About the song
“White Rabbit,” a timeless anthem of the 1960s counterculture, encapsulates the spirit of rebellion, psychedelic exploration, and literary homage that defined an era. Penned by Grace Slick and performed by Jefferson Airplane, the song was a standout track on their 1967 album “Surrealistic Pillow.” Drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s whimsical tales “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass,” Slick crafted a narrative rich in imagery and allegory.
The song’s lyrics vividly evoke Carroll’s fantastical world, referencing iconic characters like Alice, the White Rabbit, and the hookah-smoking caterpillar. Slick’s writing style, heavily influenced by her experiences and observations during the burgeoning San Francisco music scene, intertwines literary motifs with a call for societal introspection. “White Rabbit” emerged during a period of cultural upheaval, where the youth sought to break free from societal norms and expand their consciousness through art, music, and mind-altering substances.
Grace Slick’s journey with “White Rabbit” began during her tenure with The Great Society, a band where she first explored its themes. Upon joining Jefferson Airplane, Slick introduced the song to a broader audience, aligning it with the band’s burgeoning psychedelic sound. Its release as a single catapulted Jefferson Airplane to further prominence, becoming their second top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Musically, “White Rabbit” is characterized by its haunting melody and unconventional structure, mirroring the surrealism of its lyrical content. Slick’s composition on a partially broken piano, influenced by Miles Davis’s “Sketches of Spain,” underscores the song’s experimental nature and departure from conventional rock tropes of the time.
The song’s enduring legacy is underscored by its critical acclaim and cultural impact. Ranked on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, “White Rabbit” continues to resonate with listeners for its defiance, introspection, and artistic bravado. It remains a testament to Grace Slick’s creative genius and Jefferson Airplane’s role in shaping the musical landscape of the 1960s.
In essence, “White Rabbit” transcends its origins as a mere song; it stands as a cultural artifact that embodies the spirit of an era marked by rebellion, artistic innovation, and a quest for deeper meaning and self-discovery. Its lyrics, which deftly blend the fantastical with the philosophical, invite listeners to journey down the rabbit hole of their own consciousness—a journey that remains as relevant today as it was in the tumultuous 1960s.
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Lyrics
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
Call Alice
When she was just small
When the 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