Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” Lyrics Meaning
The titular “White Rabbit”, who is never actually namedropped in the song, is a well-known character featured in a classic piece of English literature entitled “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865). That particular book is infamous for allegedly featuring innumerable references to getting or being high. Yet it is one which parents traditionally read to their children.
And that is the primary sentiment which this song’s writer, Grace Silk, intended the track to harp on. She perceived a hypocrisy and wanted to introduce the idea to parents that the illicit drug epidemic which swept through the United States in the 1960s was partially their fault. In other words, the parents themselves had piqued their children’s curiosity in substances.
First Verse
And this idea is brought to life particularly in the first verse. Here the singer points out that there are two different types of ‘pills’ – the ones that get you high and others, like medicine, which are given to you by your “mother”. But still, they are both pills nonetheless.
“White Rabbit” is an Ode to Substance Abuse?
Meanwhile, the rest of the song fundamentally reads like an ode to using these substances. Indeed Miss Slick is said to have conceptualized this track while tripping on a substance herself.
But what makes this song unique is that she elaborates on the concept of getting high by focusing on a subject named “Alice” and namedropping various other characters from “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland” (1865). And first off, “Alice” would obviously be an allusion to herself and likeminded young women who partook of hard substances. Secondly her method of shrouding the true meaning of the song using popular children’s characters obviously proved effective, as it got the approval of censors who would be considered puritan by today’s standards.
But that being said, the meaning of certain metaphors and phrases utilized are open to various interpretations. Thus classifying “White Rabbit” as a song that espouses illicit substance usage may be stretching its meaning. Rather Alice is portrayed as a character who became curious with drugs at a young age. And based on the lyrics, whether or not she actually enjoys the high lifestyle is a matter of debate. However, what is clear is that she is regularly in such a state.
Grace Slick brought “White Rabbit” with her to Jefferson Airplane
“White Rabbit” is one of two hit songs Grace Slick brought over when she left a short-lived band called The Great Society and joined Jefferson Airplane. The other hit is a song titled “Somebody to Love“.
Release Date of “White Rabbit”
Jefferson Airplane’s version of “White Rabbit” was officially released by RCA Records on 24 June 1967. The label released it as the second single from the band’s famous album “Surrealsitc Pillow”.
Who wrote “White Rabbit”?
Grace Slick wrote “White Rabbit” herself, and the track was produced by Rick Jarrard.
When Slick did actually conceive this song, in addition to being high, she was also listening to Miles Davis’s 1960 album, “Sketches of Spain”.
She was also directly inspired by a 1928 orchestral piece entitled “Boléro”. This famous orchestral piece was written by an early 20th century French composer named Maurice Ravel.
Successful Song
“White Rabbit” topped RPM Top Singles (Canada) and peaked at number 6 in the States (the Billboard Hot 100). Years after its initial release, it would also manage to chart in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
But its chart performance is a modest telling of the song’s overall success and influence. For instance, it has been placed on both Rolling Stone’s coveted “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. Furthermore, it was included into the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll” list as compiled by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Moreover the diverse number of artists who are known to have covered this song throughout the years is extensive.
Performance at Woodstock Concert
Jefferson Airplane even used “White Rabbit” as their closing number during the historic Woodstock concert in 1969. And overall it is considered to epitomize the mood of angsty, substance-abusing youth during the era-defining decade of the 1960s in America.
