"Lather", a song by

Grace Slick Grace Slick (born Grace Barnett Wing; October 30, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter, artist, and painter. Slick was a key figure in San Francisco's early psychedelic music scene in the mid-1960s. With a music career spanning four decades, ...

, performed by US rock band Jefferson Airplane, is the opening track on the 1968 album ''

Crown of Creation ''Crown of Creation'' is the fourth studio album by the San Francisco psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, and was released by RCA Victor in August 1968. Containing more rock music than previous efforts, the album saw the band continuing the ...

'' and was the B-side for the single of the same name. Slick says she wrote the song for the drummer of the group

Spencer Dryden Spencer Charles Dryden (April 7, 1938 – January 11, 2005) was an American musician best known as the drummer for Jefferson Airplane and New Riders of the Purple Sage. He also played with Dinosaurs, and the Ashes (later known as the Peanut B ...

, who was at the time twenty-nine years old and her boyfriend. The lyrics tell of a boy who stays as young as possible until one day when he is shattered by having finally to grow up. The band performed the song during their 1968 appearance on ''

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...

''. Upon Dryden's death in 2005, Slick and other band members wrote tributes to Dryden that appeared on the group's website. Slick's ends with this: "Lather was 30 years old today, they took away all of his toys." – Grace Slick (January 13, 2005).

Cover versions

Tom Constanten Tom Constanten (born March 19, 1944) is an American keyboardist, best known for playing with Grateful Dead from 1968 to 1970, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Biography Early career Born in Long Branch, N ...

performs a solo piano instrumental cover of this song on his album ''Morning Dew''. * Small Potatoes performed as part of a medley "Lather Danish Misfortune Mad Mouth" on their album ''Waltz of the Wallflowers (A Dysfunctional Duet)''.

References

1968 songs Jefferson Airplane songs Songs written by Grace Slick Song recordings produced by Al Schmitt {{1960s-song-stub