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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
And 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
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
And 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
Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by ILoveMyCat
Track duration: 02:31
"White Rabbit" as written by Grace Wing Slick
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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In the case of this song the Allegory is the fable: Alice in Wonderland. Alice (could be percieved as both the substance or the abuser) has found herself in a sticky situation, she's addicted to a drug. You, the person the song is addressing, are following a similar path and are going to be stuck there soon as well. The narrator is telling you to <
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There is also the mentioning of "mushroom"; mushrooms (or "shrooms") are a hallucinogenic drug. Then that <
Basically, if ALL of that made no sense, here's what the song's about in the simple "I didn't want to read all that so I just skipped to the end" summary: Drugs are bad for you, don't take them, you can wind up in a deep hole with no way out. Stay clean, stay safe. Goodnight/Good day/Good bye folks, that's all from me for now!!!
One pill makes you larger....... This set of lyrics refers to the choice between protesting (making you a big person) versus joining the war (making you a small, ie insignificant person), and adding that your parents can do nothing to help you make the choice. "Go ask alice when she's ten feet tall" refers to not fitting in and being disruptive as alice does when she grows large in the book.
If you go chasing rabbits........... this set of lyrics refers to getting drafted "a hookah-smoking caterpiller refers to a tank. The caterpiller, ie tank has given you THE call not a call, and at the time THE call most definitely refers to getting drafted. Go ask alice when she was just small refers to the small pill choice and how much danger alice was in when she was small.
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go... this set of lyrics refers to when the military (chess pieces, ie knights, pawns etc. are military pieces) tells you to go to vietnam (where to go at the time) and your mind is moving low refers to not knowing what to do.
Call Alice I think she'll know: When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead... this set of lyrics is specifically about the vietnam war. refering to the large amount of men killed in the war (sloppy swamp setting) the white knight talking backwards (he doesn't talk backwards in the book) refers the United states army stating that it's coming to the rescue not making sense, ie talking backwards, and the red queen refers to the communist who are killing all our men (off there heads)
This next line is a little confusing until you read the "who stole the tarts chapter" the line IS remember what the dormouse said. This is confusing because it is referencing the Mad Hatter. The Mad Hatter is on the witness stand and faces execution if he can't "remember what the dormouse said" As a result he runs away before the queen of Hearts, ie the red queen has a chance to chop of his head.
Feed your head is not what the dormouse said. It's telling you to educate yourself. You feed your head by learning. Said twice for emphasis. The last line is pleading with the listener to LEARN!LEARN!!
This song had to be written with symbolism, as it was telling people to dodge the draft.
Slick wrote and performed this when she was in a band called The Great Society. She brought it with her, along with "Somebody To Love," when she joined Jefferson Airplane in 1966.
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Im not exactly sure what one pill makes you larger is but my best guess is larger would be some sort of amphetamine most likely ecstasy seeing as it puffs up your ego to be incredibly huge and comes generally pill form. Same idea as feeling invincible that people describe. One makes you smaller is definitely a lsd microdot reference, she becomes smaller to "open the door" and also lsd makes places look far larger giving you the feeling that your tiny and in the movie she drinks a liquid.
Chasing rabbits is no doubt a reference to cocaine(white rabbit,uduh). When alice goes to see the caterpillar he tells her, "keep your temper" in other words dont blow up with anger(you know your going to fall) witch is commonly associated with cocaine use.
Next verse just seems like a mushroom reference, not sure if the men on the chessboard has any more meaning to it.
Last part my favorite, clear indication of saying when your peaking on the psychedelics and it becomes too much(and the red queen is off with her head, when logic and proportion has fallen dead)
Remember what the dormouse said, "feed your head, feed your head". Feed your head is slang for taking acid.
I somehow don't think someone who hasn't experianced some type of mind altering hallucegenic could understand fully what this song is all about.
If you really think about it those who have dabbled a bit. Think of almost any fairytale or fantasy and you'll find not just Alice in Wonderland is a "drug" related movie.
You all are probably thinking I've probably had far too many good times..maybe I have
Just love the song and it reminds me of old times and experiances