In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
When I woke up this morning, things were lookin' bad
Seem like total silence was the only friend I had
Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down, and won
And it was twelve o'clock before I realized
I was havin' no fun
Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun
Last time I checked my bankroll
It was gettin' thin
Sometimes it seems like the bottom
Is the only place I've been
I chased a rainbow down a one-way street dead end
And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen
Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun
Well, I sat down in my closet with all my overalls
Tryin' to get away from all the ears inside my walls
I dreamed the police heard everything I thought, what then?
Well I went to court and the judge's name was Hoffman
Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun
Well done, hot dog bun, my sister's a nun
Seem like total silence was the only friend I had
Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down, and won
And it was twelve o'clock before I realized
I was havin' no fun
Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun
Last time I checked my bankroll
It was gettin' thin
Sometimes it seems like the bottom
Is the only place I've been
I chased a rainbow down a one-way street dead end
And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen
Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun
Well, I sat down in my closet with all my overalls
Tryin' to get away from all the ears inside my walls
I dreamed the police heard everything I thought, what then?
Well I went to court and the judge's name was Hoffman
Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality
And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile
It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone
No, I'm just tryin' to have me some fun
Well done, hot dog bun, my sister's a nun
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"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Page
Ed Sheeran
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Hilarious - those who think this ISN'T about grass or LSD. No reason to call his smile "illegal" if it's not. He's sayin' "won't you please tell the man I didn't hurt anyone" - why would he say that? Everybody who has ever smoked weed thinks the same thing - the stuff doesn't hurt anyone, so why the hell is it illegal?
He's got an "illegal smile" for a reason...
John Prine himself has commented in interviews that this song is not about weed, he acknowledges how it was a perfect anthem for stoners but not what he originally wrote it for, perhaps it’s about how you can think what ever you want in your mind and no one can come arrest you…
Obviously this song is about drugs, whether it is referring to LSD or marijuana I cannot safely say, as the lyrics seem to point to both. I always thought it was about weed, but I can see how LSD would make sense too. For those that said this song isn't about drugs, of course John Prine didn't come right out and say "Yes, this song is about smoking weed." A lot of artists don't just come clean and admit their songs are about drugs because that attracts negative attention from certain people. The Beatles also denied drug references in a lot of thier songs, but just listen to some of their lyrics. "...I get high with a little help from my friends..." Anyone can tell that Illegal Smile is definately about either LSD or marijuana, and I'm still stuck with it being about weed. It's a great tune! John Prine is awesome!
This song is almost definitely about drugs. There is no reason for anyone to have an "illegal smile" without the use of illicit substances otherwise it would have no reason to be an illegal smile.
It sounds like he had a bad LSD trip, in the beginning he says he's having a crappy day so he decides to drop acid (which is an obvious mistake for someone experienced with LSD to make) then he gradually progresses through the story ending up in his closet where he experiences irrational paranoia and delusions.
The chorus of the song seems to take defense of the drug
The randomness at the end seems just like an LSD sort of thing too. Hot Dog Bun, My Sister's a Nun. Lots of people tripping their nuts off will say strange things, I've seen people recite their ABC's, list different types of cars for 3 hours, or simply just say anything that rhymes rapid fire.
Also an "illegal smile" moment to Ted Kooser... I read that as "I was stoned out of my mind when I wrote this."
Either way it's a good song...but definitely about drugs whether he'll admit it or not. If it was just vague references within the lyrics it'd be another story but everything is explicitly stated in the song and parallel with a heavy psychedelic intoxication of some sort.
I definitely agree with your points about the paranoia and the "word salad" lines at the end. <br /> <br /> Regarding Prine's denials about this song, does anyone have the verbatim quote? Did he deny that it was about drugs period, or did he make what TVTropes.org calls a "suspiciously specific denial" by saying it wasn't about weed specifically? If the latter, that adds credence to the LSD theory.
Just fyi, in the song the judge's name was hoffman. Albert Hoffman was the swiss scientist who synthesized lsd. Also the effects from lsd last a long time, while those from smoking weed do not.
@Mikethedj Judge Julius Hoffman was the judge in Chicago that presided over the Trial of the Chicago Seven--a collection of several protestors who allegedly started a riot in Chicago outside of the Democratic National Convention in 1968. This was the Hoffman who Prine was referencing.
I stand corrected. My dad got the anthology which includes a book with a bio and meaning behind each song. Illegal Smile is not about drugs although Prine admits that potheads have taken it up as an anthem.
@reflect4ever About as convincing as John Lennon claiming Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds wasn't LSD related.
John Prine is fucking with you. This song is about LSD, and he knows it too.
ray killeen - what makes you think that life isn't an illusion? ;)
It's acid.
C'mon, folks, don't get hung up on the "pot vs. LSD" thing, 'cause that's not the point. Consider that this song was released in 1971 and put it in the context of the times.
Also, consider the Wikipedia article that sez...
"... In the same essay, Prine explains that... the album opener "Illegal Smile" was "not about smokin’ dope. It was more about how, ever since I was a child, I had this view of the world where I can find myself smiling at stuff nobody else was smiling at. But it was such a good anthem for dope smokers that I didn’t want to stop every time I played it and make a disclaimer..."
i'm not positive but i think this song is about weed. i think he's saying he'll be having the crappiest day and he can sit down with a fat blunt and smoke it all away...escape reality...i think that b/c he says it's illegal and then he compares it to killing some one and that's illegal too but sh-t weed isn't as bad as they make it sound.....those are my thoughts