LogFAQs > #955734641

143. Jefferson Airplane White Rabbit (1967)
from the album Surrealistic Pillow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUY2kJE0AZE

Key lyrics:
Go ask Alice

While plenty of songs from the 1960s toyed with drug references, few have felt as lasting as White Rabbit. With this song, Grace Slick forever linked Lewis Carrolls classic childrens novel with hippie culture. The lyrics are a loving homage from someone who manufactured an unintended message.

Yet the subject matter is only a minor part of what makes White Rabbit a true classic of psychedelic rock. The structure here is something few artists seem to even consider attempting. The song begins with a steady marching rhythm. There is no chorus or real hook. Each verse simply rises into the next, the drumbeat forever suggesting the song is only taking off. It is not until we reach the final lines that the song truly shifts gears, but then it is over. White Rabbit simply builds tension over its two and a half minutes, all towards one short burst. This moment is cathartic, but it can also leave one wanting for more. Taken as a whole, the song feels like an intro to a larger piece that does not exist. This could have been a frustrating experience, but this design makes White Rabbit feel like few others. The entire song operates as one gigantic crescendo.

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