TWO ALICE SONGS
"Alice" is a common name in many variants (Alicia, Ally, Allison, etc.). The most famous Alice is from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, the inspiration of Grace Slick's song, "White Rabbit," performed with the Jefferson Airplane. Probably against the "innocence" commonly associated with this name (as also in "Alice Blue Gown") latterly singers have use the name for subversive values (as in Elton John's song on the album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). There is also a Rock group called Alice in Chains. The first song below, by the post-Punk band, Sisters of Mercy, has as its subject a woman suffering from anxiety and tranquillized ("tranqs") to survive her fears. She lives mainly in illusions in order to create a safe world of predictability in order to control her fears ("the safest way, the straight and narrow"). The second song, made famous by Grace Slick with the San Francisco Rock band, Jefferson Airplane (1967) is what is known as a psychedelic song, related to the use of LSD, a psychotropic (mind-altering) drug. But the song can be appreciated at face value, as a children's song based on the Alice stories. Slick, who wrote and sings the song, borrows her imagery from Lewis Caroll's two children's books (also the sources of a Disney movie). The song builds in intensity until the final line. My own advice is to feed your head with knowledge. As Francis Bacon famously said, "Knowledge is power."
ALICE
"Alice" is a common name in many variants (Alicia, Ally, Allison, etc.). The most famous Alice is from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, the inspiration of Grace Slick's song, "White Rabbit," performed with the Jefferson Airplane. Probably against the "innocence" commonly associated with this name (as also in "Alice Blue Gown") latterly singers have use the name for subversive values (as in Elton John's song on the album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). There is also a Rock group called Alice in Chains. The first song below, by the post-Punk band, Sisters of Mercy, has as its subject a woman suffering from anxiety and tranquillized ("tranqs") to survive her fears. She lives mainly in illusions in order to create a safe world of predictability in order to control her fears ("the safest way, the straight and narrow"). The second song, made famous by Grace Slick with the San Francisco Rock band, Jefferson Airplane (1967) is what is known as a psychedelic song, related to the use of LSD, a psychotropic (mind-altering) drug. But the song can be appreciated at face value, as a children's song based on the Alice stories. Slick, who wrote and sings the song, borrows her imagery from Lewis Caroll's two children's books (also the sources of a Disney movie). The song builds in intensity until the final line. My own advice is to feed your head with knowledge. As Francis Bacon famously said, "Knowledge is power."
ALICE
Alice pressed against the wall
So she can see the door
In case the laughing strangers crawl and
Crush the petals on the floor
Alice in her party dress
She thanks you kindly
So serene
She needs you like she needs her tranqs
To tell her that the world is clean
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today
Today
Pass the crystal spread the Tarot
In illusion comfort lies
The safest way the straight and narrow
No confusion no surprise
Alice pressed against the wall
So she can see the door
In case the laughing strangers crawl and
Crush the petals on the floor
Alice in her party dress
She thanks you kindly
So serene
She needs you like she needs her tranqs
To tell her that the world is clean
To promise her a definition
Tell her where the rain will fall
Tell her where the sun shines bright
And tell her she can have it all
Today
Today
Alice
Don't give it way
White Rabbit
One pill makes you largerAnd 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 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 slow
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"
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