The "classic" lineup of Jefferson Airplane, from October 1966 to February 1970, was Marty Balin (vocals), Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Grace Slick (vocals), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar, vocals), Jack Casady (bass), and Spencer Dryden (drums). Marty Balin left the band in 1971. After 1972, Jefferson Airplane effectively split into two groups. Kaukonen and Casady moved on full time to their own band, Hot Tuna. Slick, Kantner, and the remaining members of Jefferson Airplane recruited new members and regrouped as Jefferson Starship in 1974, with Marty Balin eventually joining them. Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and was presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Spencer Dryden died on January 11, 2005.
Both Signe Anderson and Paul Kantner died on January 28, 2016.
Marty Balin died on September 27, 2018
White Rabbit
Jefferson Airplane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
He called Alice, when she was just small
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
The song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane is a psychedelic rock classic that was written by Grace Slick in 1966. The lyrics of the song are heavily influenced by Lewis Carroll's classic novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The opening 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," are a reference to Alice's journey through Wonderland, where she drinks a potion to shrink and eats a cake to grow. The reference to the pills also alludes to the drug culture of the 1960s, where the use of psychedelic drugs was becoming more widespread.
The lyrics also reference the hookah-smoking caterpillar and the talking chessboard, both of which are characters or scenes from Alice in Wonderland. The lyrics suggest that chasing the rabbit and engaging with these fantastical characters and events is akin to taking drugs and experiencing the hallucinatory effects. The phrase "feed your head" at the end of the song suggests that the experience of taking drugs and entering this alternate reality can be mind-expanding and enlightening.
Overall, the lyrics of White Rabbit celebrate the counterculture of the 1960s and the embrace of drugs, mysticism, and alternative realities. While the song is firmly rooted in its historical context, it continues to resonate with audiences and is considered a classic of psychedelic rock.
Line by Line Meaning
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small
There are drugs that can make you feel bigger, and some that make you feel small.
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all
The pills that are given to you by your mother are useless and won't have any effect.
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall
If you want to know about the effect of drugs that make you feel different, ask Alice who's already experienced it.
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall
If you try to get involved in things that you don't understand, you are going to get hurt.
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
If you claim that you have some kind of divine calling, people might think you are crazy.
He called Alice, when she was just small
The caterpillar talked to Alice when she was young and inexperienced.
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go
When people try to control your life and play you like a chess piece.
And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low
When you are under the influence of drugs, your mind is not functioning properly.
Go ask Alice, I think she'll know
Alice knows about the effects of drugs, so she might be able to help.
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
When things no longer make sense and become illogical.
And the White Knight is talking backwards
The White Knight is saying things that are confusing and contradictory.
And the Red Queen's off with her head
The Red Queen is irrational and might be making decisions that are harmful to others.
Remember what the Dormouse said
Pay attention to the advice given to you by small and seemingly insignificant beings.
Feed your head, feed your head
Find ways to expand your mind and your consciousness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Grace Wing Slick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind