Help me with this one guys.. BROWER AND SHIPLEY - One toke over the line REACTION-First time hearing

[@aprilreedy8104]

BEST Marijuana Anthem of the 60's! We loved it, especially since our parents didn't know what it's about 😆🤣

[@stephanietip]

A toke is a big hit from a joint (or a bong rip)It's about getting higher than he ever was, sitting in the railway station waiting for the train to take him home to his sweetheart (Mary)

[@Dee-JayW]

Great song….many people have had one toke over the line 😂❤❤❤

[@marybaillie8907]

Omg. An Anthem for 60's. 😆 Lol. Have always loved this song. Yes Harri it's a gospel song. House of Bong. Just a great beat. I don't think adults had a clue what this was about. We did.😉 Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and David. Great old song. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

[@grahamkemble3917]

They didn’t. Lawrence Welk had it performed on his show. It went totally over his head.

[@marybaillie8907]

@@grahamkemble3917 That is so funny. 👍✌️🇨🇦

[@davidtalley4816]

You are welcome, always loved it too.

[@HarriBestReactions]

😂🤣😂🤣

[@marybaillie8907]

@@HarriBestReactions You make my day everyday Harri. Thank you. 😊🤗👍✌️🎶🎶🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@stephanietip]

Love this song.All about smoking weed and everyone thought it was an anti drug song(except for hippies who knew the truth)

[@marksims6425]

Yep… if you know… you know !!!

[@sirslice7531]

Lawrence Welk thought it was a modern spiritual...lol.

[@phil5762]

I am 65 years old. Was not a hippie, nor did I use drugs. But I and everyone I knew, knew what the word toke meant. I can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s an anti drug song.

[@stephanietip]

@@phil5762 look up Laurence Welk,One toke over the line

[@Cynthia...]

Kind of an anthem to the 60s one toke over the line, sweet Jesus!

[@bkm2797]

Hilarious, personally been one toke over the line a few times in my life! Thanks Harri

[@debbiechang5781]

This song brings back such good feelings. Life was good for me at the time. Thanks for requesting this David. Nice reaction Harri 🌺✌️

[@davidtalley4816]

You are welcome!

[@Wordsmyth8]

I think most of us have found ourselves “one toke over the line” a time or two - especially in our younger days. 😉 Toke refers to a draw or hit of marijuana and when you’ve had one too many, well, you’re one toke over the line.

[@jimallison6125]

I hitched around the US with a friend in the summer of 1973 and we heard this song everywhere. Brings back good memories.

[@jamesgarde8495]

AWESOME SONG !!!

[@turnerdan53]

Early 70's was a strange time. We had what was called Jesus Freaks. You could go to evening service playing folk and rock with Bible reading and meet up after and smoke a joint. Every one was looking for something while trying to combine the other stuff going on. I mean we had a Rock Opera called Jesus Christ Superstar.

[@nbell817]

You are waaaaay overthinking this Harri. Lol As an old hippie chick from back in the day, I can tell you that a toke is hit off a joint or pipe. And they're talking about being a little too high. This was a kind of anthem for a lot of us back in the 70s. I still play it sometimes when just sitting around jamming with friends. Love you Harri! ✌❤

[@HarriBestReactions]

Well..i was lost..so trying all routes 😀😂

[@John_Chu]

Shipley has said that the song is about excess. About doing anything to excess. Which would include that puff of grass that takes you over the line. It's not about hard drugs. It's like kids you knew in school who spent most of the day high on weed, just wasting their time.

[@Hobodeluxe960]

it's their time to waste. maybe they don't consider it being wasted. life is all about perspective. what's expected of one isn't necessarily the path they will choose. it's those people who stand out and are remembered. not the drones.

[@anidiquaojala1804]

yes💞

[@jamestaylor2920]

Thank you Harri for an open and honest review on your first time hearing this song. It is refreshing to actually hear a reviewer risk being so far off base. This proves that you are not one of the many fake reviewers that clutter KZbin with their click bait titles and overblown adjectives. As with most every review you've provided, I learned something new with this review. I did not see a connection of this folk-pop song with a future country song by Sir Paul. Your point of view certainly has merit. Thanks for the entertainment and education! Keep up the great work.

[@HarriBestReactions]

Thanx JT ✌🏾

[@chab1rd155]

GREAT old school jam!! Love it! 💞💞💞

[@jillwanlin9558]

Flashback! Love it! Thanks David and Harri! 🎶🇨🇦

[@angelajakem366]

I remember this song was on one of those K- tel albums I had in the early 70's. I even knew what it was about being a pre teen.🇨🇦

[@jillwanlin9558]

Me too! Loved those k-tel albums! 🎶🇨🇦

[@rayeckert242]

Paul McCartney DID a country song. It’s “ Sally G.” It was the B side of “Junior’s Farm.” A groovy little tune from the early seventies.

[@User_vjp_92753]

Remember this one well David~Thanks! A big thank you to Harri for doing his part to keep these great sounds alive ~ 🙂🙃😊👍

[@davidtalley4816]

You’re welcome!

[@User_vjp_92753]

@@davidtalley4816 LOL! Wonder if anybody remembers Wildwood Weed by Jim Stafford?!! College does weird things to you when it's your 1st time away from home~ 🤣😂🤣

[@davidtalley4816]

Ginny Jackson-Powell : never heard your song, but just listened to it on KZbin… classic! Very true what you say about college. 😱

[@User_vjp_92753]

@@davidtalley4816 Suffice it to say that after 2 yrs. of college, my dad wanted me to stay home and work in his business! lol !

[@terryjohnson1064]

Reflecting on their life and very stoned.

[@MisterWondrous]

Larry Welk had this on his show once, apparently thinking it was a church song. Check out "Can't Find My Way Home" by Blind Faith. Several tokes over the line.

[@tcanfield]

That’s about as classic as the Christian radio dj who played it often thinking the chorus was “one toe over the line”.

[@turdferguson3475]

Give a listen to "Put your hand in the hand" by Ocean. Similar vibe, outstanding bass.

[@scottstewart5784]

YES

[@jimbrentar]

if you like this one, try "Shanty" by Jonathan Edwards

[@bethcrumpton476]

This song was performed on the Lawrence Welk show????? OMG, that's hilarious!!!

[@kayohmberger5294]

It is hilarious. You must check it out on KZbin

[@terrieb13]

It is hilarious! 🤣🤣🤣 You should be able to find it on You Tube.

[@pettyguy64]

More like "Sweet Jesus! I'm high as a mo fo!" Lolol

[@anitaharris9095]

Imagine pulling into the parking lot of your job at a state correctional phacility with this song playing at full volume.

[@tigmiester4248]

Perfect timing 13 hrs old and ur the 2nd reaction to this song.

[@jaq4608]

There is a hilarious version of this song from the Lawrence Welk show. They figured that the song said “…sweet Jesus” so it was a good family song. You should watch it for the fashion alone!!! 😂😂😂

[@terrieb13]

🤣🤣🤣

[@t.j.payeur5331]

One Hit wonders..pun intended!

[@HarriBestReactions]

Up in smoke 🤣😂

[@CyborgMaMa]

Except they had another i remember even better Witchi-Tai-To - hope you check it out!

[@Woodpecker5]

Sally G by Paul McCartney and Wings. Country gem. You'll love it.

[@daviddragavon7555]

You are right..big radio play, especially on the West Coast. Great singing in the car song! Gospel adjacent.

[@CheshorcatBeats]

Now that I've seen your reaction, I'm gonna roll a joint and watch it again lol

[@wearinganapron]

I would call the sound folk-pop. At that time, a lot of pop songs kind of flirted with the country sound. But as for the meaning of the song, it's about smoking marijuana. When it first came out, I was in high school, and had no idea what it meant. After a little while, our local radio stations banned the playing of this song, because it was about drugs (this was Amarillo, Texas). But eventually we started hearing it again.

[@dannyc.jewell8788]

The country was inspired by Gram Parson type stuff

[@wearinganapron]

@@dannyc.jewell8788 I don't think I know Gram Parson, although might well have heard the music without hearing the name. I think, too, that the Bicentennial perhaps had an influence. It seemed to get us interested in the lives of our ancestors, wanting to learn simple skills like churning butter, building log cabins, knowing how to live off the land, etc. Enter the granny dresses, overalls, beards, and wire-rimmed glasses. The Back to the Land movement just begged for country music . . . I may have it all wrong, but that's how it swirls in my (somewhat jumbled) memory.

[@sharontesta6566]

@@dannyc.jewell8788 I know that I was inspired by Townes and Gram

[@dannyc.jewell8788]

@@wearinganapron 1st I think you are one smart guy , Gram was friends with Keith , Exile on Mainstreet ,asked to leave , rich kid , Florida Oran juice , Bio ''Hickory Wind , "dated '' Emy Lou Harris , lights of Baltimore , ''flying Burito Brothers, Byrds famous movie about his accidental death Loaned the book to one of Emmy Lou 's old time friend in Maryland and NoVa ,it looks to not be coming back

[@janabraam7963]

I want one toke right over the line now. LOL! Just crashing, watching the people n the railway station, high. This takes me back to my hippie days.

[@knew3355]

I was very young when this song was popular and had no idea what ‘toke’ referenced. I would loved to have seen the look on my own face when I was older and realized what it was knowing I sang the heck outta the song at maybe 9 or 10 years old. As others have said, I think it’s about having one toke too many and maybe just waiting for the high to wear off so you can move again. 😂

[@scottstewart5784]

born in 61, loved the song, thought it was railroad related as a kid for some reason

[@kahlodiego5299]

I bought this single when I was 11 years old.

[@EazierE]

found it from fear and loathing in las vegas great movie great song rip hunter s thompson

[@genataylor460]

Came out when I was in the Army, hanging around, for the most part, with a group of friends and we were almost always one toke over the line.

[@genataylor460]

One toke over the line meant seriously fucked up, on pot.

[@supasoulproductions]

If you want a real hoot, look up the Lawrence Welk version...no, I'm not kidding. That's how much the 'squares' thought this song was an anti-drug anthem.

[@AhJodie]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5aWlpZ6jt2Cock here it is

[@Hobodeluxe960]

Imagine coming home with a buzz in the 70's and mom is watching her favorite Lawrence Welk and this song comes on. And now for your moment of Zen kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmnXlaCXes2Afqc

[@davebzen795]

Hysterical and entirely true. This very scenario played out at my parent's place. Just ask two of my three brothers as well. Between us, we could probably get the memory pieced together.

[@Hobodeluxe960]

@@davebzen795 I wonder if it was a joke on Lawrence ? That someone suggested the song and all he heard was Jesus and thought "oh an inspirational song" and gave it the green light. Bet they were trying hard to keep a straight face singing it. It was a surreal moment for me anyway. Like when a politician uses "Born in the USA" as a patriotic song.

[@davebzen795]

@@Hobodeluxe960 You may very well be correct. Frankly, I find it challenging even today to think about Lawrence and his lead in every Polka song. Bubbles percolating while he says, 'a one and two...while my three brothers and I howled like a wolf at night. I have to stop here before I can't eat today or, worse yet, have nightmares

[@dianegoldeneye7363]

A toke was a hit off a joint. So possibly a little over indulgence. Lol. This was a great song in its day. Thank you Harri. 😊. Back then pot was not as strong as what they have today. Have you listened to Dont Bogart that Joint my friend ?

[@Calmontheoutside]

Are you saying “ditch weed” is a thing of the past (like bongs and my youth)? 😂

[@denisemay6807]

Good old hippie tune, always loved it. Doesn’t it mean when a joint gets short enough to need a roach clip? Listening to this one again brings back such memories!

[@chitownlee]

One toke means one hit off a joint.

[@RobertLemp]

I believe this to be about a man who had to leave his woman for awhile and he is now high in a rail station waiting to get home to Mary...

[@michaelvalenzuela2528]

Aside from this Brewer & Shipley have a great catalog of songs. you know who Lawrence Welk is they did a version of this song on his show, thinking is was a Gospel song.

[@chadsmith8966]

The funniest story about this song involves a Variety show. A variety show that prided itself as clean cut. The last act was a country duet. Everyone thought it was a gospel song until after the fact. You can actually find the clip on KZbin.

[@CyborgMaMa]

Yep it was Lawrence Welk show!! Hilarious 😂😅

[@fluffylobster2916]

Don't sleep on these guys, they're great. That's Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar on this track. Check out Don't wanna die in Georgia, Platt river, sweet love, people love each other.

[@GlenMaderos]

This is also my fav B&S track! Would be great to see it reacted to by Hari!

[@ememnicholas565]

This was the first album I bought with my own money at around 12. Thank goodness my mother had no idea what a toke was.💚

[@dannymoore6886]

One hit wonders.

[@HarriBestReactions]

I see what you did there 😂

[@dwcleary8694]

Has no one mentioned that the Grateful Dead were the backing band on this cut? (and yes, that's Jerry, playing normal six string guitar).

[@brocku44.63]

Reminds me of bus rides back to university

[@1SECRETBILLY]

It's quite a vback story when you know the history and just what kind of show Lawrence Welk had.lol

[@oldmachinist9236]

KLOL in Houston used to play a passage from Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas about assembling a drug collection so there was no doubt what this song was about

[@chriskennedy2729]

Anyone remember when they did this on the Lawrence Welk Show?

[@realityiscool9483]

Tokes and lines are great together

[@HarriBestReactions]

Naughty naughty 😂

[@NoviJimB]

Not sure if you're familiar with Lawrence Welk, he was an accordionist/band leader who had a TV show back in the 60's and 70's. It was very 'conservative' with a bit of a religious leaning. He had a couple who would sing songs on the show, often spirituals. They somehow became convinced that this was a spiritual and sang this on the show. A rather amusing segment. It's here on KZbin, just search for this song title and Lawrence Welk and you'll find it. At the end Lawrence calls it a 'modern spiritual'. :)

[@webbtrekker534]

I've been "One Toke Over The Line" a few times in my past though not in the 60's as I was in the Navy at the time.

[@woedan48]

That’s where I learned to toke !

[@HarriBestReactions]

Naughty boys 🤣

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

If you don't know of The Lawrence Welk Show,...search for that, and this song title. Lawrence Welk was the entertainment that my Grandparent's viewed, a "big band' with Accordion lead, women as harmony singers, Americana, "safe" now seen as excess cheese! Weeks band and singers didn't have a clue about the true meaning of this song lyric -picing up on "Sweet Jesus" and "Railway Station" that it was innocent, not laced with "herbal Jazz cigarettes" 🙃

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

not "Weeks" band, but Welks!

[@awoken1445]

The great thing is that we don't need to understand the lyrics in order to enjoy!

[@gingergooding6463]

One hit wonders...pass the bong☺

[@jayjay-bz3rr]

This song is Lawrence Welk approved. 🥇

[@avlisk]

Tarkio Road and a cover of Jesse Winchester's Yankee Lady are the other 2 I recommend.

[@arthurslaughter4122]

I met them in 71. Great people.

[@jgeur]

hey Harri, go look at the cover of the album "Tarkio Road" and you will quickly see what they're tokin' about.

[@emanuellawton7942]

When I first heard this song back in the '70s I thought it was performed by the Osmond Brothers. I was too young to recognize any possible drug references.

[@keithbrown7685]

Just saying. This is recent. I'd suck back on a joint so hard sometimes, thinking I didn't want to waste any of the joy. Times like that, I entered some other world, and my regular self was there, only he seemed sinister, more than happy to get me and my soul into trouble. And while that was going on, I was watching myself being high. So bloody existential, it was. I'd do it again, if I weren't on prescribed meds, and if my brain wouldn't down-regulate and toss me into panic disorder when I tried to quit weed cold turkey. But I do miss it. I've been drunk but I don't miss alcohol. But I cherish my memories of weed.

[@williamjackson6705]

The song got a lot of flak for mentioning Jesus & Mary in a song that was about drug usage. At the time a lot of people didn't know what a toke was including Me being only 14 at the time. The song even got performed on Lawrence Welk, the squarest show on television. They thought it was a spiritual. One toke over meant that they had smoked too much & gotten higher than normal.

[@AhJodie]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5aWlpZ6jt2Cock

[@reichensperger1847]

Once again Harri has sent me rooting around in historic newspaper. In an interview dated Sept. 17, 1971, Tom Shipley said "This was not a drug song. In the Southwest, 'one toke over the line' means fed up, or the last straw. Even the straights say it to mean that they've just had it with everything." (I forgot that people used to speak of Hippies & Straights). So say the artists themselves, and we all know that all artists aways tell the truth about everything.

[@chriskennedy2729]

I love this song!

[@gpxo11]

Their other big hit was Shake Off the Demon.

[@anidiquaojala1804]

💞💞💞❣️

[@JasonHalversonjaydog]

yeah the "toke" is smoking a joint and the 'Mary" isn't a name, it's what hes smoking!

[@Hoxson1]

Vice President of the United States, Spiro Agnew, labeled Brewer & Shipley as subversives, and then strong-armed the FCC to ban "One Toke" from the airwaves just as it was peaking on the charts. Brewer & Shipley landed on Nixon's Enemies List, a badge of honor they wear proudly to this day. Even in the midst of all the fuss about the drug related lyrics, Lawrence Welk featured "One Toke Over The Line" on his show in 1971.

[@kmwwrench]

I've always loved this song. It's so bouncy and light, even if I didn't ever actually get the point. Didn't matter. I never thought about the McCartney influence until you mentioned it. But, yeah, now I hear it, too.

[@NathanVeenstra]

I totally agree with you, this is a very McCartney like country (style) song.

[@HarriBestReactions]

Long time no see Nathan 😀

[@paulmolkenbur5546]

My brother. I got to be an Acquaintance And Friend Of Tom Shipley. And I've never talked to him about It. Here's what I think the song is saying saying basically. It's a token. That's you paid to get on the train. I don't know about the name Mary. I could be wrong about all it is is the word TOKe think it's supposed to be token at a train station over the line.its a song about going Home on a train. And back in the day all the hippies adoubted the expression a TOKe as a hit of a joint

[@paul2862]

The song is about waiting, stoned, in an ACTUAL train station. The singer is reflecting on his travels while waiting for the train (while stoned on pot). Check out their version of "Witchi Tai To" (kzbin.info/www/bejne/moTCZWSYeN2SpKc), a song written by Native American jazz musician Jim Pepper. A great song.

[@willtopper]

Tarkio Road, Shake Off The Demon, Fifty States of Freedom, WitchyTai To,

[@jimbrentar]

i used to know how to play this song

[@anitaaviles7203]

Paul McCartney did write a country song. Check out "Sally G".

[@jimbrentar]

toke = puff on a marijuana cigarette. one toke over the line = too stoned. mary = mary jane = marijuana.

[@HarriBestReactions]

Dont know how i missed the Mary Jane reference😂🤣😂..It was the Jesus part that did it

[@henrybodden812]

Please try pull up. “Oh Mommy” by Brewer and Shiply and You’ll never forget them they put it all together check it out Brother whenever you have a chance. Thank you.

[@cynthiasummers8238]

I just discovered a cover of this song on lawrence welk... KZbin channel is Chen 73. Truly hilarious.

[@jason4485]

I actually thought this was Paul McCartney for a long time lol

[@AhJodie]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5aWlpZ6jt2Cock is the Lawrence Welk show singers doing this, without knowing it was about marijuana and thought it was a gospel hahahahahaha

[@user-uk6ty2hk4z]

Banned from radio airplay because of so called "subversive lyrics", it went to number 1 on the pop charts anyway!

[@AnyangU]

You are getting there Hari. A toke is a puff on a marijuana cigarette or joint and the two of them just got a little too high waiting on a train. It is that simple. But, it was one of those songs that seemed well hidden. You could play it and maybe your square parents wouldn't quite understand. It fooled Lawrence Welk who got a couple of singers to do a cover of it thinking it a gospel song that the kids actually liked and playing it could make him look hip. He didn't realize how hip he really was, or maybe he did. Maybe he fooled us all. But you can't fool Spiro T. Agnew, the first Vice President under Nixon. He found the song to be subversive and got radio stations to ban it so it was never a hit. It was just one of those songs with a great story.

[@emanuellawton7942]

Brewer and Shipley got into trouble with the Nixon Administration over this song. It was deemed to have drug references.

[@kerryknight228]

Happy stoner song✌️

[@Calmontheoutside]

Toke was slang for taking a hit of pot (in the US anyway). Over the line to me just means a little too high . . .

[@bluesman3232]

Listen to Oh Mommy by Brewer & Shipley......one toke over the line means "smashed" on marijuana!

[@jacobjones5269]

It’s very simple.. It’s always better to be one toke over the line, than one toke short of the line.. If you’re gonna err, err on that side..

[@savannah65]

Yes, they are saying that they had one too many marihuana cigarette that day.

[@atombomb31458]

they had one or two other hits

[@cynergy4]

There were stations who wouldn't play this song because of the drug references. Quite scandalous back in the day.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Is that Jerry Garcia on pedal steel? I think it is or maybe I’m over the line. I think the song is literally being in a downtown train station hoping the train hurries up because he smoked too much pot.

[@macm3081]

Means they were waiting for a train and getting stoned.

[@skiziskin]

I think you're playin' us pretending you don't know what a toke is. 🤪

[@HarriBestReactions]

I know what toke is..but i just didnt link it to this song😀..The Mary and Jesus bit got me thinking it was religious

[@barbaradownie3265]

I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS

[@HarriBestReactions]

Hahahahaha