"30 Days in the Hole" is the seventh single by English rock group Humble Pie, from the band's 1972 Smokin' album. The song received moderate radio airplay at the time but failed to chart. However, it gained a following on album oriented rock and classic rock radio formats and consequently it remains one of Humble Pie's best known songs.
The song, a Steve Marriott composition, bemoans being arrested for possession of small quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine; Durban poison, a potent strain of marijuana; and Red Lebanese and Black Nepalese, two types of hashish. "New Castle Brown" is often mistaken as a reference to Newcastle Brown Ale but actually refers to heroin also known as "Brown" or "Smack".
Pie guitarist Clem Clempson has said it is one of the tracks he would most like his career to be remembered by. But the predominant group personality shown through by the song is Marriott's; so much so that when years later Clempson was asked about efforts to reform the group without Marriott, he simply declaimed, "It's a waste of time."
All right all right all right all right, yeah
Chicago Green, talkin' 'bout Black Lebanese
A dirty room and a silver coke spoon
Give me my release, come on
Black Nepalese, it's got you weak in your knees
Sneeze some dust that you got buzzed on
You know it's hard to believe
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
That's what they give you
30 days in the hole
I know
Newcastle Brown, I'm tellin' you, it can sure smack you down
Take a greasy whore and a rollin' dance floor
It's got your head spinnin' round
If you live on the road, well there's a new highway code
You take the urban noise with some dirt with poison
It's gonna lessen your load
30 days in the hole
That's what they give you now
30 days in the hole
Oh, yeah
30 days in the hole
All right, all right
30 days in the hole
What you doin' boy?
You here for 30 days
Get, get, get your long hair cut
And cut out your ways
Black Nepalese, it got you weak in your knees
Gonna sneeze some dust that you got busted on
You know it's so hard to please
Newcastle Brown can sure smack you down
You take a greasy whore and a rollin' dance floor
You know you're jailhouse-bound
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
Oh, yeah
30 days in the hole
30 days, 30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
Songwriters: Steve Marriott
30 Days in the Hole lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group