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June 13, 2017 12:37 PM Subscribe
What are some songs whose lyrics mention "being high" as a positive feeling outside of the context of using drugs. For instance, Eddie Rabbit's I Love A Rainy Night: "I love a rainy night, You can see it in my eyes, I love a rainy night, It makes me high", or John Denver's Sunshine On My Shoulders: "Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, Sunshine almost always makes me high".
The more familiar the better, but anything you might think of is great. Thanks.
Another John Denver: Rocky Mountain High
posted by LaBellaStella at 12:48 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by LaBellaStella at 12:48 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I don't think the word refers to drugs in Wish I Knew You When I Was Young.
posted by BibiRose at 12:49 PM on June 13, 2017
posted by BibiRose at 12:49 PM on June 13, 2017
Best answer: Iiiiiiiii'm hooked on a feelin', I'm high on believin'....
posted by praemunire at 12:55 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 12:55 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Freda Payne - I Get High (On Your Memory)
Michael Jackson - It's the Falling in Love
posted by girlmightlive at 12:56 PM on June 13, 2017
Michael Jackson - It's the Falling in Love
posted by girlmightlive at 12:56 PM on June 13, 2017
Best answer: Four Non Blonde's "What's Up" (also available in He-Man)
And so I wake in the morningposted by nsillik at 1:01 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
Best answer: The Doors famously got banned from the Ed Sullivan Show for not changing the lyrics to "Light My Fire" because it could be interpreted as being about drugs. Band members differed on whether they agreed to change it, but Morrison sang the original lyrics.
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
posted by FencingGal at 1:04 PM on June 13, 2017
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher
posted by FencingGal at 1:04 PM on June 13, 2017
Does "feelin' groovy" count? 59th Street Bridge Song by Simon & Garfinkel.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:08 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 1:08 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Relatedly, Van Morrison's "And It Stoned me"
And it stoned me to my soulposted by nsillik at 1:10 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Stoned me just like Jelly Roll
And it stoned me
And it stoned me to my soul
Stoned me just like goin' home
And it stoned me
Best answer: "A Wonderful Guy" from the musical South Pacific
I'm as corny as Kansas in August,
High as a flag on the Fourth of July!
If you'll excuse an expression I use,
I'm in love, I'm in love,
I'm in love, I'm in love,
I'm in love with a wonderful guy!
posted by FencingGal at 1:12 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm as corny as Kansas in August,
High as a flag on the Fourth of July!
If you'll excuse an expression I use,
I'm in love, I'm in love,
I'm in love, I'm in love,
I'm in love with a wonderful guy!
posted by FencingGal at 1:12 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Rita Coolidge's 1977 cover of '(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher' was apparently banned in Singapore for being too suggestive, if I recall correctly(?).
I think it's sometimes a bit tricky to parse a lyricist's intentions if they're being suggestive. It might be plausible deniability, or the words might be meant to be ambiguous. A song like 'Say Hello' by April Wine is kinda flirting with being suggestive, but hey.
One thing for sure, I really believe that Rita Coolidge was not being suggestive. Her version of that tune is really straight-sounding.
posted by ovvl at 1:18 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I think it's sometimes a bit tricky to parse a lyricist's intentions if they're being suggestive. It might be plausible deniability, or the words might be meant to be ambiguous. A song like 'Say Hello' by April Wine is kinda flirting with being suggestive, but hey.
One thing for sure, I really believe that Rita Coolidge was not being suggestive. Her version of that tune is really straight-sounding.
posted by ovvl at 1:18 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Tal Bachman - She's So High.
(Listen to the song if you think you don't know it - you'll remember it when you hear it.)
posted by w0mbat at 1:19 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
(Listen to the song if you think you don't know it - you'll remember it when you hear it.)
posted by w0mbat at 1:19 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Wonderful! Keep up the good work.
posted by themanwho at 1:36 PM on June 13, 2017
posted by themanwho at 1:36 PM on June 13, 2017
The Statue Got Me High by They Might Be Giants. According to the Wikipedia article, it's supposed to be taken figuratively.
posted by Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown at 1:37 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown at 1:37 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lighthouse Family - High
'Cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You will always keep me flying high in the sky of love'
posted by oenzemain at 1:40 PM on June 13, 2017
'Cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You will always keep me flying high in the sky of love'
posted by oenzemain at 1:40 PM on June 13, 2017
If you count words like "up" and "lifted" as near-synonyms for "high," there's "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)" by Oysterband, later covered by Great Big Sea.
posted by waffleriot at 1:48 PM on June 13, 2017
posted by waffleriot at 1:48 PM on June 13, 2017
Easy by the Commodores.
"I wanna be high, so high,
I wanna be free to do the things I know are right"
posted by Daily Alice at 1:56 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
"I wanna be high, so high,
I wanna be free to do the things I know are right"
posted by Daily Alice at 1:56 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Livin' Thing - ELO
Sailin' away on the crest of a wave
It's like magic
Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' & slidin'
It's magic
[CHORUS]
And you, and your sweet desire,
You took me, higher and higher
It's a livin' thing,
It's a terrible thing to lose
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:56 PM on June 13, 2017
Sailin' away on the crest of a wave
It's like magic
Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' & slidin'
It's magic
[CHORUS]
And you, and your sweet desire,
You took me, higher and higher
It's a livin' thing,
It's a terrible thing to lose
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:56 PM on June 13, 2017
Des'ree Feel So High, 90s classic universally applicable to every crush ever
posted by runincircles at 2:27 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by runincircles at 2:27 PM on June 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Rita Coolidge version of "Higher and Higher" has already been mentioned, but don't miss Jackie Wilson's original!
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 2:49 PM on June 13, 2017
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 2:49 PM on June 13, 2017
Dancing in the Moonlight.
posted by effluvia at 4:32 PM on June 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by effluvia at 4:32 PM on June 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
effluvia posted while I was looking for a link.
No specific reference to "high" that I remember, but "you can't dance and stay uptight, it's a supernatural delight" seems pretty close.
(I love that song.)
posted by she's not there at 5:46 PM on June 13, 2017
No specific reference to "high" that I remember, but "you can't dance and stay uptight, it's a supernatural delight" seems pretty close.
(I love that song.)
posted by she's not there at 5:46 PM on June 13, 2017
Is "With a Little Help from My Friends" too transparently about drugs?
posted by All Out of Lulz at 6:02 PM on June 13, 2017
posted by All Out of Lulz at 6:02 PM on June 13, 2017
That's the way of the World - Earth, Wind, and Fire
Hearts of fire creates love desire, Take you high and higher...
posted by she's not there at 6:04 PM on June 13, 2017
Hearts of fire creates love desire, Take you high and higher...
posted by she's not there at 6:04 PM on June 13, 2017
A few more...
Sly Stone - High on You
Stevie Wonder - Too High ("I'm too high, I'm too high, But I ain't left the ground") and from the same album, Higher Ground ("Gonna keep on tryin', Till I reach my highest ground")
posted by she's not there at 7:07 PM on June 13, 2017
Sly Stone - High on You
Stevie Wonder - Too High ("I'm too high, I'm too high, But I ain't left the ground") and from the same album, Higher Ground ("Gonna keep on tryin', Till I reach my highest ground")
posted by she's not there at 7:07 PM on June 13, 2017
Duncan Sheik - On a High
I'm on a high, I'm on a high
There's nothing more to it.
We are the sea and the sky
And the blue that runs through it, yeah
posted by epj at 9:44 PM on June 13, 2017
I'm on a high, I'm on a high
There's nothing more to it.
We are the sea and the sky
And the blue that runs through it, yeah
posted by epj at 9:44 PM on June 13, 2017
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posted by terretu at 12:42 PM on June 13, 2017