420 2025 Playlist
Hello and welcome back to Revolutionary Restrait. As promised, for today, I have put together the first ever Revolutionary Restraint 4/20 Playlist to enjoy during whatever 4/20 activities you might be enjoying today. It seems appropriate for this first playlist to choose a theme that hits somewhat close to home. So, because my dad was both a lover of country music and marijuana, it seems only appropriate to begin with a country themed playlist. Now, I’m sure at this point some of you are laughing, thinking that country music is about as far from marijuana culture as music can get, but let me assure you, it very well may be the case that cowboys do more dope than rock and rollers. So let’s all put on our illegal smiles.
That being said, let’s start off by bending the rules a little bit with something that might be considered more country adjacent than country proper. Indeed, this great Dylan song should remain the anthem of all 4/20s from here on out, down to the end of time. Note that the numbers 12 and 35 multiply to 420. This has always puzzled me, as this would seem to suggest that Dylan was familiar with the association between 420 and marijuana, which would blow a whole in the timeline of the prevailing story which claims it was a term that some California teenagers used in the 70s to refer to when they would meet up for marijuana related activities. If anyone has any further information that can clear this up, it would be greatly appreciated.
Let’s start now with the low hanging fruit. We can’t begin to relate marijuana and country music without at least some reference to the man, the myth, the legend, Mr. Willie Nelson. Luckily, these Willie songs also include additional legends. This first one, about the direction society is seemingly heading is a duet with Merle Haggard, who, of all the figures to contribute to the outlaw country movement, is perhaps most deserving of that title (while we’re on Merle, we should probably mention this one, if only ironically. Like this ironic Kristofferson version). Here we see Willie uniting with, perhaps, the only other figure more popularly associated with marijuana than him, Snoop Dogg, as well as Willie’s fellow Highwayman, Kris Kristofferson (while we’re on Kris, here’s another and I suppose this one counts too), and Jamey Johnson thrown in for good measure. Finally, along with other fellow Highwayman, Waylon, Willie changes his tune a little bit and reminds us that weed isn’t always everything. Now, that might be blasphemy to admit on a day like today, but I think it’s justified seeing as it gives us an excuse to transition to this Hoyt Axton song of similar sentiment, which includes an appearance from the only two figures who might be more closely associated with pot than either Willie or Snoop; Cheech and Chong (whose appearance, I must add, makes this version infinitely cooler than Ringo’s).
With Cheech and Chong we have the opportunity to turn our attention to a couple novelty songs. First, by Cheech and Chong themselves, and then, a 60s classic focused on driving home an incredibly important aspect of marijuana etiquette.
At this point, we might also give honorable mention to Hank Jr. and III. This one and this one are obvious and I suppose this one too. III’s weed songs are almost too plentiful to list. We’ve got this one, this one, and this one.
Now, with the easy stuff out of the way, let’s get deeper into the weeds and get a bit bluegrass. Amongst the most interesting performers the bluegrass scene ever produced was the multi-instrumentalist and steamboat pilot by the name of John Hartford. In addition to steamboats, Hartford appears to have had something of a penchant for the good herb as well, as evidenced by several songs. Here’s one with a vibe that absolutely cannot be denied. He asks a very crucial question in this one and it’s hard to argue with the spirit in his answer. On a later album Hartford’s experimentation with marijuana appears to have led him to go so far as to mix bluegrass with reggae (though not strictly about marijuana, this one, in the same vein, deserves honorable inclusion). In yet another instance, we find him singing of a protagonist with a history of cannabis use. And last, but certainly not least, we have this gem (the band on that whole album is downright incredible). (And while we’re on Hartford, I have to point out that he also has one about Kant)
Next let us turn to another artist who straddles the bluegrass and hippie scenes, a rebel Bluegrass Boy by the name of Peter Rowan. Here we have a few songs dealing with the smuggling trade. Now, this should probably be an occasion for some sort of deeper commentary on the ethics of drug laws and organized crime emerging out of such laws, but let’s just enjoy the music today, besides, I’m short on time. So, let’s start out a song about a classic strain personified, performed by Rowan with Old and in the Way, whose other members included John Kahn, Vassar Clements, David Grisman, and Jerry Garcia on banjo. Next we have this Tex-Mex classic featuring Flaco Jimenez on accordion.
Now let’s use another Rowan penned tune to transition us to our next artist, New Riders of the Purple Sage, who have also recorded their own version of Panama Red. Which brings us to yet another smuggling song, which also doubles as a truck driving song.
In the midst of this vibe, it is hard not to mention the song for which Lowell George is reputed to have been fired by Frank Zappa.
I’m sure I’m missing some big ones, but I hope that at this point you’re all lost in the ozone (I know, not really a weed song, but it should be, and while we’re at it, this one’s in that same category). Hopefully at this point you don’t have the down to seeds and stems again blues (if melodrama is the criteria for the greatest country song ever written, then this one far surpasses anything David Allan Coe or Steve Goodman ever sang). And while we’re at it, here’s one more totally unrelated trucking song for you. Happy 420!!!