Las Vegas Weekly

Smokin’ tunes

Nice butt.

Hefty cigarette-tax increase got you down? Kick back, light up and enjoy a few songs on the topic.

• “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” (Mötley Crüe, 1985) Everybody knows that smokin’ ain’t allowed in school, but it’s a safe bet 62 cents more per pack ain’t gonna stop it from happening.

• “Cigarettes & Alcohol” (Oasis, 1994) Something tells us Noel Gallagher would hate the rate hike—maybe the fact that the guy named his cats Benson and Hedges.

• “Smoke Rings” (Sam Cooke, 1963) Listening to the soul master wax poetic about those “silky little rings” is almost enough to make a non-smoker start up, tax or no.

• “I Save Cigarette Butts” (Daniel Johnston, 1980) It probably won’t result in extra cash, but Daniel’s always done things differently.

• “Don’t Smoke” (The Microphones, 2007) If the tax doesn’t help you quit, maybe these lyrics will: “Is it because this little part of you wants to be dead?/Or is it because your life feels empty without some ritual?/Or is it because the rebellion against the adults hasn’t ended yet?” Ouch.