Much of the time I can't even make out the lyrics, so I listen to music the same way

I think it's fairly common to not always pay close attention to the lyrics. Most of the time, you hear a song on the radio, and you can't always make out what it's saying, but you're still able to enjoy the music and the singing melody. Until you pay more attention or you seek out the lyrics, then you're often surprised about what it's saying, cause the lyrics weren't the point when you used to listen to the song. It doesn't mean that it's world-changing or anything, but it just takes you by surprise.

I listen to music the exact same way. I will maybe pay attention to the chorus or catchy line, but a lot of lyrics are lost on me.

I'm the same way, actually.

You're not alone there, snoop had an album come out the year before and after that both sold as explicit but that album didn't.

I think these characterizations point very strongly toward nostalgic longing and away from the glorification of addiction or even that of drug use.

There's also an extra verse, which wasn't in the radio edit, that I think further supports what you're saying.

I guess you're right, I just never gave the song much thought. It's just that it kinda felt like some happy song and I never paid attention to what it was saying, then I looked them up one day, out of curiosity, and I guess it juat felt unexpected to me, and that's why it felt weird. Thinking about what you said makes me want to give the song another listen with an open mind, I guess.

"The sky was gold, it was rose, I was taking sips of it through my nose..." didn't clue you in?

"It won't stop, I won't come down

I keep stock with the tick-tock rhythm

I bump for the drop, and then I bumped up

I took the hit that I was given, then I bumped again

Then I bumped again"

That entire verse, but honestly rereading the lyrics, I'm amazed that got radio play in the Bible belt. I know it did, because I heard it uncensored in southeastern Indiana.

Another fun fact is that the original radio edit that charted is different from the album version / version that is on streaming these days. It lacks verse 3

And when the plane came in, she said she was crashing The velvet, it rips in the city We tripped on the urge to feel alive But now, I'm struggling to survive Those days you were wearing that filthy dress You're the priestess, I must confess Those little red panties, they pass the test Slides up around the belly face down on the mattress one And you hold me And we are broken Still it's all that I want to do, just a little now