--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip…" description: "\"“I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip reading murder books tryin' to stay hip.”\" — Billy Idol" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png" --- # I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip reading murder books… ![“I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip reading murder books tryin' to stay hip.” quote by Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png) > ““I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip reading murder books tryin' to stay hip.”” [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The lyric blends a mundane setting with a vivid, altered mental state, highlighting contrast between routine and escapism. **In simple terms:** Ordinary moments can feel surreal under influence. Key Takeaway Embrace creativity while staying grounded. Themes creativity escapism contrast mindset Mood dreamy introspective Type artistic lyational When to use this quote - travel - reading - artistic inspiration - mind‑altering experiences Key Concepts psychedelia self‑expression cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - What does this juxtaposition reveal about seeking inspiration? - How might such experiences affect daily responsibilities? A Different Perspective The line may romanticize substance use without addressing risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Bus Psychedelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus-psychedelic-1207920/) [Psychedelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychedelic/) [Psychedelic Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychedelic-trip-1207922/) [Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trip/) [Trip Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trip-reading-1207921/) ## Related quotes > [The sine qua non for obtaining a psychedelic experience is humbling yourself to the point where you admit that you must submit to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-sine-qua-non-for-obtaining-a-psychedelic-experience-is-humbling/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If life wasn't real it would be the craziest psychedelic trip ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/if-life-wasn-t-real-it-would-be-the-craziest-psychedelic-trip-ever/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [There will be difficult moments in a five-gram trip, but on the other hand certain questions will be solved forever for you, because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/there-will-be-difficult-moments-in-a-five-gram-trip-but-on-the-other/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [In many instances, LSD actually produced terrifying and deleterious effects instead of beneficial effects, because of misuse, because it was a profanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-hofmann/in-many-instances-lsd-actually-produced-terrifying-and-deleterious/) [Albert Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-hofmann/) > [ Probably the high-watermark of \[Bob\] Dylan's career came after he plugged in his guitar ("Judas!" one fan shouted during a concert) and exploded American… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/probably-the-high-watermark-of-bob-dylan-s-career-came-after-he/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [If I had a vision of the perfect psychedelic drug and knew its structure, I'd make it. That's why I have a laboratory out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-shulgin/if-i-had-a-vision-of-the-perfect-psychedelic-drug-and-knew-its/) [Alexander Shulgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-shulgin/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Whilst I'm all for psychedelic science - I think it's fantastic - I don't think we necessarily have time to wait for the science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-bradbrook/whilst-i-m-all-for-psychedelic-science-i-think-it-s-fantastic-i-don-t/) [Gail Bradbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-bradbrook/) > [I'm here today because of LSD. LSD gave me the confidence to be who I am today. Completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/i-m-here-today-because-of-lsd-lsd-gave-me-the-confidence-to-be-who-i/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I loved underground comics and psychedelic art. I did like some supernatural horror, but mainly fantasy. I was into escapism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arik-roper/i-loved-underground-comics-and-psychedelic-art-i-did-like-some/) [Arik Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arik-roper/) > [Civilization had too many rules for me, so I did my best to rewrite them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/civilization-had-too-many-rules-for-me-so-i-did-my-best-to-rewrite/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“Outside, milling under the ubiquitous gaze of security cameras, are bright splashes of colorful souls wearing crystals, beads, and Native American Indian paraphernalia; middle-aged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rak-razam/outside-milling-under-the-ubiquitous-gaze-of-security-cameras-are/) [Rak Razam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rak-razam/) > [Psychedelic drugs cause paranoia, confusion, and total loss of reality in politicians that have never taken them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/psychedelic-drugs-cause-paranoia-confusion-and-total-loss-of-reality/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [The cultural integration of psychedelics won't happen overnight, and the question of young people is perhaps the most difficult involved. The first step is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-doblin/the-cultural-integration-of-psychedelics-won-t-happen-overnight-and/) [Rick Doblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-doblin/) > [Nobody can have your psychedelic experience for you; you just have to screw your courage up and raise the cup to your lips or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-mckenna/nobody-can-have-your-psychedelic-experience-for-you-you-just-have-to/) [Dennis McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-mckenna/) ## More by Billy Idol > [We want flesh, flesh for fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/we-want-flesh-flesh-for-fantasy/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [Elvis a fight the dying light, Johnny Ray he's always crying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/elvis-a-fight-the-dying-light-johnny-ray-he-s-always-crying/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [I am quite a romantic person, really, and I should have put that into my music earlier, but I was probably denying it... I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-am-quite-a-romantic-person-really-and-i-should-have-put-that-into/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [Such a human waste, your eyes without a face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/such-a-human-waste-your-eyes-without-a-face/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [When I started out, everyone seemed to be adopting these names... Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious. I wasn't really Rotten or Vicious or Nasty, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/when-i-started-out-everyone-seemed-to-be-adopting-these-names-johnny/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [Your empty eyes seem to pass me by and leave me dancing with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/your-empty-eyes-seem-to-pass-me-by-and-leave-me-dancing-with-myself/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [I don't care what stage or what reason, as long as we're playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-don-t-care-what-stage-or-what-reason-as-long-as-we-re-playing/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [“(I) just had to show there's life in the old dog yet. (You) don't have to go out and shoot me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-just-had-to-show-there-s-life-in-the-old-dog-yet-you-don-t-have-to/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [If your world doesn't allow you to dream, move to one where you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/if-your-world-doesn-t-allow-you-to-dream-move-to-one-where-you-can/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [I don't think punk ever really dies, because punk rock attitude can never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-don-t-think-punk-ever-really-dies-because-punk-rock-attitude-can/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [It's like, what happened, I was always leading fashion, and then the grunge thing kind of came along. And because I've been so on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/it-s-like-what-happened-i-was-always-leading-fashion-and-then-the/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [Let's sink another drink, cause it will give me time to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/let-s-sink-another-drink-cause-it-will-give-me-time-to-think/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [The biggest misconception people have about me is that I'm stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/the-biggest-misconception-people-have-about-me-is-that-i-m-stupid/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [If I only had the chance, I'd ask one to dance, and I'd be dancing with myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/if-i-only-had-the-chance-i-d-ask-one-to-dance-and-i-d-be-dancing-with/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [Rock isn't art, it's the way ordinary people talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/rock-isn-t-art-it-s-the-way-ordinary-people-talk/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) [Explore all 37 Billy Idol quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip reading murder books tryin' to stay hip.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Billy Idol" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-reading-murder-books-tryin-to-stay/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-reading-murder-books-tryin-to-stay/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/billy-idol-17280_books_i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-readi_1706972.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm on a bus on a psychedelic trip reading murder books tryin' to stay hip.” — Billy Idol", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Billy Idol", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I'm on a bus on a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-reading-murder-books-tryin-to-stay/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/i-m-on-a-bus-on-a-psychedelic-trip-reading-murder-books-tryin-to-stay/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```