Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit" | FIRST TIME REACTION

[@ronaldbolton7338]

This is based on Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland." The white rabbit is one of the many character's in the book. There is a hookah smoking caterpillar as well. But I think the point of the song is what the dormouse said. "Feed your head." I think back then it may have meant doing drugs, but also knowledge and wisdom feeding your head. Great song! Always my favorite Jefferson Airplane song. The lead-in music is based on Ravel's "Bolero", a classical music piece.

[@punkydoodle4774]

I read an interview with Grace. They asked about the meaning of feed your head. She said, "open a book!"

[@Bigtom-ld8gd]

I think Lewis Carrol was high when he wrote that.

[@wirebrushproductions1001]

@@Bigtom-ld8gd No, but he did have a taste (widespread at the time and not obviously meaning what you think it means) for photographing girl children in costumes and sometimes in the nude. Alice was actually Alice Pleasance Liddell, and at some point a rift arose between Dodgeson and her father.

[@Cassxowary]

@@wirebrushproductions1001the girls’ realised he’s a paedo so they didn’t like him around their girls but also he wasn’t a predo so it was like eh… and then he eventually started hanging out with only the parents… that’s the way I know it anyway…

[@lindyashford7744]

Without reading or at very least knowing the storyline and characters of Alice in Wonderland there is no way of understanding this song, as it is the central reference of the lyrics. For sure there are drugs references, but this is not the central theme, which is that reality itself is deceptive and our experiences can be misleading for many reasons, not least what we encounter as we move through existence. Grace’s voice is compelling and her delivery is excellent, not a word gets lost unlike many singers she delivers the song. I love this track and her voice equally.

[@susanworkman529]

References to the story of Alice in Wonderland. A book written by Lewis Carol. It's a children's story and Walt Disney movie. Alice takes one pill that makes her small so she can go down the rabbit hole (where the expression came from) after the White Rabbit . Then takes another pill that makes her tall. There is a whole different world in that rabbit hole. Unless you know the story, the song doesn't make much sense. There's an awful lot of adult stuff going on in this children's story that goes over the heads of children. You should look up the lyrics to the songs you react to do you can read them while listening. That way you won't miss out on what the songs are saying. Sometimes it's quite difficult to get all the lyrics in just one listening. You are not alone, most channels I listen to don't follow along with the printed lyrics. You are listening one time to songs that we, your audience, have listened to hundreds of times. Keep up the great job You are doing. I enjoy your channel and your knowledge of music very much.

[@johnjohn37371]

I am always completely shocked when reactors have no point of reference with these lyrics...I have always considered Alice's story timeless...I had no idea children had stopped reading it.

[@pamelalee1508]

Absolutely...many of today's younger.. I'm 70..reactors are missing context and that unfortunately is due to the lack of reading as well as experience... The drug generation certainly used fairy tales to explain their experiences to be fair to the reactor...reading and history is more important than many today realize...🌿🌿🌿

[@pamelalee1508]

​@@johnjohn37371 Sadly I agree...reading and history is more important than the younger generations realize..it's all about context...🌿🌿🌿

[@jeffwooten5205]

Perfect explanation! Sometimes it's great to be an old head banger like myself!

[@Mike-hm5rm]

theres a lot of nods to Beatrice Spark's book "Go ask Alice" as well - written about the dark underbelly of the psychedelic era that Grace was touching on.

[@VilomahMom]

She's singing without auto tune when people could really sing.

[@TheDivayenta]

The rhythm is like a Bolero- Ravel’s Bolero. Very Middle Eastern. The lyrics are mostly from Alice in Wonderland- with a psychedelic twist. ❤ Grace indeed, has a powerful vibrato!

[@lipby]

It's definitely a ripoff of Bolero, which is a much greater piece of music.

[@757optim]

Grace once said the band picked her for vocals because she was the loudest. I assume she was joking. Check out "Alice In Wonderland" to get the gist. I'd recommend the 1951 version vs the 2010 remake.

[@frankiebowie6174]

@@lipby Bolero is a genre- a Spanish dance in simple triple time. Ravel wrote the most famous bolero, until JA came along. (I would say Ravel has regained his #1 spot, but I don’t know.) There’s no “ripping off“ here.

[@wirebrushproductions1001]

@@757optim " I assume she was joking." Well, some years later in an interview, she said, "I can't really sing, but I can yell with the best of them."

[@kevlyn12]

The best music in the world came out of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. You need to listen to the whole song rather than interrupting constantly.

[@mysteriousplankton]

Her voice wobble thing is called 'vibrato'. She just happened to do a faster version than most singers but it also made her unique.

[@ememnicholas565]

Grace Slick has a great powerful voice. Another song that really showcases what she can do is "Somebody to Love" from this same era. If you stick with rock music reactions, you may revisit Jefferson Airplane in their later incarnations.

[@ericarachel55]

I just love watching reactions to music I grew up on, the 60's and 70's were a trip, it's a wonder any of us survived

[@53mandevilla]

Sadly tho… many didnt from too many trips! 😮😢😮😢😮😢😮

[@HappyValleyDreamin]

Watch the 69 Woodstock live version of this song. Her voice is epic!

[@IAMisLove]

A fantastic song. This is such an awesome performance. All I'll say is Alice in Wonderland. 🖖❤

[@scottmatzeder9162]

Grace Slick is the Queen of psychedelics! She is also a very accredited painter and Her paintings often have a psychedelic feel to them as well. "Somebody to Love" is another Big Hit from Airplane.....

[@sandrak.robbins6305]

This is about 'Alice In Wonderland' or 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' and yes a trippy song from the time zone. :)

[@pastorofmuppets13]

Legend has it you can get a contact high just listening to this song

[@laureenshipley7931]

ALICE in WONDERLAND !!!!!!! I really have to feel for these people who grew up without even the most basic of fairytales..... My life isn’t great , but at least I have that 🤩🌟🤩

[@MaRoach7]

This song is definitely a trip

[@treetoptia-2903]

“Alice Through the Looking Glass” is a great book. There’s also a book titled “Go Ask Alice” which is a real teen girl’s diary published anonymously. All books, like music, were new once. ❤

[@jacqueline4514]

As a little kid I loved the sound of this song, (born in 67 so once I was into the radio it was still regularly played) but I also found it Creepy. 56 and still think the same, but understand it’s depth ❤

[@lorierush6561]

Me too.

[@dfoley6389]

Lewis Carrol, who wrote Alice in Wonderland ( where all the characters in the song come from, the white rabbit, the hookah smoking caterpillar, the White Knight, the Red Queen, and the door mouse) in the 1800s, was an early LSD user. The novel is considered his account of an acid trip. It's where the phrase " going down the rabbit hole" comes from.

[@johncummings9428]

This and Somebody to Love. Awesome tracks

[@lenellamaxwell6934]

While the song refers to characters in the Alice in Wonderland book, Grace Slick said herself that she wrote it about phycadilic drugs blending the story with mind blowing trips that acid and mushrooms could give you. As a flower child back in the 60s and 70, we all knew it was about taking a trip on drugs. Just saying.

[@billallen1307]

My ex-wife used to do this song at Karaoke and with the way it starts off low and slow and builds to a creshendo had everyone listening by the end.

[@mousepolice55]

She's describing a lot from Alice in wonderland the rabbit and the red queen and hookah smoking caterpillar are from Alice in Wonder land I'm glad you listen to this I haven't heard that in a long time to interesting song to say the least

[@charliecochran3035]

That was a good description of her singing.

[@rodweinmeyer1435]

Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, New Riders if the Purple Sage all picnicked and played softball and raised their kids together and grew from the Bay Area music scene in the mid sixties. Also Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.

[@hyper426]

Man...I read the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test in college. That was SUCH a trippy book, but a great look at Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters!

[@jeffreyleese6558]

There is a movie and a book called "Go ask alice" this song is in it. It's about a girl and her acid trips

[@hannejeppesen1809]

Listen to the live version from Woodstock, White Rabbit and Somebody to love, her voice is so powerful.

[@jacksprat418-ju5qo]

There is a vocals only track on KZbin that is wonderful to hear.

[@eddiemeeks7133]

I was 17 at that time... magic was in the air...it was a great time to be alive...the next year I was in the Army

[@dudly8408]

My story is much like youres,I ended up in the Air Force 🙃

[@eddiemeeks7133]

@@dudly8408 welcome brother…my Dad spent 25 years in the Air Force. Lackland, Kelly and overseas.

[@GrandmasGonnaFlip]

Trippy bro, I love it. Listened to this during high school. Thanks for the reaction.

[@Stephen-nd1sx]

There is an isolated version that is just her voice. It's amazing!

[@sudsyvibes]

I remember my Contemporary American History teacher playing this song for us and analyzing it!

[@dadmateryn8092]

She does smirk when she sings and if you go chasing rabbits

[@YoAnge1221]

This song was perhaps the very first overtly breakthrough psychedelic hit as almost a nod to the public to just go ahead & accept the psychedelic revolution. 67’ was basically the tipping point year of the 60s revolution

[@Blizzmatic777]

Grace Slick once smiled at me in 1971 during a concert.

[@PamelaKilburn-c3w]

This is psychedelic rock....❤😂

[@scottwalker6239]

I always liked the psychedelics!

[@Squeekyleaks]

In order to better understand this song you need to be familiar with the characters in the book, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" a children's classic. Really enjoy your fun reactions.🎉

[@richpeltier9519]

This is the prequel to Third Eye. Grace is a prophet of the flower children and sings with the force of the divine. When I saw this pop up on your channel, I hit it immediately. I knew you'd appreciate Grace's performance, you seem to have a good feel for the primal core. See also, Lewis Carroll. TOOL is Pink Floyd for the new millennium.

[@weepat5325]

Grace Slick recently celebrated her 84th birthday.

[@becksullivan4796]

Oh man this is during the time of blatantly referencing drugs in rock music. But take time to listen to this woman’s voice. Sooo unique and wonderful. She was one of a kind.

[@lisarousseau788]

"60's baby!!

[@Thatgirl1973]

🙂😀😃😄😆😅😂🤣 Straight up acid trip!❤ Her voice is ridiculous. And that was live.

[@JudyDuduks-gm4rb]

Yes, you're correct. You're sharper than most.

[@MissyGail4eva]

As everyone has already made you aquatinted with Caroll's "Through the Looking Glass", I'd just like to mention that my fav part (and the most memorable lines of the song) are at the very end when she sings "Feed Your Head", which oddly enough is rhe only direct quote from the book, as well as it comes from the doorknob, a relatively minor character, but an essential one as it poses as the first figure from Wonderland that Alice encounters (aside from glimpses of the white rabbit) and serves as a gatekeeper of sorts for the story's introduction and also sets the tone of Alice's further adventures.

[@barbarabweaver1]

The character is the dormouse, spell check strikes again I suspect.

[@MissyGail4eva]

@@barbarabweaver1 what is so hilarious that it incorrectly corrected for what was in actuality an incorrectly cited line that was never even present in TTLG or AAIW, as the dormouse never said "Feed your head" (no one did), nor was there a doorknob for that matter. Just an amalgamation of Grace Slick's acid trips and Disney 'Imagineers', LoL. But it is lovely to serendipitously encounter a fellow fan of Carroll's work. 🌈ᥫ᭡

[@frankiebowie6174]

“Feed your head,” was a mantra from many of the songs of the’60s. They were right, and every person at the age of reason deserves a well-guided mushroom trip in order to understand and appreciate his place in the universe. JMHO 😝

[@fredarsenault8987]

Flamenco is what you re thinking about for the guitar

[@Nomad-vv1gk]

The "White Rabbit" was LSD. Grace Slick said "White Rabbit" "is about following your curiosity. The White Rabbit is your curiosity." For her and others in the 1960s, drugs were a part of mind expansion and social experimentation. With its enigmatic lyrics, "White Rabbit" became one of the first songs to sneak drug references past censors on the radio. They used part of the story of Alice in Wonderland to pull this off

[@TerenceShortman]

The lyrics draws on imagery from Lewis Carroll's 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass. The pill that makes you larger and the pill that makes you small, the white rabbit allice chases and fall down the hole, The red queen that shouts off with your head the white night that talks backwards, the dormouse, the hooker smoking caterpillar things that are not logical and out of proportion are all from the books.

[@Truth83rtz]

Read "alice in wonderland" by Lewis Carol. Or see the movie; Disney.

[@debbers]

I think that's called a tremelo! Great reaction to this tripping song! There is a movie called "Go Ask Alice" that is based on this song, you should check it out especially if you have children!

[@tammyhanlon3057]

She is so high she never blinks.

[@robertsousa9550]

How you can listen to a song and keep stopping it like that is beyond me.

[@MugnifyRTS]

I used to produce music, I'm not a regular reactor out here

[@robertprice6830]

The song that started a thousand trips.

[@dreadtrain2846]

I love Mama Cass!

[@Lwize]

Grace was gorgeous.

[@JaquelineGoodspeed]

Alice, the White Rabbit, makes much more sense now. The caterpillar was always my favorite. They left out the cat though. Lol.

[@louise11854]

hello, dear!! i'm glad you picked up the acid connection-we were all doing acid. this was really trippy at the time. great reaction!! kathleen

[@dannytapp7259]

She's always serious and yes it's a trip to listen to with special ingredients in your head

[@lorikisiel9367]

They use allusions from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (White Rabbit, Hookah Smoking Caterpillar, Dormouse saying "Feed your head," white knight talking backward, the Red Queen lost her head, etc) to describe a drug trip, as you correctly figured out. It has frequently been suggested that Louis Carroll was on a psychedelic trip when he wrote the children's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 . Many psychedelics, as well as cocaine, were not illegal until well into the 20th Century, and wealthy people, including well-known writers at the time, wrote "under the influence."

[@brettmanus7904]

Grace Slick has an amazing natural vibrato in her voice.

[@bruceroberts1713]

And she can sing. Big time.

[@mpierce3]

Welcome to the 60's My Friend

[@joannparker1977]

They were pioneers of the drug counter culture. Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco. A major trippy song.

[@jeanluney1362]

White Rabbit / Lyrics 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 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 Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Grace Wing Slick White Rabbit lyrics © Copperpenny Music, Mole Music Co

[@Code9]

Just to verify what others have already said, if you watch the old Disney animated film version of "Alice in Wonderland" it'll all make immediate sense.

[@andrewrose7800]

Grace Slick, a great singer.

[@ronaldstokes4841]

Catholic School nuns got me into poetry. This was the fifties and they had us read the complete story of 'Through the Looking Glass'. It's the story of Alice, which includes a great poem that my grandson came to love... 'Jabberwocky'. So silly, so serious, so ingenious. It makes me wonder about the pharmaceutical effects Carrol was under when writing. (It also makes me wonder about Sister Misericordia and where she was coming from).

[@88pjtink]

feed your head, mug. feed your head. :) glad you recognized her vocal talents.

[@darkogregec7503]

The faces you make😂. Great! Rock on!

[@sylvanaire]

Alice in Wonderland is where the phrase, falling down a rabbit hole, comes from. The meaning has changed a little bit from falling into crazytown to falling into an obsession but that story is the roots of the phrase. It’s worth checking out if only so you’ll be familiar with the pop culture references. 👍👍😄

[@ArtbyKatina]

I love this song

[@AP-gb3eh]

Alice in Wonderland classic book most kids read in school back then.yes it’s trippy but all the references are characters in that story. Johnny Dep was a wonderful Mad Hatter is the movie version Helen Bonham Carter as Red Queen perfect. Alan Rickman as the Hookah smoking caterpillar 🌺🌺🌺

[@barbarabisson2551]

British culture authors wrote such story books with hidden meanings, like the Wizard of Oz was about monetary struggles, ie. gold backing for paper money. This Alice in Wonderland story was about the psychedelic drugs of India, once owned by British Empire. Their drugs were exported to the west and picked up here where colleges experimented with them. the last sentence, "Feed your head", was Jefferson's Airplane's admonition to college students.

[@jathygamer8746]

I never did drugs but love this song 🎧 🐰 💓 🐛 🎶

[@timliscum2861]

love how she turns her L's into R's. instead of tall.... its talrrrrrrrr .... love her vibrato too

[@johnbeasley7658]

Psychedelic rock

[@PamelaKilburn-c3w]

The white rabbit symbolizes the rabbit in Alice in wonderland..... However when i was younger, chasing rabbits was a term for on the hunt for weed.

[@TheEmmettq]

Did you read “Alice in Wonderland” when you were small? Did you ever see one of the movies on TV? It’s a retelling of that story in song.

[@geminisoup]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Bro, Grace Slick is aka "Acid Queen." So....yeah. I loved your first reaction. 🙏💗💗

[@MoncurElectric]

You're really listening, it was a pleasure to hear this song through your ears. The white rabbit is an Alice In Wonderland reference.

[@Jan-xn3kz]

“ Alice in Wonderland” a fantasy novel by Lewis Carroll an English author/poet/photographer was published in 1865 and remains a popular children’s book with beautiful illustrations by John Tenniel, including white rabbits that talk.

[@revaflowers3115]

Grace Slick ,the lead vocalist.This song is following the story of Alice In Wonderland.

[@redhats_exit1984]

Your expressions are priceless!😂 Starship was such an Acid Trip band. That dude, I mentioned, Donovan, is pretty trippy too. Dig it brother! 🤘

[@TracyHolland-le2pf]

Grace Slick just celebrated her 82nd birthday (I think) a few days ago😂

[@randystalnaker6700]

😂😂😂 ah yes...the GOOD old days...or at least what I remember of them...

[@kevinmcconnell3641]

Grace Slick is another one of those voices, in this case female, that set the standard for Rock n roll!!

[@mikeconway9849]

Great reaction to a 60s rock hit! Been listening to you for a while, now a new subscriber.

[@hopeklemann1]

she's talking about Alice in wonderland and the references thereof.....

[@TSM-908]

Wow - reacting to an iconic song without knowing it was written on the book by C S Lewis - Alice in Wonderland. This psychedelic book was actually written in 1865 - Jefferson Airplane obviously tied this iconic book story into an equally iconic 1960’s culture. Please, please read more books as many, many iconic songs both rock and blues from the 1960s to the present day have their roots in old classics that you should read. You really don’t know what you’re missing - I’m 67 and a huge record (CD) collection and obviously a huge library full of books. Today it’s even more easy to get the unabridged audiobooks and listen to them and that way if you’re not a slow reader. It’s a win win for your own knowledge base. I promise you’ll not regret it. Also so many songs are written by groups like the Beatles that were actually written by them to communicate with the civil rights youth of the time. Example is the Beatles song blackbird. Paul McCartney has said that the lyrics were inspired by hearing the call of a blackbird in Rishikesh, India, and by racial tension in the Southern United States. Understand the context and you’ll be the wiser man. ❤❤❤ keep up with your reactions.

[@clare1061]

I was a 6 years old when this came out. There's a young lady. I heard redo this song her band name is Ladyhawk, She has a Live Version of it on Acoustic In a Studio you need to check that out.

[@harrys7933]

Hookah-smoking caterpillar; A hookah or waterpipe was used for smoking tobacco, cannabis, hashish and opium.

[@EddieVick-xh1fq]

I have read the book Alice in Wonderland and got the very distinct impression that the writer was writing down an acid trip they were on.

[@IFortuna2]

Reference is to Alice in Wonderland, the Red Queen always was saying " off with her head". Alice chased her cat the down the rabbit hole and met the white rabbit, "One pill makes you large and one pill makes you small" Acid, pot, peyote and mushroom trips, and, yes pills. . In Alice's case, they were slices of cake as a metaphor. Go ask Alice when she is 10 feet tall. Hookah smoking caterpillar smoking pot and talking in riddles to a small Alice. Remember what the Dormouse said, " Feed your head". Watch the movie, you will love it considering when Alice in Wonderland was written.

[@ChrisParrett-qo4sx]

At the time of the record, there were two 'pills' constantly in the news for one reason or another (usually triggered by religious objections). The advent of fertility drugs for those wanting to get pregnant… 'One pill makes you larger'… and either the contraceptive pill… Yes… It keeps you small, but it was old hat by then… or most likely, by that time, the arrival of slimming drugs. Of course, the ones mother gave you were vitamin pills and health supplements.

[@norskawarrior1919]

Grace Slick is THE Acid Queen. You need to check out her voice isolation for this song. Talk about POWERFUL!!!

[@jimcarberry8262]

Alice in wonderland, is the whole story

[@alansims4344]

This is so much deeper than just about Alice in Wonderland cuz... what is that story really about? Well it's a deep rabbit hole and the song is a "call" to those who can hear to begin the journey and "feed your head" and find things are not what they seem to be.

[@Mike-hm5rm]

"Go Ask Alice" is also a 70s book about a young teenage girl that becomes addicted to drugs believed to be more or less a published diary from an anonymous woman. Jefferson Airplane also has another track with the same title. I believe Grace is singing both about Alice in Wonderland but through the stark realistic perspective of Beatrice Sparks' book.

[@steveullrich7737]

If you're referring to White Rabbit it came out in 1967 four years before the book you reference so would be the other way around. Also the book is now labelded as fiction and apparently not based on a real diary.

[@willieboy3011]

Good reaction.

[@Sweetrose333]

Alice in wonderland is the reference

[@Dajjer]

When this song came out The Disney Movie Alice in Wonderland and the book of the same name were part of contemporary culture. Just like we know about the pills of the Matrix, well they had the same thing in Alice In Wonderland. The story or Fairytale is quite trippy even without drugs. Still, I will admit to going to a couple of midnight showings of Alice in Wonderlands high. And to be clear, everything in the song, is in the book.