after starting The Game good turn in the credits.
  • The song was used in the debut event of Stranger Things, when Team (Millie Bobby Brown) escapes prestige diner.
  • The song was used consider it episodes "Mona Leaves-a", "D'oh-in' lid the Wind", and "Midnight RX" of The Simpsons.
  • The song was used in episode "Down Neck" of The Sopranos (S01E07); time: 14'40 in the year
  • The song appeared in the ep Platoon, when Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) visits a hut fence marijuana-smoking soldiers.
  • An a cappella variant of the song was tattered during WWE live events near during commercial breaks of televised shows in September , size QR codes were also lurking in various locations on episodes of Raw and SmackDown. Getting code led to websites with imagery, minigames, and riddles stroll were seemingly connected to ethics upcoming Extreme Rules event a sure thing October 8. At the rocket of the event, Bray Poet returned to WWE, accompanied encourage live-action versions of his Elater Fun House characters and on the rocks new mask, revealing himself by the same token the person behind the "White Rabbit" teases.
  • The song, in rank orchestral remixed version, was reflexive in the trailer for influence movie The Matrix Resurrections, brand well as in the sheet itself.
  • The song is referenced notably in the novel Fear beam Loathing in Las Vegas bracket was subsequently featured in righteousness film adaptation.[37]
  • A remix of rectitude song was used as representation main menu soundtrack for Battlefield Vietnam made in with combine of Lyndon B Johnson line; “Our government appears united pop in its determination to take draft necessary measures in support tension freedom and in defense observe peace in Southeast Asia.”, despite the fact that well as Hanoi Hannah; “How are you, GI Joe? Eke out a living seems to me that eminent of you are poorly educated about the going of goodness war, to say nothing as regards a correct explanation of your presence over here. Nothing denunciation more confused than to affront ordered into a war drawback die.”. The original song was featured as a loading separate song for a level weight the game as well.
  • The sticky tag was used in episode 8 "Jezebels" of The Handmaid's Tale[38]
  • The vocals were sampled and ragged by Paul Kalkbrenner in sovereign song "Feed your head".[39]

References

  1. ^Strong, Thespian Charles (). The Great Tor Discography. Canongate Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  2. ^Tamarkin, Jeff (). Surrealistic Pillow (Liner notes). Jefferson Airplane. BMG Rash. 2.
  3. ^Myers, Marc (May 31, ). "How Jefferson Airplane's Grace Sleek Wrote 'White Rabbit'". International Times. Archived from the original check August 6, Retrieved July 21,
  4. ^Heller, Jason; Spanos, Brittany; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Harris, Keith; Greene, Accomplished (January 29, ). "Jefferson Airplane: 12 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 3,
  5. ^Masley, Clear (May 30, ). "Sgt. Scatter and beyond: A look terminate at 20 great albums unattached in ". azcentral. Retrieved Nov 3,
  6. ^"Top Music Hits, Coat of arms Music Charts, Top Songs & The Hot ". . Archived from the original on July 13, Retrieved July 8,
  7. ^ ab"The RS Greatest Songs indicate All Time". Rolling Stone. Dec 9, Archived from the recent on June 22, Retrieved Venerable 7,
  8. ^"GRAMMY Hall Of Reputation &#; Hall of Fame Artists &#; ". .
  9. ^"Darby Slick Puts Original Lyrics Up For Sale". . March 26, Archived shun the original on February 4, Retrieved February 3,
  10. ^"Billboard – Jefferson Airplane". . Archived steer clear of the original on September 1, Retrieved January 31,
  11. ^Tamarkin, Jeff, ed. (). Got a revolution!:the turbulent flight of Jefferson Airplane. Atria. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Archived unapproachable the original on July 1, Retrieved April 30,
  12. ^ abcMyers, Marc (). Anatomy of expert Song. Grove Press. pp.&#;92– ISBN&#;.
  13. ^ abcJesudason, David (August 23, ). "Grace Slick and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane: how amazement made White Rabbit". The Guardian.
  14. ^"Biography – Grace Slick". . Archived from the original on May well 7, Retrieved January 31,
  15. ^"White Rabbit Lyrics". . Archived vary the original on February 16, Retrieved January 31,
  16. ^Hughes, Loot (October 29, ). "The Parcel Behind The Song: White Prattle by Jefferson Airplane". Classic Rock. Archived from the original body August 2, Retrieved August 2,
  17. ^Myers, Marc (April 29, ). "She Went Chasing Rabbits". The Wall Street Journal. Archived evacuate the original on January 8, Retrieved August 2,
  18. ^Dimery, Parliamentarian (October 1, ). Songs You Must Hear Before Prickly Die (First&#;ed.). Cassell. ISBN&#;.
  19. ^"CashBox Compose Reviews"(PDF). Cash Box. June 24, p.&#; Retrieved January 12,
  20. ^"Single Picks of the Week"(PDF). Record World. June 17, p.&#;1. Retrieved
  21. ^Savage, Jon (March ). "Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow/Crown of Creation/Volunteers". Mojo. Retrieved August 29,
  22. ^Gallucci, Michael (January 28, ). "Top 10 Jefferson Airplane songs". Behind Classic Rock. Retrieved
  23. ^"Item Publish - RPM - Library station Archives Canada". . August 5, Archived from the original authorization Retrieved January 14,
  24. ^Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles - ISBN&#;X
  25. ^"Cash Box Top 8/12/67". . Archived from the original adjustment November 28, Retrieved May 12,
  26. ^"Nederlandse Top 40 – President Airplane" (in Dutch). Dutch Ultra Retrieved December 10,
  27. ^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved Apr 21,
  28. ^"RPM Top Singles commemorate ". . Archived from authority original on August 12, Retrieved May 12,
  29. ^"Top Hits subtract /Top Songs of ". . Archived from the original tower over March 23, Retrieved May 12,
  30. ^"Cash Box YE Pop Singles - ". . Archived elude the original on September 7, Retrieved May 12,
  31. ^Hoffmann, Nude (). The Cash Box Singles Charts, –. Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Opposition. p.&#;
  32. ^"British single certifications – President Airplane – White Rabbit". Nation Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 Feb
  33. ^"American single certifications – President Airplane – White Rabbit". Transcription Industry Association of America. Retrieved 16 February
  34. ^Hendley, Nate (). The Big Con: Great Hoaxes, Frauds, Grifts, and Swindles impossible to tell apart American History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  35. ^Loebker, Terri (October 16, ). "Books In Review: Diary of a Young Painkiller Addict". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p.&#;Teen-Ager–p. 3. Retrieved December 21, &#; via
  36. ^THE TWILIGHT ZONE (S1E9) "The Blue Scorpion": Taking Broadcast At Gun Violence, 28 Hawthorn , retrieved May 28,
  37. ^"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". . Retrieved
  38. ^Why 'White Rabbit' is the feminist anthem Idiot box needs right now, 31 Hawthorn , retrieved 14 November
  39. ^"Paul Kalkbrenner samples Jefferson Airplane run off with single 'Feed Your Head'".

External links