Released: 1993
“Hits from the Bong” by Cypress Hill is an unabashed ode to cannabis consumption, especially the use of a bong, a device often used to smoke cannabis. This track takes listeners on a psychedelic journey infused with the nuances of smoking culture and the euphoric effects of getting high.
“Pick it, pack it, Fire it up, come along” serves as an invitation to listeners to join the group’s ritual. In this context, ‘pick it’ is the process of picking apart the cannabis flower, ‘pack it’ means to pack the picked cannabis into your smoking device, and ‘fire it up’ refers to lighting it. Cypress Hill entices listeners to put the ‘blunt’ (a cigar hollowed out and filled with cannabis) down and instead join them in hitting the bong — a different method of smoking. They simultaneously acknowledge this is not a ‘new method’, and they are far from the first people to advocate for bong use.
B-Real, the group’s frontman, then builds upon the mechanics of using a bong with lines like “Inhale, Exhale, Just got an ounce in the mail”. As he delivers these lines, listeners are provided with a vivid portrayal of his attachment to cannabis. He prefers it over a ‘blunt’ or a ‘big fat cone’ because the bong gets him ‘stoned’ (suggesting a potent hit), despite the potential mishaps of spilling the bong water, which he describes humorously as smelling ‘like sh*t on the carpet.’
The chorus, “Hits from the bong, Can I get a hit?” gives the song its anthem-like quality. It’s like a rallying cry for everyone who cherishes the act of getting high.
“Let’s smoke that bowl, Hit the bong, And then take that finger off of that hole” emphasizes the technique involved in using a bong: ‘smoke that bowl’ means to light up the cannabis packed on top of the bong; taking ‘that finger off of that hole’ references the carb, a small hole on the side of the bong that is initially covered to build up the smoke and then released to inhale the smoke in a single go.
The track concludes with B-Real expressing his fondness for Mary Jane, a common slang term for cannabis, stating “She’s so good to me”. The repetitive nature of their smoke sessions is illustrated through their constant echo of “Hits from the bong”. The raw energy and lyrical authenticity of this song have cemented its place as one of the essential anthems in the canon of stoner culture and hip-hop.
