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Brewer & Shipley — One Toke Over The Line
Album: Tarkio
Avg rating:
6.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 542









Released: 1970
Length: 3:16
Plays (last 30 days): 0
One toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Waiting for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hoping that the train is on time
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Who do you love, I hope it's me
I've been changing, as you can plainly see
I felt the joy and I learned about the pain
That my momma said
If I should choose to make a part of me
Would surely strike me dead

And now I'm one toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line
Waiting for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hoping that the train is on time
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

I sail away a country mile
And now I'm returning and showing off my smile
I met all the girls and I loved myself a few
And to my surprise
Like everything else 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
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line
Don't you know I'm just waiting for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hoping that the train is on time
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over the line

Don't you know I'm just waiting for the train that goes home, sweet Mary
Hoping that the train is on time
(Sitting downtown) Sitting in a railway station
One toke over the line

I want to be one toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
(Sitting downtown) Sitting in a railway station
One toke over the line

(Don't you know I'm just waiting for the train that goes home, sweet Mary) Waiting for the train that goes home
Hoping that the train is on time
(Sitting downtown) Sitting in a railway station
One toke over the line
Sitting downtown in a railway station
One toke over line
One toke, one toke over the line
Comments (38)add comment
 thewiseking wrote:

these cats rock almost as hard as Seals and Crofts



they sure do!! i love this song. 
When I was a kid, I thought "toke" had something to do with trains. Never understood why I thought that until right now.
 timmus wrote:
I'm gonna guess this didn't make the American Top 40 list.  Can you picture Casey Kasem introducing "One Toke Over The Line"?
 
(His show was on the air in summer 1970, same as this song, btw)


Not sure it made it it to #1 but it charted and got plenty of airplay on MOR AM stations.

Also, the Lawrence Welk kids did a completely innocent version of this. At least I think it was innocent!
Anyone remember when the Lawrence Welk kids did a completely innocent version of this? At least I think it was innocent!

Thank you so much for playing this. Still have this album on vinyl, in good shape considering. I'm still one toke over the line!
you all need to go down to NW Missouri and visit the city of Tarkio. 

having one toke over the line is a good thing.
these cats rock almost as hard as Seals and Crofts
 timmus wrote:
I'm gonna guess this didn't make the American Top 40 list.  Can you picture Casey Kasem introducing "One Toke Over The Line"?
 
(His show was on the air in summer 1970, same as this song, btw)


This song DID chart and was on AT40. 
I'm gonna guess this didn't make the American Top 40 list.  Can you picture Casey Kasem introducing "One Toke Over The Line"?
 
(His show was on the air in summer 1970, same as this song, btw)
I loved this when it was on the radio. I was eleven years old and had no clue.
I remember singing the refrain from this wonderfully catchy -- and quite controversial at the time -- song with friends and neighbors as we walked through the snow on our way to elementary school when this was on the radio in the early '70s. In 1980, I bought a Wilderness Experience backpack from Mr. Tom Shipley, who owned and ran the outdoor goods store in Rolla, Missouri, where I went to school at UMR at the time -- a nice, incredibly down-to-Earth guy, and the pack lasted for decades!
Thought it too simple, too AM radio plus waaaay overplayed at the time.

Fifty years later (OMG!!! 50?!!!), like countryrds said, it brings a smile.
Great song.  The bridge has a "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" kind of vibe.  
 Supertar wrote:
You played a song about Quasimoto's Birthday Party  a few weeks ago, it's been in my head like an earworm,can you tell me who it was or play it again so I can get the details? 
 

Think it might be: Some Say Leland — The Hunchback 
https://legacy.radioparadise.c...
Don't know why they haven't got the lyrics.
You played a song about Quasimoto's Birthday Party  a few weeks ago, it's been in my head like an earworm,can you tell me who it was or play it again so I can get the details? 
I think was on a KTel album I had
Oh yes, classic old school tune
One toke? You poor fool.
Could been based on my experience just two years later.

Spent three weeks hitch hiking through Western Europe.  Would up in western Switzerland.  On my day of departure for the Luxembourg airport (Icelandic Airlines), I arrived at the Lausanne train station. 

Departure time came.  Departure time went.  No train.  I looked at the schedule and, for the first time, realized I was a day too late.  Missed the train by twelve hours.  Which meant I missed my plane.

But, like the song goes, I was sittin at the railway station, one toke over the line. I burst out laughing.

Those carefree days.
Love me some Brewer & Shipley.
god i love hearing these songs I haven't heard in decades!
Hoping sooner rather than never in Illinois!!!
Brings a smile....that good 
Sweet Mary! all it takes is one toke these days
 Lazy8 wrote:
I remember listening to this in the car and having to explain to my mom what the lyrics meant...
 
At least your mom asked.  As opposed to rejecting the song as some evil something err other. 
 Lazy8 wrote:
I remember listening to this in the car and having to explain to my mom what the lyrics meant...
 

It's a modern spiritual


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tdmaEhMHE

Haven't heard this in an AGE! An 8 from me {#Bananajam}
I remember listening to this in the car and having to explain to my mom what the lyrics meant...
Once again, I have to ask: Why didn't I upload this? Oh, the second-guessing! (Then again, I only have it on LP.) Nice to hear after all these years. Must dust off the record and play Wichi-tai-to...
cmrump wrote:
That was me, the first to rate; pretty quickly filled in the spectrum as the 2nd rater gave it a 9; third was a 2.
How do you determine that?
How anyone can rate this a 1 is beyond me- besides the fact that it's a classic, it has great melody and funny lyrics...
Shesdifferent wrote:
This is the first song I have ever seen with only a 5 lowest rating...but give it time.....
That was me, the first to rate; pretty quickly filled in the spectrum as the 2nd rater gave it a 9; third was a 2.
I am assuming the segue is from willie's CD cover (non-Walmart version).
Shesdifferent wrote:
This is the first song I have ever seen with only a 5 lowest rating...but give it time.....
Not any more thankfully - dire, utterly dire
This is the first song I have ever seen with only a 5 lowest rating...but give it time.....
OMG, I haven't heard this in forever. Brings back so many memories...now I'd like to hear "Oh, Mommy" or "Wichi Tai To"...Bill?
wow, that made it from lrc to the playlist quick!