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What Drugs Mean to a Musician

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Throughout time music has allowed people to express themselves in a whole new way and has made it possible for people to discuss common issues on a deeper level through the lyrics of a song. As time goes on, the level of risk taken in songs and the line of what is and isn’t acceptable to discuss has grown. Many songs focusing on drug use have been seen as controversial. However these types of songs allow us to see into the artist’s world and in some ways get a deeper view of what drug use means to a musician. Both “Get High” by Brandy Clark and “Cocaine” by J.J. Cale, serve as good examples of how a musician can express the importance of drugs through their lyrics. The temptation to use drugs is everywhere and is presented every day in today’s society, and although some people see this as a new occurrence, it has been a continuously prevalent issue. Music has had influence on drug use, and is viewed as a problem that has been around for decades and is continuing to rise with the social acceptance of risky lyrics that are being put into music increasingly more often. Currently Rap, Pop, Hip Hop and R&B artists are the ones supposedly corrupting our youth, but in the past both country and rock artists, such as Brandy Clark and J.J. Cale. Both have written songs based around drugs. These artists talk about how they get high and how they escape from the world, to deal with the pain and boredom associated with everyday life. Although they don’t present the prettiest part of

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