“White Rabbit” by Lauren Ruth Ward – A Song Feature

      A song cover with the greatest likelihood of having an impact on the Indie Universe is a Classic Rock single covered by an artist who is fully invested in and respectful of the original, while still “owning” the single by incorporating personally meaningful touches. That describes “White Rabbit” by LA’s Lauren Ruth Ward. Talking about performing the Jefferson Airplane single, Ward said:

  "Grace Slick is the goddess of psych rock. There’s a movement happening right now in LA that I feel part of. So many women leading their own unique rock genre. I feel invincible singing Grace’s lyrics. I feel the palpable energy of all the musicians in the room when singing ‘White Rabbit.’ It’s one of those songs that give life."

     Classic Rock covers have cross-generational appeal. For the older generations, they are opportunities to nostalgically revisit a “space” occupied in the past. For younger generations, the songs are suddenly timely and not merely a reflection of pre-birth times. That may be truer of “White Rabbit” than most Classic Rock singles, since so many stories swirl around its drug-induced motivation. One explanation is that Grace Slick wrote the track at the end of an acid trip during which she continuously listened to a Mile Davis album (“Sketches of Spain”). Grace said “White Rabbit” is about the hypocrisy of parents who read drug-referencing books, such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s "Adventures In Wonderland," and then question why their children later find drug experimentation interesting.

     Lauren Ruth Ward was born in Baltimore, but moved to Los Angeles in 2015. It is there that Ward came together with a band: Liv Slingerland (bass), India Pascucci (drums) and guitarist and fellow songwriter Eddie Rivera. “They all call me ‘Mom,’” she says with a laugh. “It’s like getting three new best friends that you’re giving the most personal part of yourself.”

     “White Rabbit” (Jefferson Airplane cover) by Lauren Ruth Ward 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenruthwardmusic

Website: http://www.laurenruthwardmusic.com/

Lyrics of “White Rabbit”

One pill makes you larger

And one pill makes you small

And the ones that mother gives you

It don't do anything at all

Go ask Alice

When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits

And you know you're going to fall

Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has

Given you a call

And call Alice

When she’s just small

When the men on the chessboard

Get up and tell you where to go

And you've just had some kind of mushroom

And your mind is moving low

Go ask Alice

I think she'll know

When the logic and proportion

Have fallen sloppy dead

And the white knight is talking backwards

And the red queen is off with her head

Remember, what the dormouse said

Feed your head

Feed your head