• Track: One Toke Over the Line
• Artist: Brewer & Shipley
• Album: Tarkio
• Year: 1970

Lyrics:

One toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Waitin’ for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hopin’ that the train is on time
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Now I’m one toke over the line, sweet Jesus…

Who do you love, I hope it’s me
I’ve bin a changin’, as you can plainly see
I felt the joy and I learned about the pain that my Mama said
If I should choose to make a part of me, would surely strike me dead

Now I’m one toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

I’m waitin’ for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hopin’ that the train is on time
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

I sailed away a country mile
Now I’m returning and showing off my smile
I met all the girls and loved myself a few
And to my surprise
Like everything else that I’ve been through
It opened up my eyes and now I’m

One toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Don’t you just know I waitin’ for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hopin’ that the train is on time
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Don’t you just know I waitin’ for the train that goes home, sweet Mary?
Hopin’ that the train is on time
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

I was born to give and take
And as I keep growin’ I’m gonna make some mistakes
The sun’s gonna set and the bird is gonna wing
They do not lie
My last wish will be just one thing
Be smilin’ when I die

I want to be
One toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Don’t you just know I waitin’ for the train that goes home, sweet Mary?
Hopin’ that the train is on time
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line
Sittin’ downtown in a railway station
One toke over line
One toke, one toke over the line

Get It:

Brewer & Shipley’s One Toke Over the Line is available on their Tarkio album (Amazon has the record incorrectly listed as Tarkio Road. A song on the record is titled Tarkio Road, but the album title is simply Tarkio).

Of all the glorious one-hit wonders from the 1970s, perhaps none makes me smile more than Brewer & Shipley’s One Toke Over the Line. I won’t argue with you over the song’s meaning or the content. I think it’s pretty well laid bare by the lyrics themselves. However, for reasons passing understanding (and apparently the show’s censors) this song was sung on The Lawrence Welk Show by Gail Farrell and Dick Dale in 1971. Welk even referred to it as being a “modern spiritual” song. Me thinks perhaps that Mr. Welk just might have inhaled deeply upon that particular spirit before going on air.

Right on, brother.

You can see that video clip below, along with a couple of others I think you might enjoy.

Also, see this 1971 Rolling Stone story about music censorship in the 1970s, and in particular this song being banned from many radio stations: 

Video:

No official video was made for One Toke Over the Line, so you’ll just need to sit back, close your eyes, and listen to this wholesome song about the spiritual properties of ganja. 

Also, be sure to check out this VH-1 video of Brewer & Shipley singing One Toke Over the Line live. The recording appears to start a few seconds into the song, but it’s still pure gold:

Finally, here’s the clip from The Lawrence Welk Show. Do suppose Welk filmed this particular show while holding a dime bag?  

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