Do you ever hear a love song and think about something other than a crush? For me, I am almost always singing a love song to pot.
It sounds ridiculous at first but think about it—lots of us are truly in love with cannabis. I know I am. And for good reason. It takes care of me when I am sick and when I am not. It helps me see other people’s perspectives and gets me through hard times. It keeps me company on the couch at home or on a hike across the globe. It keeps me balanced, making sure I feed my body and mind in healthy ways but it also convinces me to indulge when I deserve it—hell it makes me feel like I always deserve it. It does all the things a good partner does.
So naturally, when I hear a song that articulates all these traits and feelings usually reserved for romantic relationships, I think of our favourite plant.
This Valentine’s Day I decided to compile a list of love songs that, based on their titles, lyrics, musicality or combinations of all three—could easily double as love songs about pot.
Listening to these gems and just try not thinking about weed!
You’re Makin Me High – Toni Braxton
Take a break from rooting for Tamar Braxton on Celebrity Big Brother, but just long enough to listen to this classic R&B love song from her sister Toni. Actually, do yourself a favour and watch the music video instead, which was iconic even when it was first released back in 1996.
You’re Makin Me High was Braxton’s first number one hit and will forever be on the soundtrack of my childhood. It’s such a good track and easily doubles as love song to pot. Listen to these lyrics: “Oh I get so high, when I’m around you baby, I can touch the sky, you make my temperature rise, you’re makin’ me high […] Light my fire, blow my flame, take me, take me, take me away.”
Brass in Pocket – Pretenders
Okay this song doesn’t exactly fit perfectly into the love song genre but to me it is like an anthem of self-love and it is one of my favourite songs to get baked and just rock out to.
I use both music and cannabis to help increase my mood and self-confidence and I feel like this track perfectly exemplifies the way I feel after I have a little hoot, especially after a long day. “Cause I gonna make you see—there’s nobody else here—no one like me—I’m special, so special.” After days of convincing myself this song deserves to be on this playlist despite its non-love song status I learned that there is actually a direct cannabis reference in it—so here it stays.
When (badass) Chrissie Hynde’s sings “got rhythm, I can’t miss a beat, got new skank it’s so reet” she is referring cartoonist’s Robert Crumb’s work; “one cartoon of his had this pot gauge; a machine for measuring the quality of cannabis. If it was really, really good stuff they called it ‘reet petite” according to Louder. Plus, I like to think it is a brass pipe in pocket.
RELATED STORY
Canadian Cannabis Products for Different Types of Sex
You Make Loving Fun – Fleetwood Mac
I’m sure this rock group got into their fair share of doobie-smoking during their meteoric rise to fame in the 1970’s. You Make Lovin Fun, written and sung by the band’s keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie, is from the band’s most prolific album, Rumours.
The Rumours’ recordings were infamously dramatic, having begun while most members of the band were undergoing romantic distress. McVie herself had just divorced from her husband John McVie—bassist in the band. Despite the drama (or maybe because if it), Fleetwood Mac managed to create arguably one of the best albums of all time. It’s on the list because anyone who found cannabis later in life can relate to these lyrics, “I never did believe in the ways of magic, but I’m beginning to wonder why” plus, cannabis definitely makes “Loving, fun,” if you know what I mean!
Higher Love – Steve Winwood & Chaka Khan
This 1986 track with its wicked hook is an absolute bop and deserves to be on any playlist. The instrumentals on this track are especially appreciated after a nice joint. Give it a try and tell me true love doesn’t exist.
The Sweetest Taboo – Sade
I think we can all agree that cannabis is The Sweetest Taboo. Sade is the queen of dreamy visuals and storytelling, and The Sweetest Taboo, the lead single from her second LP Promise, is no different.
The song is actually an ode to a particularly good lover, and the sexual tension on the track is palpable. While the music video exudes love, it’s the title that really lands this one on my playlist… and the line “will you keep bringing out the best in me” always make me think of cannabis. Also, forget Valentine’s Day, in the words of Sade with weed, “every day is Christmas, and every night is New Year’s Eve.”
Make Me Feel – Janelle Monae
This song was the inspiration for this article. I mean read these lyrics, it couldn’t be a more accurate description of how cannabis makes me feel: “It’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender. An emotional, sexual bender. Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better. That’s just the way you make me feel: so real, so good, so fuckin’ real.” It could also be about ecstasy but I’m not an expert on ecstasy… I only did it once—and there’s a 60% chance that was a Sweettart. Monae’s I Like That is on the playlist too.
Boo’d Up – Ella Mai
You’ve probably heard this song at the club or on the radio lately—it is one of those songs you are almost instantly singing along to. And I’m singing to weed: “Oooooooo no I’ll never get over you until I find something new, that get me high like you do.” The 24-year old English singer and songwriter uses metaphors about drugs in her music about love but for me – the lyrics are too relevant for my feelings about weed to be about anything else. Mai’s song Trip is also on the playlist.
Listen to the full Playlist on Spotify.
