Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Needle And The Spoon…Drug Reference Week

This song has a cool walk down intro along with some harmonics. I like the dynamics of the song when it kicks in.

This one has gotten some significant FM play in my region. It was written by Allen Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant…Van Zant was warning about the dangers of hardcore drugs, which the band was just learning about.

The song was on their sophomore offering Second Helping. The album had their biggest hit, Sweet Home Alabama. They released their debut album the year before and their fan base was growing after opening up on The Who’s Quadrophenia tour. The album peaked at #12 in the Billboard Album Chart and #9 in Canada.

In the 2015 edition of Guitar World Magazine, the solo to this song was listed as the #19 best of all time.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHqFFWuNI4

The Needle and The Spoon

Thirty days, Lord, and thirty nights
I’m coming home on an airplane flight
Mama waiting at the ticket line
Tell me son, why do you stand there cryin’?

It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away
Took me away

I’ve been feeling so sick inside
Got to get better, Lord, before I die
Some doctors couldn’t help my head, they said
You’d better quit, son, before you’re dead

Quit the needle, quit the spoon
Quit the trip to the moon
They gonna take you away
Lord, they gonna take you away

It was the needle and the spoon

I’ve seen a lot of people who thought they were cool
But then again, Lord, I’ve seen a lot of fools
I hope you people, Lord, can hear what I say
You’ll have your chance to hit it some day

Don’t mess with a needle or a spoon
Or a trip to the moon
They’ll take you away

Lord, their gonna bury you boy
Don’t mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

26 thoughts on “Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Needle And The Spoon…Drug Reference Week”

  1. The thing about Drug Culture in music is these cats knew the topic on what they were singing about that’s for sure
    I’m enjoying these posts so far this week Max!

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      2. I do have a song from a band right up your alley Friday…I could run drug week into a month if I wanted.

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    1. Yes…as far as I know none of these guys got on it…at least bad. I knew an addict…he said some get scared away at first because of the nausea but most don’t.

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      1. I saw this guy who shot up coke and he got the needle stuck in his arm and he was crying out for help and I ran away because it was making me sick. I could never use needles although I do take injections 4 time a day for diabetes.

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      2. Oh no…I couldn’t do needles at all. I kicked a doctor across the room when I was 8 trying to give me a shot….I had to give my wife shots when she was pregnant…I didn’t mind that…hmmm mean to me yesterday? Here ya go!
        I guess it’s different when you know you have to.

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  3. Reminiscent of Neil Young’s “Needle and the Damage done” lyrically at least. I had to get allergy needles for years as a kid but didn’t like it. I can’t even watch people injecting on TV… I would not be good in medical field.

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    1. No me either. I was forced to give Jennifer shots through her pregnancy… I kept giving her welps because I couldn’t watch…i would just jab…so finally the doctor drew a circle on her hip for me to hit lol…I got ok at it after a while…she was VERY nice to me when that was going on.

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  4. Good tune. The guitars rock. I like another anti-drug song by them better, though. Back in my day we messed around with a lot of drugs, but we steered clear of heroin. That stuff took too many of our idols. We thought of it as poison. I was surprised with its resurgence.

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    1. Yea I knew a drummer who got into it…he is still with us but he would pawn anything he could get his hands on. None of my other friends ever done it…I was too frightened of it.
      That Smell? I already did it before or I would have posted it this week….if that is the one.

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      1. Yeah, that’s it. The Needle and the Spoon is very good, I’m just not that familiar with it. It didn’t get airplay where I’m from and I don’t recall it getting much in Nashville–at least not when we got here in ’87.

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      2. I heard it quite a bit on KDF… it could have been the early eighties. Late seventies…That is how I found out about it. The reason I like it so much is the dynamics when they kick in

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  6. I haven’t heard this in years. I just realized that the intro reminds me of Layla’s intro. Funny what we forget over the years.

    I wouldn’t make a good addict. I hate needles, too. I can’t even watch them draw blood on me. ICK.

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    1. I can’t even watch someone get a shot. I turn my head when They give me one. It’s not a blood… blood doesn’t bother me. It’s that needle go ing into an arm

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      2. I shut my eyes and jabbed Jennifer…she would jump and it would be over with…for me lol.

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