Slick har udtalt, at teksten var tænkt som et 'svirp' til de forældre, der læser sådanne børnebøger for deres børn og derefter undrede sig over, at børnene tog [[psykedeliske stoffer]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffersonairplane.com/the-band/grace-slick/ |title=Biography – Grace Slick |website=Jeffersonairplane.com |access-date=2015-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507221818/http://www.jeffersonairplane.com/the-band/grace-slick/ |archive-date=2017-05-07 |url-status=dead}}</ref> I sagen indgår referencer til figuren Alice fra Carolls romaner samt den hvide kanin (sangens titel), den hookah-rygende larve, den hvide ridder og den røde dronning.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/white-rabbit-lyrics-jefferson-airplane.html |title=White Rabbit Lyrics |website=Metrolyrics.com |access-date=2015-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216061413/http://www.metrolyrics.com/white-rabbit-lyrics-jefferson-airplane.html |archive-date=2015-02-16 |url-status=live }}</ref> Slick skrev sangen efter er [[LSD|syretrip]].<ref>{{cite web | last = Hughes | first = Rob | title = The Story Behind The Song: White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane | publisher = TEAMROCK.COM | date = 29. oktober 2016 | url = http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-10-29/the-story-behind-the-song-white-rabbit-by-jefferson-airplane | accessdate = 2017-08-02 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170802165147/http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-10-29/the-story-behind-the-song-white-rabbit-by-jefferson-airplane | archive-date = 2. august 2017 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703778104576287303493094530 |last=Myers |first=Marc |title=She Went Chasing Rabbits |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |accessdate=2. august 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108161611/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703778104576287303493094530?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748703778104576287303493094530.html |archive-date=8. januar 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Med referencerne til brug af stoffer gemt bag Carolls børnebøger var "White Rabbit" en af de første sange om stoffer, der kom uden om censuren.
Musik