Music & Drugs
The Romeo and Juliet of Influence History
By Fritz K. Hentschel
Florida International University
October 21, 2012
Music + Drugs = Good or Bad Idea?
By Fritz K. Hentschel
Florida International University
Miami, FL
Abstract
Randy Dotinga (U.S. News and World Report, 2007) states that one third of popular songs are references to substance abuse among the top genres: rap, country, R&B/hip-hop, rock, and pop. The relation between Drugs and Music has been observed throughout history, even when Beethoven needed a bottle of scotch to get motivated to finish a symphony. The main question here is to determination Music & Drugs are an advantageous combination for making inspiring music or a mix made for a bad influence. Statistics showed that a roughly 80% say that there is a relation, and now to find out if there is one or more factors to this “relationship.” A select group of people smoke Marijuana because that’s what their preferred artists do, but why? Some say it makes the music better. And what makes famous artists do drugs? to get inspired? to deal with the media?[4] or just because they can and want to? For now, it is clear that music and drugs do have a relation: “drugs make better music and music makes drugs better.”
Keywords: music, drugs, influence.
Chapter 1: Introduction
What’s the link between music and drugs? The Beatles drop acid, and came up with awesome songs[2] based on their “trips” like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” it’s a catchy tune but coincidentally it’s an abbreviation of “L.S.D.”. Bob Marley smoked marijuana more than a French smokes cigarettes, and wrote songs that are still sang today by marijuana smokers and non-smokers. Great ideas from great artists came from drug use. Hold on! An American mother just called the local news because her Nirvana loving son just died of a heroin overdose, and wants to sue the band. Are drugs and music a perfect combination or a terrible mix?
Tim Chester, assistant...
