It’s been noticeable how, as soon as the 21st century began, the top of the singles chart has been home to all manner of depravity. And here is yet more evidence of slipping societal standards…
Because I Got High, by Afroman (his 1st and only #1)
3 weeks, from 21st October – 11th November 2001
We’ve had the rock ‘n’ roll, we’ve had the sex, and now we have the drugs. Of course, this isn’t the first number one song to reference illegal substances, but usually they’ve been protected by innuendo, by a level of plausible deniability. This record, however, opens with someone asking us to roll another blunt. Less than a decade sits between the nudge-wink of ‘Ebeneezer Goode’, and this unabashed celebration of ganja.
But, actually, is this a celebration? Superficially, yes. But then you listen and notice that this song is a list of unfortunate events brought about by smoking too much weed. First verse: I was gonna clean my room, Until I got high… Second verse: I was gonna go to class, Before I got high… It’s not long before he’s being chased by the police, crashing his car, and ending up a paraplegic.
Obviously, all this is tongue in cheek, a fact highlighted by the fact that the paraplegic verse is followed by one about being unable to function sexually: I was gonna eat your pussy too, But then I got high… (Sadly, Afroman is forced to take matters into his own hands, if you catch my drift.) This is no anti-drug song, no inside job to keep the kids on the straight and narrow. But it works as a satire nonetheless, with Afroman and his homies skewering the reasons that those in authority give to warn people off marijuana. By the end, the fourth wall has been broken: Imma stop singing this song, Because I’m high… And if I don’t sell one copy, I’ll know why…
So I like this record on one level. I also like how stripped back it is, just a bassline and vocals. It’s almost a cappella, with some doo-wop backing touches. But the backing vocals, his gang of stoned buddies whooping and hollering, are also the reason that this song grows old, and quickly. Unless you’re actually high when listening, then you might think that this was the greatest song ever recorded. Which I suppose means that ‘Because I Got High’ is doing its job.
Afroman had been rapping since the 8th grade, when he allegedly recorded a diss track about the teacher who had him expelled for wearing sagging jeans. Which seems unlikely, but it’s a fun origin story… ‘Because I Got High’ could be said to have gone viral, by the standards of the time. It had originally been released a year and half earlier, and had slowly grown in popularity on file-sharing websites. This belated major label release came after the track was featured on the soundtrack to ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back’.
Afroman was good for one more Top 10 hit, ‘Crazy Rap’ in early 2002. And if ‘Because I Got High’ is at the limit of your tolerance, or if you’re a Dolly Parton fan, then I’d say best avoid it. After the hits dried up he started releasing his music independently, and remains active to this day, with his beloved Mary Jane still very much a strong lyrical theme (his album titles include ‘Drunk ‘n’ High’, ‘Waiting to Inhale’ and ‘Marijuana Music’).
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I only ever heard the clean version that radio played – but even then it was amusing enough to make my top 40 and then disappear after a few weeks as the novelty wore off and I’ve managed to avoid it mostly since as it’s not a radio staple in the least! I think you sum it up pretty well there, affable enough.
LOL, no way this song actually make No. 1 in the UK. Holy crap, hahaha, that’s amazing. I sometimes debate who has the better No. 1s between the UK and US since the US has more cool R&B, soul and hip hop songs top the charts and the UK has had some really lame novelty, charity and dance songs reach the top, but clearly, the UK takes it due to things like this (plus you guys have had more rock representation at the top historically).
This is such a stupid but super fun song. Puts a big smile on my face. Maybe it’s because I’m high, I dunno. High on life of course.
Apparently this is one of the first songs to become popular due to it being widely spread on the internet and Napster – it was first played on The Howard Stern Show and it spread across the internet soon after and became a legit phenomemon. Amazingly, this song was a much bigger hit internationally than it was in North America (it only reached #13 in the US and #17 in Canada, and bizarrely got to #27 on the US alternative airplay chart which is absolutely bizarre but alt-rock radio in the US during the 90s did actually did play some hip hop)
Yeah, it was shared around Napster and other file-sharing sites, before Howard Stern and then ‘Jay and Silent Bob’ (not sure which came first) and eventually a proper release… The song was almost two years old by the time it became a hit.
For me it’s no contest between the UK and US charts, especially since the 90s. On the Billboard 100 you either seem to have bro-country, K-pop, or some mid-level rap track that stays at #1 for 20 weeks…
I couldn’t with a straight face claim that this is a good song. But I do love it. It’s daft and makes me smile, what’s not to love.
I’ve never listened to it while high either, maybe I should…
I know this doesn’t make a lot of sense and might even seem hypocritical, considering I’m usually on the side of the moral guardians (at least, the old-fashioned ones, not the PC ones)…
But I really like this song! I’ve listened to it dozens of times. I love the beat and I think the lyrics are really clever, in their deceptively simple way. I also think it’s very funny the way the song gets more uproarious and celebratory as the protagonist descends further into self-destruction. It’s like a stoner version of Hey Jude.
What can I say? I suppose the only figleaf of legitimacy I can offer is by connecting it to a genre of folk songs about debauchery and excess, like Seven Drunken Nights by the Dubliners.
I don’t think drugs (soft or hard) should be celebrated but…I can’t help liking this song. And at least it doesn’t take itself seriously.
M from Dublin. (Too furtive to include my full first name.)
I’ll admit, I didn’t think you’d give this a glowing review… I think if it were an unabashed celebration of getting stoned – like so many modern rap songs are – it would be dull. But it has its tongue in its cheek, doesn’t take itself seriously like you said, and actually makes something of a satirical point. At the same time, though, I do find it fairly annoying!
This I think if funny…I kinda like it lol. Hey when you have back problems and are old like me…a gummy does wonders! It is very likable.
Hahaha yeah. It’s so much more acceptable now than even a decade or so ago.