I'm pretty sure that almost everybody who has heard the song, "White Rabbit," by Jefferson Airplane realizes it liberally steals images from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and that it's about hallucinogenic drugs:
One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small ... Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call ... And you've just had some kind of mushroom and your mind is moving low ... When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead ... Remember what the dormouse said, "Feed your head. Feed your head."
Grace Slick not only sang the song, but she also wrote it. During an interview, she gave the following explanation:
"Our parents read us stories like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. They all have a place where children get drugs and are able to fly or see an Emerald City or experience extraordinary animals and people.... And our parents are suddenly saying, 'Why are you taking drugs?' Well, hello!"
I read that quote and thought, "I don't remember any of those stories having scenes where the protagonist does drugs!" But then my symbolism sense started tingling and I thought of all the mushrooms and elixirs Alice ingested, and the poppies Dorothy enjoyed, and the pixie dust that Wendy and the boys got dusted with . . . Holy Shamoley! What were our parents thinking??!?
I've been reminded of one of my Cincinnati Bible College professors and want to share three particular memories of him that keep him in a cozy, warm section of my heart.
1) His name was Sherwood Smith. He had a brother named Forrest. (Cool parents, right?)
2) He was poking fun at a verbal habit that many of the young coeds had gotten into: "What's all this 'heavens yes' I keep hearing on campus? 'Do you want to go get some Skyline Chili? Oh, heavens yes!' If it's okay to say heavens yes, why can't I say hell no?"
3) There was one time Professor Smith was late in getting to class. Some impish student got the bright idea for us to all turn our desks around and face the rear of the room. A couple minutes later, Sherwood walked in and, without missing a beat, picked up the small table-top lectern that held his notes, walked to the rear of the room, sat in a window well, and proceeded to teach the class...with all the folks who usually tried to snooze in the back now sitting on the front row.
Insert nostalgic sigh here.
A compact chunk from Almost the Dictionary: The Almost the Truth™ Dictionary of What Words Ought to Actually Mean: A Lexicon for Parallel Thinkers.
Caballeros (n) - The love of spherical toys from California
Cabbage (n) - Suitcases specifically designed to be used in taxis
Cackling (n) - A baby cack
Cahoots (n) - Owls native to California
Calorie (n) - A truck manufactured in California but driven in Great Britain
Customer (v) - Speak in a vulgar manner to a mythical half-human/half-fish creature
Cyclic (clause) - When someone infected with a communicable disease wipes their tongue across a surface
Cyclops (n) - The sounds made by a one-legged horse
Cylinder (n) - A person who has been trained on how to lind a cy
Czar (n) - 1. Generic title of the emperors of ancient Rome; 2. Type of salad generally consisting of romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, and awesome croutons
Before the end of the calendar year, I intend to:
- Eat Skyline Chili with more frequency
- Nap unapologetically
- Make my grandchildren laugh until milk comes through their noses
- Drink more water
- Water more drinks
- Bring a smile to Beloved's face at least once a day
Political Ads Will Run Only on a Dedicated Cable Channel
Scientific Breakthrough Converts Global Warming Into Free Electricity
Complete Toy Story Box Set, With 20 Hours of Special Features, Available for $20
Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, and Leon Redbone Begin Their "Out of This" World Tour
Kardashians Take Vows of Silence
Dog Breeders Announce New Canine that Picks Up Its Own Poo...Which Smells Like Fine Corinthian Leather
Mister Rogers Resurrects; Wins Presidential Recount
Twitter Shuts Down: "We Just Really Don't Care Anymore"
The collection of Christmasy versions of Beatles tunes continues and concludes, all in one fell swoop...
Here Comes the Snow - Little darlin', it'll be a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin', I've got some hot, spiced cider here.
I Saw Her Shopping There - I won't use layaway with another since I saw her shopping there.
I Want a Walrus - I am a young lad trying not to sound mad, but I want a walrus! Goo goo ga jube!
Lady Madonna - Lady Madonna, Joseph at your side; wondering how you managed the long mule ride.
The Long and Winding String of Lights - ...that is tangled in the garage
Lucy in a Fit with Ribbons - Picture yourself in a room filled with paper; the gift bags are bent and your scissors are dull.
Maxwell's Silver Bells - Hear them ring! Maxwell's silver bells came down the attic stair. Ring-a-ling! Maxwell's silver bells ensured a festive affair.
Paper Check Writer - Dear cashier, I don't have a card, and carrying cash is so very hard. I just wanna buy these items right here, and I'm so old-school that I need to be a paper check writer...paper check writer!
While My Accounts Gently Weep - I look at the bills I've racked up since November while my accounts gently weep.
It seems there's no end to the supply of "previously-unreleased material" by The Fab Four. The latest collection making its way out of George Martin's vault includes these festive versions of some of their most-beloved tunes...
A Day in the North Pole - I read the thermometer today, oh boy; about too low to measure in Centigrade.
A Hard Day's Flight - It's been a hard day's flight; I flew with Santa around the world. It's been a hard day's flight; giving presents to boys and girls.
All You Need Is Tinsel - There's nothing you can buy that can't be crated. Nowhere you can live undecorated.
Being for the Benefit of Planet Earth - For the benefit of Planet Earth, we celebrate the Christ-child's birth in Bethlehem.
Can't Buy Me Anything on the 24th - Buy you the latest thing, my friend, but not on Christmas Eve.
Carry That Tree - Boy, you're gonna carry that tree; carry that tree up three flights.
Drive My Sleigh - Rudolph, you can drive my sleigh. I only need it for one day.
Eight Days of Deals - Ooh, I need the car, babe, to get down to the mall. They've dropped the prices far, babe, I need to buy it all.
Fool on the Roof - Day after day, running more cords, the man with the plastic reindeer nailed to misshapen boards.
Give Back - Jojo got a gift that didn't really fit him, so he returned it to the store.
