Added: 4 years ago
From: pmtiny
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  • Love love love...

  • Great song, great cover video, I was around when this video was popular with us young rebels and a lot of people just could not get the point of the song being an anti drug message. Thanx for bringing back memories.

  • Dick Gregory said a long time ago: There is no opium field in the ghetto. There is no gun shop in the ghetto. But it all comes down here. And the money goes somewhere else. The money never reaches the ghetto. No money here. It all goes somewhere else. Not here.

  • @verbaud Recently saw the film 'Black Power Mixtape.' It consists of footage of various black power figures (Stokely Carmichael; Angela Davis, etc) shot by Swedish filmmakers during the 60s and 70s; it's a great film, see it if you can. Its last section depicts drugs flooding into black neighborhoods all over America in the 70s. The filmmakers make the case that this was done to counteract the black power movement and pacify the population. Same thing was done with crack in the 80s.

  • This is alright. A great singer, good band.

    But the song supports the war on drugs, which is one of the greatest wastes of taxpayers' money in history.

    If the pusher was recognised as the self, the addict, the song would have much more power and significance.

  • Oh My HEAVENS!!!  What a nice surprise...thanks for posting!!

  • it sucks when the pusher man is the doctor in my case lmao! here's a message to all stay away from opiates they have made my life a living hell

  • @usps4185 hard times man, well done I hope things work out for you

  • p.s . . . . i liked when she said " you know i smoked alot of grass" :) buuh poppin pills is a bigg no no lol

  • First Time Hearing This Song . . . .And I'm Just Astonished. No Disrespect But Current Music Doesn't Compare! Main Stream Trash Ass Music Mostly Talks About Material Items, Partying, Sex, Drugs, Or Just Plain Gibberish. This IS ADDRESSING AN EPIDERMIC THAT WAS/IS OCCURRING THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. Its Either They Don't Make Music Like That Anymore Or It Doesn't Get No Play. . . . .

  • This version is almost better than the original, and definitely equal to it in its own way. What an awesome voice & talent, such passion, a bluesy funk perspective.

  • @Ashford you got me on a Nina Simone binge now.... lmao THANX

  • For Amy Winehouse...

  • who sang this first? her or steppenwolf?

  • @everdrew It was written by Hoyt Axton. I think Steppenwolf recorded first (for Easy Rider), with Axton recording it in 1971 and Nina Simone in 1974. Axton performed it live for years before anyone recorded it.

  • @cupperoni blind melon did a great cover too

  • @fryman30y No man, I'm pretty sure blind melons version sucked real hard, honest mistake on your part.

  • @wtkoenig19841 ur opinion, not a mistake at all. different take on the song. i love nina, just don't care for this version from her.

  • I have been crying over all those souls lost so long to drugs, and I am not against the use of them but the carnage all of it does. I can't get back all those moments lost to the pusher which caused havoc in my drug free life.

  • love you nina

  • Nina's a Real Lady and Real Men Wear Hemp Boxer Shorts. Blind MELON are Real Men. We need you to stand up for your rights. scribd dot com/doc/53169711/Real-Men-Wear­-Hemp-Boxer-Shorts

  • Any Idea when this was recorded ?

  • Cigarettes, alcohol, genocidal cancer treatments, the draft, overpriced real estate, hatred of the poor, especially oneself. If we're going to fix it, we're going to need some weed!

  • @youaretheblues Gotta have green

  • @youaretheblues amen to that...

  • @youaretheblues Democrats need to get off the weed and Republicans need to start smoking it. Once this polar shift occurs the world will improve drastically. 

  • Idiotic drug laws are the reason we have the pusher man ! Legalize freedom !

  • Steppenwolf's cover and Blind melon's cover is just as great as this ...

  • The voice knows...b

  • hey zimmerface -- thank you for clarifying that, I would have never known if you hadn't explained it to me. People sure are ignorant...

  • hey twits..go get addicted to heroin for about 20 yrs..this might have some meaning then, but i doubt most of you would get it even then..

  • @DrFeelRotten I was addicted to heroin from age 13 - 33, had to be the worst 20 years of my life followed by another 17 addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol...clean and sober now for five years. 55 years young and life is good. Working the program -

  • @USPS4185 Hang on in there and stay clean

  • @DrFeelRotten

    Your story is mine..am still workingonit. keepin it real in an unreal world.

  • @USPS4185 GOOD MSG..GOD BLESS....

  • @USPS4185 thats one hell of a journey, life is good on the other side of hell, big respect to you

  • @USPS4185 Congrats!! I wish you further success in life man. Youve accomplished a lot against great odds, and you are truly an inspiration to us all.

  • @USPS4185: been clean for 3 weeks now. here's to the rest of our lives...

  • @USPS4185 you took your life back :) It's never too late to live life the way you really want to...55 years young! ...keep enjoyin ur life

  • @USPS4185 I'm proud of you. Keep up the good work. 

  • @USPS4185 How can anyone get hooked on heroin at 13 years old? Did an adult give you drugs? Why weren't you palying? chasing girls? playing stick ball? going to school? Where are you from ? I'm amazed!!! I wish you luck.

  • @USPS4185 --good work,man,in progress..Stay well!!mxtoitaly

  • woow that's an incredible story..

    please keep striving...it is just your mind...

    you've always been sober...

    the journey of life is a funny one..

    thanks for the inspiration...

  • 5 idiots :D

  • killer take on a classic tune, great visuals too thanks for the upload :)

  • 1:41 - Harvey Keitel and Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver. Thirteenth Street represent!

  • WAS THAT A CHICK STICKING A HEROIN NEEDLE IN ANOTHER CHICKS EAR!?!

  • @thepersona100 i think she was an emt hitting her w a shot of narcain witch is for heroine overdose

  • And Lord knows, we need lots of sweet greens

  • AM STILL SMOKING AND POPPING THE PILLS AHAHAAHAHA

  • sweet weed <3

  • fuck you spamjelly you have no idea what your talking

  • @ledzeppelin507 good argument!

  • You can always spot the clever guys, talking about dope 40 years after it killed off their last remains of a brain cell, sentenced to gel.

    Nina though, seems to have stalled the process very well indweed

  • I really like this song

  • Wow, I didn't know Nina Simone covered this! Very cool!

  • @Yageman Your inability to discuss things without becoming idiotically abusive means there's evidently little point contradicting your errors.

    Your claims concerning my knowledge base are all built on wild (and flawed) presumption- as you grow older you may discover that not all is black and white concerning drug use and users. Read up on the chemicals present in modern skunk as opposed to old 'home-grown', its effects on users, you'll find science opposes you.

    Peace (that's the idea).

    Mango out

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  • Ibolt100 @yageman Its wall to wall skunk now a days, upto 10 years back everyone smoked soap, skunk'S a different drug. If its smoked habitually you may aswell be necking a trip every night or a handful of magic mushrooms. That's the thing that worries me, the drug old hippys talk about, that kids understand to be the dope hendrix/Pink Floyd, whatever are smoking on their posters, that's not the weed bought for 25 an eighth up and down the UK atleast... its like wine compared to absinthe.

  • @MangoZapp

    I understand that people can have uncomfortable reactions and im one of them you rocket scientists . It must be a "shit plant" because you dont react well to it?

    Thats pretty funny you guys.

    Everything you two dorks just said is fucking annoying.

    All you two twits know for sure is how you react, and other than that you guys are fucking pointless here and are simply misinforming people.

    You guys are confusing your "reactions" with what it means to have an informed opinion.

    Blind?

  • @MangoZapp

    There was "skunk" back in the day too. Most pot was not as good though and you would have to smoke more of the SAME DRUG for whatever effects you were looking for.

    Absinthe compared to wine?......You fucking retard.

    "If its smoked habitually you may aswell be necking a trip every night or a handful of magic mushrooms"

    It is not like taking mushrooms habitually. You are officially an idiot.

    Again, stop being worried about things you dont understand.

    Quit the shit.

  • Your fanny Yageman, I bet you'd come running up all insulted if I shouted "Oy dick head" randommly in the park.

    Just sos you dont go mayking a fool of yourself in fewture, thats moor sarchasm you doind there. Same as this, its got a bite see..? Ironies more softer and lofty, like coming from the wounded like what you persieved you'reself afgter my dig at watsers.

    Anyhow, I's drugs to push, must dash,

    PS. Thanks for dropping the bad lingo, yew comes across much clevrer.

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  • yageman I take it you're trying to be ironic?

    Good, I don't like to fight. Listen, the second issue, the depression: no matter what he says, your daddy loves you.

    For the schitzophenia there are Psychologists online here that might help you,

    justanswer com

    I'd rather not openly refer to your tourettes syndrome here but I must advise you to let the doctor know about it at the start of the conversation (they might mistake you for a complete cock otherwise).

  • Oops.

  • @MangoZapp

    I was only trying to say I really liked your post!

    ----> "It eats your mind, sapps your creativity, leaves you blind, stupid, depressed and schitzophrenic. Its shit and I've watched so many, myself included, waste themselves for a smoke. Grrr!"

    You are totally cool in my book.

    That was some quality shit man.

    Plus schitzophrenic is a really cool way to spell schizophrenic.

    Thanks for the mental health advise and keep on keepin on youtuber!

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  • I'm sick of this crap! Everyone knows weed screws with your mind, that's why no-one wants kids smoking j's... if weed's so freaking super duper; "Ohhh legalise it..." ...then why do stoners still shake there heads and refuse it to their 14 year old little brother... because the lie doesn't quite stretch that far. It eats your mind, sapps your creativity, leaves you blind, stupid, depressed and schitzophrenic. Its shit and I've watched so many, myself included, waste themselves for a smoke. Grrr!

  • @MangoZapp not enough people feel this way I'm afraid.

  • @MangoZapp not enough people feel this way I'm afraid. What I mean is your comment really resonated with me.

  • hahahaaaa Mango and since you quit you haven't left your checkbook at the grocery store since...huh!

  • @MangoZapp You said, "It eats your mind, sapps your creativity, leaves you blind, stupid, depressed and schitzophrenic. Its shit and I've watched so many, myself included, waste themselves for a smoke. Grrr!"

    You are one very confused dipshit.

    Weed is pretty much a psychedelic and if you can wrap your head around what that really means, you will realize that you sound like a complete idiot.

    Get a fucking clue, and stop being sick of things you dont understand.

    "sapps your creativity"

    WOW man

  • @yageman Can you wrap your head around what perception is? If so you would understand why some are very opposed to the " psychedelic" properties of pot. Its really a shit plant full of chemicals that you think makes you happy. I agree with what that person said because pot has eaten my mind, left me blind, stupid, depressed and not schitzophrenic but psycotic. Your entitled to your opinion by the way but listening to others opinions will only make you smarter dipshit.

  • @lbolt100

    Pot gives me anxiety and never made me happy.

    It has given me some good psychedelic times in the past and still does when I want to to trip. Its not a "shit plant" because you had a shitty time with it.

    Im sorry to hear you are confused about what I was saying.

    I was in no way claiming that you suck because you don't like how weed effects you. I was just saying you are an idiot and im not surprised by what you say.

    Im sorry pot made you blind and stupid.

    You remain "opposed"....lol

  • @lbolt100 If I think I'm happy, am I happy?

  • @diana001us You were stoned when you wrote it, weren't you? Heheheh.

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  • I think of it as ... introspective and philosophical :)

  • wow, I must sing this heavy song before I leave this world, hey pusher!!!

    Sincerely

    Peter Tschirky

  • The song says it all about using drugs, Goddamn the pusher man.

  • Great video!

  • This song was not written by Steppenwolf, it was written by Hoyt Axton. As AFILalpha says, the Blind Melon's version is sublime, but I'm indecided between Nina's version and that of the Steppenwolf (the live is fantastic).

  • this just made my day

  • What does the Pusher man stands for?

  • No, this song was NOT written by Steppenwolf, it was written by Hoyt Axton. Steppenwolf recorded the best version ever of the song.

  • So clean and tru,,,,! this version takes out the line to a new coore!

    much better than the orginall,,(kind off) ; )

  • This girl is Beautiful!

  • very cooooooollllllllllll

  • nina simone the fucking queen of rock and roll this is where it all began boys and girls BLAZE

  • To noops76: Just to set the record straight, this song was written by Hoyt Axton.

  • anyone knows where to find her song Lilac Wine?

  • Gotta lover her!!

  • COOL

  • Oh My HEAVENS!! Didn't even know her version existed let alone had I ever heard it. Interesting version but what does Nina do that's NOT interesting!? WOW...thanks for posting this!!

  • true revolutionary - live forever

  • Its all about class. The rich promising the poor something better, if they just fall in line. No matter the color. Black, white, Half Black, Half White, There will always be poor. I can give you something that will make all your problems go away, just beleive!!!!!! That will never change. Nina "WAS" and "IS" my woman. Love YOU Nina!!!!!!

  • SOUNDS GOOG

  • Source material for Modern Symbolist Rock Medicine

    - could have an anarchist slant - the Pusher could symbolise the Boss

  • wow hairs in my body standin up

  • I love how she covers these classic rock songs, turns them into something completely different, and they come out as priceless as they were before. She is excellent at making something her own. RIP Nina!

  • My spirit couldn't heal.

  • Great Video!

  • this song gives me inspiration

  • "You know I smoked a lot of grass and I popped a lot of pills, but I never touched nothing my spirit couldn't kill"

    This song is not about pot; it's about the harder stuff and those who sell it.

  • nope it's mostly about pharmasuitical companies pushing all that junk on you to mess up your brain.

  • @glassvolta

    No, man, it's definitely about the hard stuff on the street, i.e. heroin; but I guess that would include most pharmicudical drugs on the market, lol. In fact, that's where heroin came from.

  • @mussman717word - when this song was written it was definitly bout the street drugs, but when i listen to it in 2010 , all i can think about is oxycottons and the other pharmies. multinational corporations are profitting of the misery of weak hearted people , and its sad.

  • @mussman717word  no LOL needed here

  • ...one of the best lines ever!

  • @zimmerface

    This song is about everything. Hard drugs is only one thing. You can put what you like in this place.

    I agree with ncbloom.

  • @zimmerface its only calld the pusher man lol

  • @zimmerface

    It also says "the pusher's not a man" maybe it's more about the addiction than the dealer..?

  • @zimmerface it's not really about either, it's about the difference between the kinda people who sell soft drugs and those who sell hard drugs... kinda hard to believe someone could miss that

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  • written by Hoyt Axton a redneck from Oklahoma

  • other way around i think...but im not 100%

  • Fantastic song!

  • How true, I saw it on someone going crazy

  • I love this song! But it actually wasn't recorded live... for some reason RCA wanted people to think It Is Finished was a live album, though as with a lot of other NIna Simone albums, it's actually a mix of live and studio recorded tracks. A lot of her studio recordings have audience clapping tacked onto the beginning and end of the songs, so it is difficult to tell which is which.

  • this song should be thought to our young students

  • I never pushed in my life, I bought the dope but I couldn't do it, I wanted to smoke it all my self anyway. 4 ounces in four weeks minus the quarter that 1 minute in the oven smoked, the most expensive cloud of smoke I ever seen.

    But it is what a hash head calls dope. Names get stolen all the time.

    I'd like tho smoke the guy who stole my game from me, or the name anyway.

  • alcohol, coke, dope......it is a trail best left untraveled........lost nights, lost lives.......sellin all you got....absolutely devistated lives....seen it....UGLY

  • there's still no reason for marijuana to be illegal.

  • @spamjelly5 so, you think there's a reason why booze is legal ?

  • @Mischtchratzer @spamjelly5, sorry sorry - just rewrote your comment and realized that you wrote: no reason to be illegal... lol.... don't know why this happened... any idea ????

  • @Mischtchratzer guess, I'm stoned... heheheee, I meant "reread".. or so...

  • @Mischtchratzer funny thing is: I give a relpy to myself....

  • @Mischtchratzer yes! the reason is that all the law-makers that govern what's legal and what isn't would go fucking bonkers without booze.

    

  • you jazz guys are so cool. :)

  • the pusher is usally pushing for someone else and sadly some are pushing to survive...

  • pushers yes .. arent they the destroyers .. how did they become that way anyway - great song .

  • I love this song

  • And I think it is a warning song about the damnation of all aspects of all dope. I have seen tombstones in some of my best friends eyes. My own too, and I have 4 geat kids and a great wife and the Dope fuks DON"T CARE! So as per my first post, I think the song is basically saying, or to me anyway,is GODDAMN ALL DOPE AND ANYONE WHO WOULD PUSH THAT FUCK ON ANYONE!!!!!

  • only an american can say something like that ;-) You´re so. I don´t know how to say but I think uptight is a good word. E.g alcohol . it´s very bad and everything you know what i´m saying but for example weed is never as toxic as nicotin or alcohol so I think just things like junk or coke is resally bad ?!

    and this is what the song wants to tell you ! FUCK HEROIN AND SMOKE GANJA^^

  • Gotcha!! The shit I am uptight about is opiates or any doctored up shit that strangles you. Many may think I am hypocritical but I don't consider pot as DOPE. I just wish I could do it. The last killer buzz I caught had me so weirded out I just said "SHIT" and went to bed. But I should have said that clearer. I have never heard of much trouble like with alcohol/ smack/ coke. That shit drives folks insane! Thats where I was. And it was slowly killing me. Hey thanks for bringing that to mind!!

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  • I'm with ya, jennybh08. It's funny how a lot of people don't get when you reference "dope" (to me, dope will always be heroin, as i know from a lot of experience). Some people seem to be confused and think you're including pot - which is NOT what any junkie would call "dope"!!

  • Dont have to be American to say or think something like that, but i agree with you. Heroin-No Ganja-Yesss

  • "only an american can say something like that " lol... miopic. I agree with your last sentence, though. But I digress, I actually just want to leave a comment to THANK the poster for the post :)

  • Beig a survivor of being under the spell of dope this song is great no matter who wrote it or sings it!!!! Period!! But if I had to weigh in I'd have to go with Steppenwolf. Listen to it through the headphones and you can hear just how Goddamn mad he is and that is the way I felt!!!! So damn straight.....GODDAMN THE PUSHER!!!! But GODDAMN DOPE EVEN MORE!!!!

  • THAT was a cool version of a great song!

  • hmm in reference to some comments here... it was my understanding that origionally the intention for this song was to get lots of artists singing it to warn people about heroin and a kind of prayer for pushers to fail in their demented endevoures. ive heard at least 4 different versions of this. nina is my personal fave but really comments or info on this? btw this is just what ive heard from a few old hippies i always thought it was a beautiful idea so i wanted to share it.

  • la version de Steppenwolf sur '' Early Steppenwolf '' n'est pas piquée des hanetons , faut dire ! ... mais bon , on ne va comparer Nina à John Kay , elle c'était la Grace , la Divine , . John Kay , ... un loup , animal très respectable d'ailleurs , et plutôt classe aussi , sous des abords un peu intimidants , .mais Nina a quelque chose d'une louve aussi , ou d'une tigresse , elle peut rugir et griffer , hurler à l'amour , à la mort , nous bercer dans un souffle .Love U Nina

  • this is gold for the ears...

    "but i never touch nothing that my spirit could kill"

  • SOLID!!!!!!!

  • i dig it !!!

  • Great cover rip nina and curtis

  • Love, love, love...

  • Hoyt Axton was the man. One of the best kept secrets in music.

  • Hot! Damn Hot! bring them all back.

  • she knew wat was up...lol :)

    yes yes, she did.....NINA 4EVA!!

  • Lately ive been listening to nina simone and im surprised to find out a lot of songs she played are now songs which i enjoy very much , such as this one, and the house of rising sun . Amazing woman.

  • ...never did touch nothin' my spirit couldn't heal...

    Thank you, Nina

  • i look like nina and i'll be casted to play her in a movie

    very soon

  • She knew what was up. Bless her.

  • check out blind melon's version. i'd say its at least a tie.

  • Just checked it out. Pretty cool with a nice twist.

  • check them out some more. soup is a great(if deeply strange) album. and thanks for the reply... and nina's version.

  • Yeah, I was first introduced to this song by the Blind Melon version.

  • I agree, Nina has the soul and Conviction where Blind Melon had the Wonderful Guitar sound and Raw sound.

    Both very good versions. Oddly enough the original is not that great to me.

  • I dig the original too, but it was`nt by Steppenwolf..

  • Hoyt Axton, I love easy rider, but steppenwolf did this great though

  • @AFILalpha Try Blind Lemon Pies version.

  • sounds kinda like planet telex

  • this song is amazing

  • Steppenwolf's song "The Pusher" is way better, 3 out of 5 stars

  • This song was written by Steppenwolf, Nina Simone and the Sparrows both did covers of the song. The song contrasts the Pusher with the dealer. Rather than being a one dimensional screed against all drugs, i think the song points out that there are drugs that consume one's soul and drugs that lend themselves to enhancing life. Steppenwolf was pro marijuana legalization as in their song "don't step on the grass, Sam".

  • I agree. Pro recreational drugs, but anti the hardcore- addictive drugs that the pushers would get people hooked on.