Been Smokin' Too Long

Apparently, Robin Frederick (who originally wrote the song) simply wanted to make a simple anti-drugs song, mentioning different types of drugs and the physical effect is has on you ("But the water don't feel no good"), as well as a typical (but true!) explanation of the sad reason to why many people "smoke" ("Try not to see myself). Nick, however, having tried marijuana, became fascinated with the song, tabbed it out, and also changed a very essential line to make it his own. "No other life to choose" is penned by Nick, replacing the original "Got the marijuana blues". This, I think, is why this should be considered to be a Nick Drake song, seeing as this line, when examined, sets a much more bleak tone to the song, and changes it from being the sad results of a misspent youth into being a full-time addiction and a hairshirt for the life he wants to spend.

According to Wikipedia, Nick Drake quit sports in college and used his new free time to smoke weed and listen to music. He began smoking "insane amounts" every day, and it brought out a psychosis in him. Marijuana can bring out psychosis in people who are genetically pre-disposed to dementia, acting as a catalyst.

Nick must've been singing from his heart. He sounds trapped in a bad dream.

i like this.

He's obviously talking about weed because i know how he feels sometimes. You can't physically become addicted to weed, but the mental addiction can really bad especially when it's just completely ingrained into your life and you don't feel like you can get away from it.

no, its clearly NOT about weed. first off - weed is not addicting. thats just a fact. i've been to rehab, it isnt addicting. you can go to rehab for weed simply because they are willing to help anybody who wants help (they dont limit it to a certain drug) . they will tell you it isnt addicting. and i've smoked for 8 years, and i would hang out with people who would sell lbs and lbs of that stuff, and i would smoke all day every day for free, and i havent smoked in over a year.

"I got opium in my chimney"

hes got opium in his pipe

"Well when I'm smokin' Put my worries on a shelf Don't worry about nothin' Try not to see myself"

thats exactly what heroin does to you, and heroin is derived from opium.

It's probably just about smoking in general. specifically, he mentions opium and hash.

opium duuuhhhh opiummMM DUH

Personally I've always found Drakes lyrics a little too self indulgent with the juvenile longing for martydom, but I must say this song sounds to me painfully honest, much like the depths of Black eyed dog. It sounds like he's coming to the realization that he is finally in the hole he's always romanticized about. It's no secret that he drove himself into psychosis and unfulfilled dreams of grandeur with excessive amounts of cannabis. I don't think you need to search fro the opium link when his weed habbit is all the trouble he needed to align himself with these sentiments.

This is a cover of some female song writer Drake liked. It's kind of obvious it's not up to calibur with Drakes stuff though...

or maybe it's about opium? duuuuuuh