Everyone knows the famous song by Eric Clapton, “Cocaine”.
I got myself thinking this: “Would Eric Clapton be praising the drugs, when he knows how that can destroying many lives, ’til himself?”
I don’t wanna to “preach” values, ethic, or what.
Wanting understand something isn’t the problem, right?
Who would like to reply it?
Its lyrics following, and video too:
COCAINE – Eric Clapton
If you wanna hang out you’ve got to take her out; cocaine.
If you wanna get down, down on the ground; cocaine.
She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie; cocaine.
If you got bad news, you wanna kick them blues; cocaine.
When your day is done and you wanna ride on; cocaine.
She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie; cocaine.
If your thing is gone and you wanna ride on; cocaine.
Don’t forget this fact, you can’t get it back; cocaine.
She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie; cocaine.
She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie; cocaine
Ok, great responses all of you!
What can I do?
Leaving for vote?
OMG! I’ll pick one, you can trust me! haha
Anyway, thanks a lot!
I believe Clapton says the song is anti drug. JJ Cale wrote it, I don’t know his opinions on the matter.
As for drugs: all things in moderation.
A lot of music has been accused of glorifying drug use, mostly unfairly. However, this is one that I feel pretty clearly does so.
I believe its a cautionary tale, but i know Eric has had issues about performing the song through the years and I believe he has been quite clear that the song is an anti-drug song.. fans only listen to the refrain: ‘She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie, cocaine.’ But it says, ‘If you wanna get down, down on the ground, cocaine.”
The song also contains the lyric: “Don’t forget this fact you can’t get back” according to Wiki, he said the following…
“It’s no good to write a deliberate anti-drug song and hope that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do is offer something that seems ambiguous—that on study or on reflection actually can be seen to be ‘anti’—which the song “Cocaine” is actually an anti-cocaine song. If you study it or look at it with a little bit of thought… from a distance… or as it goes by… it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine.”
Over the years, Clapton has added the lyrics ‘that dirty cocaine’ in live shows to underline the anti-drug message of the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eygd-FIVJOA
The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpcdBltxdkc
Marvin Gaye “Flying High In A Friendly Sky” (1971)
I was absolutely sure,when i saw the question,that it would have something to do with that FUCKING AWESOME song.the song means, in my opinion, that when you do drugs, (cocaine), the answer to everything is the drug. you can’t escape from it.
I think you can see that it’s an anti-drugs song *but*, only if you actually sit and read the lyrics, and read between the lines. Many younger music fans haven’t got the hang of how to do that yet, and will miss the message.
Another song in a similar vein {pun totally intentional!}, is ‘Cocain’ by John Martyn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXuSV527aw0&fmt=18
“Did you hear a story about Cocaine Lil? She had a cocaine house on cocaine hill. She had a cocaine dog and a cocaine cat, she even had a cocaine rat. And it’s all round my brain.
Been walking round 10th Street and Main, I’ve been looking for a girlie to give me cocaine. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain. Been strolling round 10th Street and Main, been looking for someone to give me cocaine. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain.
Well, Cocaine Lil and Morphine Sue, they’ve been strolling down the avenue two by two. Says Lil to Sue, ”It’s gonna do no harm if we both have a little old shot in the arm”. And it’s all round my veins, oh cocaine.
Doctor tell me again and again he say, ”Cocaine’s forces ain’t for men”. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain. You know the doctor tell me, tell me again and again, he say, ”Cocaine’ll kill you son, it won’t say when”. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain.
Yonder’s baby, she’s dressed in white, I said, ”Hey now mama, gonna stay all night”. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain. Now there runs my baby, she’s all dressed in black, you said you know I didn’t mean it, won’t you please come back. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain.
Hey baby, please come quick, This old cocaine’s making me sick. Cocaine’s sure running round my brain.”
Not sure about the song.
But in his autobiography, he writes one of the best chapters I’ve ever read regarding addiction and just how bad it physically hurts. Check it out. It’s a good read.
Yes It all about Drugs pretty Good
I think it’s actually anti drug… If you read the lyrics, it almost sounds like one of those fake as* infomercials trying hard to sell you a product.. The song sounds more like a sarcastic satire then a praise.
It was a different space and time…. cocaine was the “party” drug of choice, and none of *my* friends were in rehab (yet! lol). But come to discover that narcotics aren’t that much fun in the long run… people get hooked/ lose everything/ etc.
So… while Eric may have been glamorizing cocaine ~ as many were back in the ’70s ~ I’d say 99% of us figured out that it wasn’t a long-term relationship that we wanted to have.
The song, first written and recorded by JJ Cale, is anti drug. JJ Cale was and is a poet with an acerbic wit. (at least some of the time)
The lyrics to this song are stoopid! The drug cocaine makes you talk a mile a minute, yet the song is sung slowly and sullenly. The lyrics do not paint a picture of happiness, or even one of relief. To me… I hear a pathetic soul who is addicted, and is lying to himself and to anyone that will listen.
I don’t know what Cale wanted to accomplish, but this song is no anthem. I wonder how many people got high to this song. Sometimes I imagine Cale wonders about the same thing and then laughs.
anyone who thinks the song glorifies drug use is misunderstanding it. listen to and think about the lyrics!
cale and /or clapton are in no way praising cocaine use, they are warning of its downfalls.