from the LP White Witch, Capricorn Records, 1972In honor of the holiday today, I felt it was pertinent to find a marijuana-related song which flies under the radar. Sure, I could’ve just as easily pulled out some Cypress Hill, or some Sublime, but I think this track is far too obscure and warrants a little more attention than it has received. My guess for why this song is mostly unknown lies mainly with the overall album on which it falls---an unsuccessful attempt at heavy blues rock by a bunch of dudes that look like extras from a Harry Potter movie set, almost “metal” due to the screeching vocals of Ronn Goedert, who comes across as part hoot-owl, part Rob Halford’s less-talented sibling. This is literally the only track from the album that I keep on my computer, but it’s a great song; frankly, his voice is really much more suited for the kind of kitschy, vaudevillian comedy you find here. No double entendres or reading between the lines needed here, just an endearing plea for all non-heads out there to cool out and turn on, “…up to 99 years in jail, for illegal possession or sale, oh, how can they think they’re right when they’re wrong? I guess they’ve never been stoned…” I’m sure in those turbulent times the band couldn’t have imagined a day where everyone who shares their sentiments would be more-or-less permitted to congregate in large groups in public and get high during the veritable ganja celebration of 4-20! Unfortunately, due to my status as a college instructor I can’t partake in the day’s festivities quite as openly as I used to; truth be told, I actually asked my students if they knew what was abreast, and did my damnedest not to look disappointed when it became clear that some of them would be attending the smokeout in town---dashing any possibility of my presence there. No worries though, you can rest assured there will be plenty of skunky merriment around the casa de Greenthumb today! Everybody have a safe day out there, and like White Witch says, “…guns and tanks and riot gas, can’t stop you from smoking grass; ah, listen to me brothers and I’ll tell you true, marijuana is good for you, oh yeah, marijuana is good for you…let’s get together now and take a toke, of that magic smoke…”
