Songs about cigarettes, pipes or joints

Freedom of expression allows artists to take a stand on subjects that are sometimes contentious. Tobacco has been one of those recurring themes for many years. Whatever the musical genre, songwriters have had plenty to say about cigarettes, joints and pipes. Here is a short round-up of the best-known tracks.

When the cigarette sells records

The 1970s produced provocative singers such as Serge Gainsbourg, whose “Dieu, fumeur de Havanes” became very well known, and many artists followed the same path. At a time when the cigarette was still commonplace, Sylvie Vartan with “L’amour c’est comme une cigarette” and Alain Bashung with “Je fume pour oublier que tu bois” both had hits. Brigitte Fontaine with “Je fume”, and Renaud with “Arrêter la clope”, also found an audience. More recently, Sanseverino with “La cigarette”, and Damien Saez and Bigflo & Oli with their respective tracks entitled “Cigarette”, have taken up the same subject.

The pipe in song

A few singers have also given the pipe a place in their lyrics. Léo Ferré did so with his track “La pipe”, and Pierre Vassiliu played on the subject in “La pipe à papa”. Henri Salvador borrowed a rock’n’roll sound to address it in “Ma pipe”. English-speaking artists have not been left out either, as Sir Paul McCartney showed with “Pipes of Peace”.

When tobacco meets cannabis

It is hard not to think of Billy the Kick and his explicit tracks “O.C.B” and “Mangez-moi”, or of Tryo with “La main verte”, when the subject of joints in song comes up. They are not the only ones: Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine had already mentioned it in 1984 in his hit “La fille du coupeur de joints”. Matmatah, with “L’apologie”, caused a good deal of ink to flow. And for those who know them, Ska-P have also devoted a track to cannabis.

Do you know of others, and there are plenty, share your favourite tracks in the comments.