I have heard a lot of controversy on this song: Pro-drug or Anti-drug.
I am still not sure if it is one or the other so I am deciding on both. I think hurleychick is right on the part that this song is about how people react to their lives.
Here is the evidence for my theories:
Pro-drug:
"Up on your wall hangs your degree
Your parents craved so much for you
And though you're trained to make your mark
You still don't quite know what to do"
This verse is saying that you were pushed/forced into your current life because of your parents. Even though you have gone this far, it's never too late to start all over again. Now you can have fun and do all the drugs you want.
Anti-drug:
"You say you've only got one life to live
And when your dead your gone
Your family comes to your grave
And with tears in their eyes
They tell you, you did something wrong
'You left us alone'"
As a drugee you used the excuse, "I only have one life, might as well live it to the fullest." Well, you died because of overdose. Not only that, you left a wife kids behind. You've left them alone with no support, I hope you had a good life because you ruined your family's.
These are just two of my arguments for pro-drug and anti-drug. As you can see I am very complexed on what Steppenwolf's intent was. All I can guess is that he wanted to point out the pros and cons to drugs to educate Americans and not tell them what to do. If you have any other ideas, please post them. I would really like to see what other people think.
I have heard a lot of controversy on this song: Pro-drug or Anti-drug.
I am still not sure if it is one or the other so I am deciding on both. I think hurleychick is right on the part that this song is about how people react to their lives.
Here is the evidence for my theories:
Pro-drug:
"Up on your wall hangs your degree Your parents craved so much for you And though you're trained to make your mark You still don't quite know what to do"
This verse is saying that you were pushed/forced into your current life because of your parents. Even though you have gone this far, it's never too late to start all over again. Now you can have fun and do all the drugs you want.
Anti-drug:
"You say you've only got one life to live And when your dead your gone Your family comes to your grave And with tears in their eyes They tell you, you did something wrong 'You left us alone'"
As a drugee you used the excuse, "I only have one life, might as well live it to the fullest." Well, you died because of overdose. Not only that, you left a wife kids behind. You've left them alone with no support, I hope you had a good life because you ruined your family's.
These are just two of my arguments for pro-drug and anti-drug. As you can see I am very complexed on what Steppenwolf's intent was. All I can guess is that he wanted to point out the pros and cons to drugs to educate Americans and not tell them what to do. If you have any other ideas, please post them. I would really like to see what other people think.