Their music bridged the gaps between the socially and spiritually conscious folk music of Bob Dylan, the studio trickery of The Beach Boys, and the sardonic rock of The Beatles. Some of their trademark songs include pop versions of Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man and Pete Seeger’s Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season), and the originals I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better, and Eight Miles High. Throughout their career they helped forge such subgenres as folk rock, raga rock, psychedelic rock, jangle pop, and – on their 1968 classic Sweetheart of the Rodeo – country rock inviting Gram Parsons on rhythm guitar.
The original and most successful lineup consisted of Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Michael Clarke, Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark. After several line-up changes (with lead singer/guitarist McGuinn as the only consistent member), they broke up in 1973.
In 1991 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and several band members launched successful solo careers after leaving the group. The most successful was David Crosby who was inducted again for his work with Crosby, Stills & Nash. Other than The Beatles, the only artist with all members inducted twice are, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Take a Whiff on Me
The Byrds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to bum a nickle, just to buy cocaine
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Sign in the window said: "No more coke".
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Goin' up State Street, comin' down Main
Lookin' for the woman that uses cocaine.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
I'se got a nickle, you'se got a dime...
You buy the coke and I'll buy the wine.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
Takes a brown-skinned woman, for my particular use.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Cocaine's for horses and not for men
Doctors sat t'will kill you but they don't say when.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Take a whiff on me, take a whiff on me
And everybody, take a whiff on me.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Whiff-a-ree and whiff-a-rye
Gonna keep on a whiffin' boys, 'till I die.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
The Byrds's song Take a Whiff on Me is a song that openly discussed the theme of drug addiction, which was very prevalent in the American society in the 1960s. The lyrics tell a story of a person who is wandering the streets, trying to find the drug, cocaine, that he can no longer afford. He speaks of walking up and down different streets in search of someone who uses cocaine and is looking for a salesperson. He describes how he went to Lehman’s store and found out that the store no longer supplied cocaine. The person is willing to share a joint with anyone who can supply him with the drug, including a brown-skinned woman, who he believes is his perfect match.
The song’s lyrics also make references to other drugs, like wine and whiskey, and how they relate to cocaine. The individual who sings the song is aware of the dangers of cocaine, but still wants to consume it at all costs, which may suggest that they are addicted to the drug. The chorus of the song, which is repeated throughout, “Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me,” serves to emphasize his desire and desperation to consume the drug.
Overall, the song Take a Whiff on Me speaks about an important aspect of American life in the 1960s, which is the widespread use of drugs. It also carries a social commentary on the subject of addiction and how it can lead people to desperate measures.
Line by Line Meaning
Walked up Ellum and I come down Main
I walked up Ellum and then down Main, probably in search of cocaine.
Tryin' to bum a nickle, just to buy cocaine
I'm trying to beg for five cents so I can buy cocaine.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Honey, take a whiff of the cocaine with me.
Went to Mr. Lehman's on a lope
I went quickly to Mr. Lehman's establishment, probably for cocaine.
Sign in the window said: 'No more coke'.
The sign in the window says that they don't have any more cocaine.
Goin' up State Street, comin' down Main
I'm searching for the woman who uses cocaine, likely for more cocaine.
Lookin' for the woman that uses cocaine.
I'm searching for a woman who is known to use cocaine.
I'se got a nickle, you'se got a dime...
I have five cents and you have ten, so we can buy cocaine and wine.
You buy the coke and I'll buy the wine.
You can purchase the cocaine while I purchase the wine.
The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I prefer dark-skinned women for my particular desires.
Takes a brown-skinned woman, for my particular use.
I prefer women with brown skin for my own purposes.
Cocaine's for horses and not for men
Cocaine is intended for horses and not for human consumption.
Doctors say it'll kill you but they don't say when.
Doctors warn that cocaine is dangerous, but they don't specify when it will cause harm.
Whiff-a-ree and whiff-a-rye
I will continue to sniff cocaine, now and forever.
Gonna keep on a whiffin' boys, 'till I die.
I will continue to use cocaine until I die.
Ho, ho, honey take a whiff on me.
Honey, take a whiff of the cocaine with me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEFAN GROSSMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ro6er1gm9x
Intro guitar line gets me, Everytime
@SakBatOfficial
mother gooseberry
@larrymcneely1283
clarence white on vocals and mandoline... one of the greatest musicians....ever...period
@chuckwilliam4746
So awesome he played an instrument no one's ever heard of~~the mandoline
@stephengorin2685
@@chuckwilliam4746 Good one!!!
@bernardcimetiere6451
@@chuckwilliam4746 Chris Hillmann starts playing mandolin with The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers!!
@bentonscrivener
Only 16 comments lol? Ain’t nobody like California country anymore?
@efud7495
No, never did. I was attracted to the Byrds sound because of one: McGuinn's style on the Rick 12 string and Two: the harmonizing vocals. I can appreciate the old classic style of country and I like a lot of Blue Grass but try though I might I just could never get into 'California Country' as you called or modern contemporary country music. In the period i was listening to Deep Purple, Black Sabbath balanced with CSN my father and older sister were devouring '70's Country. I worked in a shop repairing cars and the owner and all of the employees were from West Virginia with 5 radios blasting country all day and night there. Country music came to represent low IQ and a general ' Goober and Gomer ' intelligence and social maturity. The diversity in the old Buck Owens and Waylon Gennings or maybe Chet Adkins. There were some fantastic musicians under the Country and Western banner just listen to Roy Clark or Glen Campbell. Country Music since the mid-70's sounds like rock and roll pop with a hick accent and the same lyrical story in every song. Good C&W went away with Gospel and R&B. Of course if you were to compare mid-70's country with Disco or the pablum in the charts I'd likely side with the Oak Ridge Boys over the Bee Gees. There was such an enormous void in music until around 1979 or 80. That is my opinion.
@sidneyadnopoz3427
Lots of people love this kind of music.
@mrmjb1960
Written by Huddie Ledbetter,better known as Leadbelly.