Reefer Songs

Hogeye Smoking
Hogeye Bill's opinion. (Hey, it's my page.)

Top Ten Reefer Songs

  1. Gimme a Reefer, Bessie Smith, OKeh 8949, 1933
  2. You'se a Viper, Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys, 1936
  3. Don't Step on the Grass, Sam, Steppenwolf, 1968
  4. Champaign and Reefer, Muddy Waters, 1981
  5. Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35, Bob Dylan, 1966
  6. Don't Bogart Me, Fraternity of Man,1969
  7. Knocking Myself Out, Lil Green, 1941
  8. Mr. Tamborine Man, Bob Dylan, 1965
  9. Smoke Two Joints, The Toyes, 1983
  10. Reefer Man, Baron Lee and the Blue Rhythm Band, 1932
Stonerable mention: Illegal Smile, John Prine, 197?; Kaya, Bob Marley & the Wailers, 197?; Legend of the USS Titanic, Jamie Brockett, 197?; The Great Smokeout, Shel Silverstein, 197?.
I have some original songs about weed. My efforts range from the inspirational spiritual The Joint Beats the Jigger to the high-and-whimsical Stoned Song. Intolerant attitudes about weed (among other things) are ridiculed in The Hypocrite, one of several songs with libertarian themes. Another is Hill Country Outlaw, which compares old-time moonshining with pot growing as it extols the Ozark mountain hillbilly anarchist lifestyle. The of course, there's the coffee-house favorite - my most requested song - Every Dead Narc is One Small Step for Freedom.

potleaf Marijuana CD's potleaf

Here is a list of CD's which are collections of marijuana songs, or have marijuana as a major theme. If you know of others, please email me.

blues players

Known Recorded Marijuana Song's

Listed by Date of Earliest Recording

Here is a list of weed song's. Here is how I define a weed song:
  1. It must have lyrics. (In English for now.)
    Instrumentals with reefer-related titles don't count. E.g. Louis Armstrong's "Muggles" (1929) doesn't qualify.
  2. The lyrical theme must be related to ganja.
    Reefer cannot be merely a passing reference, it must be a significant part of the song. That part must be specifically about cannabis. Getting high or stoned on an unspecified drug qualifies only if the lyrics, cultural/social context, or author's explicit intent indicate that the song is more likely than not about cannabis, in the judgement of a reasonable pothead.
If you know songs not on this list, please email me - Hogeye Bill.

Year
Song Title
Performer
Hogeye's Comments
1932
Reefer Man Baron Lee and the Blue Rhythm Band The oldest pot song(?), and the first whose slang survived to current times. We still call it reefer. [VMB]
1936
If You're a Viper Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys World's best reefer song. [VMB]
1936
When I Get Low, I Get High Ella Fitzgerald with Chuck Webb and his Orchestra [VMB]
1937
The Onyx Hop Frankie Newton and his Uptown Serenaders [VMB]
1938
Reefer Hound Blues Curtis Jones [VMB]
1938
Reefer Head Woman Jazz Gillum and his Jass Boys with Big Bill Broonzy (guitar) and Washboard Sam (washboard) [VMB]
1938
Smoking Reefers Larry Adler [VMB]
1939
Killing Jive The Cats and the Fiddle [VMB]
1940
Junker's Blues Champion Jack Dupree [VMB]
1941
Knocking Myself Out Lil Green with Big Bill Broonzy on guitar [VMB]
1966
Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35 Bob Dylan [MGH] [HFN]
1968
I Like Marijuana David Peel & the Lower East Side [HFN]
1971
Sweet Leaf Black Sabbath [MGH] [HFN]
1973
Pothead Pixies Gong (Flying Teapot album) [HFN]
1974
Too Rolling Stoned Robin Trower [HFN]
1976
Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba Harlem Underground Band [HFN]
1976
Legalize It Peter Tosh [HFN]
1989
Urb-an Music Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
1991
Herbs an' Spices Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
1991
Who's Got the Herb Human Rights [HFN]
1993
I Wanna Get High Cypress Hill Based on "One Draw", a Bob Marley song. [HFN]
1995
In the Flow Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers [HFN]
19nn
African Herbsman Bob Marley? (remake by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers)
19nn
Homegrown Neil Young and Crazyhorse [HFN]
19nn
Bass Strings Country Joe and the Fish [MGH]
19nn
Panama Red New Riders of the Purple Sage [MGH]
19nn
Billy Bardo Johnny Paycheck [MGH]
19nn
Illegal Smile John Prine [MGH]
19nn
Champagne and Reefer Muddy Waters [MGH] [HFN]
19nn
I Got Stoned & I Missed It Shel Silverstein, Dr. Hook [MGH]
19nn
Kaya Bob Marley [MGH]
19nn
Two Hits & the Joint Turned Brown John Hartford with The Dillards [MGH]
19nn
Jack, I'm Mellow Trixie Smith [MGH]
19nn
Don't Bogart Me The Fraternity of Man, Little Feat [MGH]
19nn
I Like Marijuana David Peel and the Lower East Side [MGH] [HFN]
19nn
Seed and Stems (Again) Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen [MGH]
19nn
Roll Another Number (for the Road) Neil Young [MGH]
19nn
One Draw Rita Marley (written by Bob Marley)
19nn
Fare Thee Well, Titanic James Brockett
19nn
The Great Smokeout Shel Silverstein
19nn
title performer

You can reach me by e-mail at: abcritter@yahoo.com. Revised 7/25/2005.