“After the theory that it was about drugs came out the author denied it. And continued to deny it.
The fact that someone sat down and decided all the lyrics were symbolism for drugs does not make that the intent of the composer.”
Well that’s just what he would say now isn’t it? Wink, wink, nod, nod, know what I mean, know what I mean? Maybe that “someone” was the person who wrote it. Snickering while a bunch of innocent kids sang his druggie song.
Even if the song somehow wasn’t originally about smoking pot, he should have been savvy enough to realize that in the drug infused culture of the day it would be “misinterpreted”. Change “Puff”and “Paper” to something else and viola no problem.
Next you’ll try to tell me that H.R. Pufnstuf wasn’t about a psychedelic drug trip.
The author of the original poem wrote it in 1959, when he was 19 years old, and based it on a much older poem by Ogden Nash. I very much doubt he wrote it about marijuana, and he denied that whenever asked.
Of course there were songs about drugs. That doesn’t mean that all fanciful lyrics of the time referred to drugs.
There is actually a family with the last name “Paper” in the area I grew up. One was a prominent realtor with yard signs commonly seen, so I never found that name particularly odd.
I remember John Lennon laughingly commenting during the composing/recording of I Am the Walrus - words to the affect that “this one will drive them all nuts looking for the hidden meanings.”